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 at the October panel discussion from Urban Land Institute Austin was the aid available from […]
climate change
Posted inCity Council
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 to make sure that’s as few people as possible. The resolution, approved by Council on […]
Posted inEnvironment
NOAA heat impact study puts faces to local effects of 2023 heat wave
Community organizations have been advocating for the city to direct more resources toward heat relief and climate emergency response. A 2021 study examining how extreme heat affects East Austin residents is giving more weight to that work. The study, titled “Heat vulnerability of Latino and Black residents in a low-income community and their recommended adaptation […]
Posted inWater
Austin announces new water restrictions on everything from lawns to dining out
With water levels continuing to drop in the Highland Lakes reservoirs that supply Austin, the city announced Stage 2 water restrictions to take effect Tuesday. Even if you don’t have a lawn or don’t bother watering the lawn you have, you could notice the new rules affecting daily life in Austin. Here are some of […]
Posted inEnvironment
A ‘climate feedback loop’: Why Austin is locked in one of its hottest summers ever
This summer has been among the hottest and hardest in memory. Austin broke an all-time heat index record in June when the “feels like” temperature topped off at 118 degrees. Then, we had our hottest July ever recorded. This week, only halfway through August, it looks like we’ll surpass 40 days straight of triple-digit heat. This could end up […]
Posted inFire
Here’s what you should do if a wildfire threatens your home
Lee esta historia en español Dry grass, wind and relatively low humidity mean a fire can spread easily and be difficult to control. All it takes is a spark from a metal lawnmower blade hitting a rock, a loose chain dragging on the road behind a vehicle, a car idling in tall grass or a […]
Posted inEnvironment
Triple-digit temps expected through Friday – and summer hasn’t even officially started yet
It’s another day of excessive heat in Central Texas. Temperatures are expected to go into the triple digits – again. And the heat index, which is a combination of the heat and humidity levels, is expected to hit 120. The National Weather Service said there’s high pressure in the atmosphere right now, making each day feel hotter […]
Posted inCity Council
Austin moves to prepare for climate disasters
City Council passed a resolution at its June 16 meeting to create a disaster preparedness guide and toolkit for the city. The guide, which will be part of the city’s climate response efforts, will instruct residents on how to create local resilience hubs in the event of an emergency. City staffers will be directed to work with […]
Posted inPublic Health
Resilience hub initiative continues to evolve
Winter Storm Uri, the extreme weather event that left an unknown number of Austin residents dead last February, inspired the initiative to create resilience hubs across the city that would act as a public resource in times of crisis. The initial idea of creating two centers independent of the energy grid to pilot the initiative has […]
Posted inEnvironment
Hotter, stormier, droughtier: What to look for as meteorologists update ‘normal’ weather for Austin
Lee esta historia en español. When you hear a weatherperson mention Austin’s average high temperature or rainfall next month, the numbers will be different. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is updating what it considers “normal” weather throughout the country. And NOAA says climate change is self-evident in the new data. Government statistics on normal […]
Posted inResources
County launches Civilian Climate Corps to create green jobs
The Commissioners Court approved a resolution Tuesday to create the Travis County Civilian Climate Corps, sharing the goals of a city initiative created last May, the Austin Civilian Conservation Corps, to create green jobs and redress pandemic-era unemployment. Commissioners Anne Howard and Brigid Shea led discussion on the project. “This is a resolution for us, […]
Posted inEnvironment
Commissioners identify reliance on electric vehicles as weakness in revised Climate Equity Plan
Transportation is the main driver of local air pollution and is on its way to becoming the single greatest source of greenhouse gases in Austin. Though the city and Capital Area Metropolitan Transportation Authority are taking steps to electrify their fleets, the city’s revised draft Climate Equity Plan has identified the roughly 600,000 fossil-fuel-burning private […]