Tag Archives: climate change

Public health commissioners eye heat resistance steps for city budget requests

Public health proponents for the city and Travis County appear ready to push for more heat mitigation resources in the next city budget, with a recent playbook from the Office of Resilience likely to help prioritize those financial requests. At…

Environment • By Chad Swiatecki • Jan 13, 2025

This fall might've been Austin's warmest. The city says it's ready now for record cold.

Austin and Travis County leaders said they are prepared for potentially record winter weather despite the warm fall. At a news conference Wednesday, Mayor Kirk Watson and Travis County Judge Andy Brown said the city and county have several mechanisms…

Austin • By Luz Moreno-Lozano, KUT • Dec 5, 2024

Austin is making it easier to open overnight cold weather shelters

The city of Austin is changing how and when it will open cold weather shelters this winter to make shelter more frequent and predictable for people, city officials said. When temperatures dip to near freezing, the city opens overnight shelters…

Austin • By Luz Moreno-Lozano, KUT • Nov 26, 2024

Council could OK task force to design bond package focused on climate change

Next week, City Council will consider forming a task force to design the city’s next bond package expected to go before voters by fall 2026. Mayor Pro Tem Leslie Pool has led on the resolution that calls for the creation…

Bonds & Propositions • By Chad Swiatecki • Aug 23, 2024

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Developers join city in considering climate resiliency as Austin grows

While the city considers its options for dealing with extreme weather and increasing resiliency across the area, the same questions about the role of climate change in large-scale building projects are top of mind for developers and financial leaders active…

Austin • By Chad Swiatecki • Aug 22, 2024

Council votes to follow traditional process before calling a climate bond election

After one of the most robust deliberations City Council has had in recent history, a resolution on a comprehensive climate bond election moved forward Thursday, but without the immediacy that some Council members would have preferred. Nevertheless, those who favored…

City Council • By Amy Smith • Jul 19, 2024

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Animal Advisory Commission wants pets allowed in cooling centers

The Animal Advisory Commission is urging the city to allow pets inside designated cooling centers as summer heats up. The commission unanimously passed a recommendation that urges the city to identify “a number of cooling centers throughout the City of…

Austin • By Dylan Ebs • Jul 10, 2024

City launches free swim pilot program, eliminating fees at Walnut Creek Pool this summer

Austin is moving forward with a pilot program aimed at reducing pool fees as a way of increasing access this summer. The city will eliminate fees entirely at Walnut Creek Pool in North Austin and offer two free days at…

Parks • By Elizabeth Pagano • Jun 20, 2024

Charts showing projected future climate over Austin

New climate report shows last summer's record-high temps might not be a fluke

The results are in from researchers at the University of Texas’ Climate CoLab, and those who hoped last summer’s record-breaking temperatures to be a deviation from the norm might want to adjust their expectations. The new Climate Projections report, which…

Environment • By Kali Bramble • Jun 12, 2024

A 'heat dome' is back over Texas. Here's what that means (and why it's the worst).

Last year was a lot. It was the second-hottest summer in Texas. Much of that heat is because, well, Texas is hot as all get-out. Not just some get-out. It’s hot as all get-out. But last year, we thought, was novel: a pressure system,…

Environment • By Andrew Weber, KUT • Jun 10, 2024

Memo outlines the high cost of planning for Austin’s environmental future

With the city already facing a budget deficit exceeding $13 million in the 2025 budget year, a recent staff memo with cost estimates for funding an array of environmental initiatives may be causing sticker shock in some circles. Yet proponents…

Environment • By Amy Smith • May 24, 2024

City Council approves water conservation plans, for now

As expected, City Council endorsed new Water Conservation and Drought Contingency plan updates at its Thursday meeting, voting unanimously to send them along to the state – despite major misgivings from key stakeholders who say the plans don’t do enough…

Water • By Elizabeth Pagano • May 6, 2024