North Texas

A coalition in North Texas claims an asphalt shingle facility in West Dallas, GAF Materials, is illegally operating and polluting the area, risking residents' health. They're urging public assistance to enforce better air quality controls and municipal compliance through a public hearing and written comments submission.

Reusable bags are popular, with a 2019 CivicScience poll showing 51% of Americans using them, especially Baby Boomers and women. Options vary from custom, retro, pocket-sized, heavy-duty, straw, and euro bags. Brands like Eco-bags, Esse, Lands' End, and Global Mamas offer diverse, eco-friendly choices to reduce plastic use.

Volunteers counted dead birds in Dallas to assess the impact of the Lights Out Texas campaign, aimed at reducing building collisions during migration. Though results are preliminary, efforts focus on statewide awareness and lighting reduction. Texas, a crucial flyway, highlights the significant role of lighting in bird mortality.

Texas regulators advanced a haze reduction plan for national parks without new pollution limits, dismissing federal and environmentalist concerns. The plan doesn't mandate coal plants to adopt pollution-reducing technologies. Environmental groups expect federal intervention due to the plan’s inadequacies. Texas argues the measures are unnecessary and cost-prohibitive.

Dallas' new Urban Forest Master Plan aims to increase tree canopy coverage from 32% to 37% within a decade, improving the city's resilience to climate change. The plan consolidates tree policies, involves a comprehensive tree inventory, and supports the city's climate goals with nature-based solutions, necessitating public-private partnerships.

Green Source On the Air celebrated Juneteenth with environmental justice advocates Ernest McMillan, Collin Yarbrough, and Dawan Shockley. The show, supported by Dallas College and others, featured discussions on race and the environment, airing after Juneteenth's designation as a national holiday by President Biden.

Celebrate Father's Day sustainably with green gifts: Panther City Vinyl offers nostalgic records, Juice Junkies provides healthful drinks, and Davis Street Mercantile features beard products. Explore goodies from Cox Farms Market, Farmbox Delivery, and GoSun’s solar gadgets. Enjoy Noble Coyote coffee, Humble Pie desserts, and Artiphany’s themed playing cards.

Conservationists in Fort Worth are striving to protect the city’s last native prairie amid rapid development. The Fort Worth Prairie Park effort continues despite setbacks, aiming to unite private and public lands into a contiguous reserve. Stakeholders, including the Great Plains Restoration Council, collaborate to preserve this endangered ecosystem.

Gas and electric suppliers face an uncertain future, which Amory Lovins of the Rocky Mountain Institute considers positive. At the North Texas Renewable Energy Group meeting, he'll discuss upcoming energy industry disruptions driven by innovations, advocating for a transition to renewable energy over reliance on oil and gas.

Researchers are documenting environmental injustices in Dallas through the Environmental Injustice Archive, highlighting significant pollution cases, such as Shingle Mountain and West Dallas' lead pollution. This collaboration aims to raise awareness, hold polluters accountable, and celebrate community victories against injustices in predominantly Black and Latinx neighborhoods.