Erin Douglas
S.A. Express-News
Houston, TX, United States
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Past articles by Erin:
Texas heat-related deaths reached a two-decade high in 2022 amid extreme temperatures
A Texas Tribune analysis of state data found that at least 214 people in Texas were killed... → Read More
Texas lawmakers ask state agency to delay power market redesign until after 2023 legislative session
In a Monday committee hearing, lawmakers questioned whether a Public Utility Commission proposal to redesign Texas’ electricity market would lead to the building of more natural-gas-fired power plants. Regulators say it would. → Read More
Texas’ plan to provide water for a growing population virtually ignores climate change
Texas’ biggest single solution to providing enough water for its soaring population in the coming decades is using more surface water, including about two dozen new large reservoirs. But climate change has made damming rivers a riskier bet. → Read More
EPA will center climate change response in Texas on sea level rise, floods, drought and severe storms
The federal agency plans to increase efforts to help states adapt to the effects of... → Read More
EPA will center climate change response in Texas on sea level rise, floods, drought and severe storms
The federal agency plans to increase efforts to help states adapt to the effects of climate change most damaging to each region. → Read More
Texas will build more than 50 new electric car charging locations along major highways
The $408 million approved Tuesday by the Federal Highway Administration will help build a network of charging facilities every 50-70 miles along certain major Texas highways. → Read More
After cancer-causing chemicals were found in Fifth Ward soil, Houston mayor says cleanup plans are inadequate
The city’s health department found dioxins in soil samples along the fence line of a Union Pacific rail yard. Mayor Sylvester Turner said during the 2022 Texas Tribune Festival that plans to clean up the contamination should now include relocating residents. → Read More
“It’s destroying me”: Storm after storm, climate change increases strain on Texans’ mental health
Tens of thousands of coastal Texas residents have survived repeated extreme weather events including Hurricane Harvey. For many, it has taken an emotional toll, and researchers warn that climate change could be “catastrophic” for our mental health. → Read More
Texas will plug 800 abandoned oil and gas wells, funded by $25 million federal infrastructure grant
Texas will begin plugging about 800 abandoned oil and gas wells this fall after receiving an initial $25 million grant from a program included in President Biden’s infrastructure plan. → Read More
Smog levels in Texas surge during heat wave, bringing worst summer air quality in a decade
Emissions are reacting with the summer heat to create high levels of smog, hazardous air pollution that damages the lungs. But state officials are pushing back on ozone pollution controls proposed by the EPA, arguing such rules would compromise the electric grid. → Read More
Volkswagen, Audi argue that Abbott’s choice of judges could tilt emissions case in Texas’ favor
An Austin-based attorney whose practice focuses on legal ethics and malpractice, said he did not see how Abbott commissioning two justices would violate legal ethics rules. → Read More
Abortions in Texas have stopped after Attorney General Ken Paxton said pre-Roe bans could be in effect, clinics say
Paxton and some anti-abortion activists are arguing that state laws that banned abortion before Roe v. Wade — and were never repealed — could now be in effect in Texas. → Read More
“This is not us”: Tight-knit Uvalde, rooted in Texas history, navigates incalculable grief
Residents of this town, which is nicknamed “the Crossroads of America,” grapple with the horror of losing 21 lives. → Read More
Five Texas refineries polluted above federal limit of cancer-causing benzene last year, report found
A dozen refineries reportedly exceeded the EPA’s limit on average benzene emissions last year, including San Antonio-based Valero's facility in St. Charles, La. → Read More
Uvalde has prayed for victims elsewhere. Now, mourners here pray for one another.
Bleachers of the Uvalde County Fairplex were packed with young children, families and other community members Wednesday night in a mass vigil for the victims of Tuesday’s school shooting. → Read More
Rural Texas was meant to get 10% of state bonds for water projects. It’s getting less than 1%.
Rural Texas communities often don’t have the resources, technical experience, or ability to take on large amounts of debt to pursue state funds for water supply and quality projects. So, many simply don’t apply. → Read More
Wildfire risk remains high for much of Texas in the days ahead, fire officials say
Climate change has made the Texas heat hotter and longer-lasting, enhancing drought conditions that set the stage for intense fires. More than 40% of the state is in an extreme drought. → Read More
Sid Miller holds wide lead in Republican primary for Texas ag commissioner
The incumbent appears to have avoided a runoff. State Rep. James White had tried to unseat Miller with criticisms centered on controversies under Miller’s leadership. → Read More
How Texas’ power grid failed in 2021 — and who’s responsible for preventing a repeat.
In the state’s power grid, electricity and natural gas are codependent. Here’s how the winter storm last year broke the system. → Read More
A year after the electric grid failed, Texas focuses on reliability, not climate change
Transitioning sources of electricity to cleaner fuels is one of the best tools humanity has to fight climate change — which brings severe weather that taxes the grid. But a year after the winter storm, Texas leaders aren’t talking about decarbonizing. → Read More