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Tag Archives: climate change
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
Council calls for more trees and green infrastructure
On Thursday, City Council approved a step forward for increasing the number of trees in the city as well as promoting pedestrian and bicycle access throughout Austin. The vote was unanimous on the resolution sponsored by Mayor Pro Tem Leslie…
Planning • By Jo Clifton • Mar 22, 2024
Conservation district has good news on drought level
The Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District has taken a step back from the most severe drought stage – Stage IV – and after a brief stint in Stage III, has declared the area to be at Stage II Alarm Drought,…
Water • By Jo Clifton • Mar 5, 2024
Council passes a resolution calling for greener procurement practices
After its recent approval of a measure to create an investment strategy for financing the city’s climate plans, City Council on Thursday passed a complementary item to establish more sustainable procurement practices. Like the previous resolution, this one, too, was…
City Council • By Amy Smith • Mar 1, 2024
Council approves climate funding and telework policies
Austin’s environmental activists don’t always agree with one another on local policy issues, but they spoke with one voice Thursday in support of a resolution to beef up funding for the city’s many ambitious climate plans. As expected, City Council…
City Council • By Amy Smith • Feb 16, 2024
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Council to weigh how the city will fund climate projects
Over the last decade, City Council has put forth several ambitious climate-related plans, building on the work of previous councils. But without a clear road map for financing and prioritizing projects to reduce carbon emissions and safeguard the city against…
City Council • By Amy Smith • Feb 14, 2024
Cap Metro conducts partial audit of methods for tracking and reporting greenhouse gas emissions
Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority is working toward a goal of reaching net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040. Last fall, Capital Metro partnered with University of Texas graduate students on an audit of its current methods for tracking and reporting…
Transit • By Nina Hernandez • Jan 18, 2024
Worried about the Texas power grid? Here's what to expect from the incoming arctic blast.
It’s almost mid-January, and there are tomatoes growing in my backyard in Austin. That might seem like a strange way to start an article on the Texas power grid. But as the state faces its first big freeze this winter,…
Energy • By Mose Buchele, KUT • Jan 12, 2024
Council hears of progress on resilience hubs, planning for winter weather emergencies
With the National Weather Service advising local leaders of the high likelihood of a significant ice event this winter, City Council received an extensive update on weather preparation efforts on Tuesday. The update from the Homeland Security and Emergency Management…
Public Safety • By Chad Swiatecki • Nov 29, 2023
Public, private measures seen as key to increasing resilience against extreme weather, natural disasters
Local developers and planning leaders learned recently about the impacts that increasingly severe weather and natural disasters will have on their projects, and how public and private efforts can work together to reduce the damage. Among the areas of focus…
Public Safety • By Chad Swiatecki • Oct 24, 2023
Council approves push to make air conditioning a requirement in Austin
This summer, a stretch of hot, dry weather in Austin has tested everyone’s patience. The record-high heat has also posed a danger to those not lucky enough to feel the relief of air conditioning. A new City Council resolution looks…
