Drought, wildfires, and extreme weather — is this the new normal for Texas?
A new estimate by the Texas Forest Service says that as many as 500 million trees have died this year because of the drought. Using data from foresters, the group estimated that “100 million to 500 million trees with a diameter of 5 inches or larger on forestland were estimated to have succumbed to the […]
Recently we’ve looked at how the drought is affecting livestock, farming and even fishing. But it is also taking a toll on roads. As Lucia Duncan reports for KUT, “the dry spell has sucked all the moisture out of Central Texas’s topsoil. And that’s caused cracks to form and bumps to pop up.” What’s happening […]
The National Weather Service has new data on temperatures and rainfall out, and several Texas cities are either on track to or have already broken existing records for heat and drought: Houston tied for its hottest year ever, and has had its second driest year ever, with only 21.6 inches of rain. Austin had its […]
The latest drought data from the National Drought Mitigation Center was released today. The numbers haven’t moved much since last week, and while they give cause for some hope, they also show just how far we have left to go: 41 percent of the state is in the “exceptional” stage of drought, the highest level. The […]
And the hits keep coming. There will be no oysters this year in Texas, USA Today reports: “a monstrous bloom of toxic algae looming across the Texas coast has shut down oyster season.” Because of the drought, the paper reports, “the algae could cause nausea, vomiting and diarrhea in humans and is harmful to fish but […]
How do you convince people climate change is real? The answer until now has largely been one of science, data and facts. But an emerging voice in the scientific community is taking a different tack: emphasizing religious stewardship over statistics, and advocating awareness of climate change as a spiritual responsibility. One emerging voice of the faith-inclined climate […]
It seems counter-intuitive, but victims of wildfires in Texas should be thinking about the possibilities of flood, according to a new report by the Texas Division of Emergency Management and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. While rain is a much-needed commodity in Texas these days, too much of it could have destructive consequences. Because of the […]
In case you missed it, here are the top five new stories from StateImpact Texas published last week: How Green is Your Christmas Tree? The Real vs. Plastic Debate: It’s an argument you’ve probably had at holiday parties over eggnog and tea cookies. Which type of Christmas tree is better for the environment, real or […]
Earlier this week, we took a look back at the awful year of weather that Texas had in 2011. Now it’s time to look forward, and new winter weather predictions from the National Oceanic and Atsmopheric Administration do not bode well for a possible end to the drought. First, this winter’s weather doesn’t look like […]
It’s a debate you’ve probably had at holiday parties over eggnog and tea cookies. Which type of Christmas tree is better for the environment, real or plastic? The question is as old as the advent of fake plastic trees themselves. And as with any argument, there are pros and cons. But there is a clear […]
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