A summer of action

A few of our favorite photos from this summer

September 29, 2021

Luke Metzger

Executive Director, Environment Texas

We’ve been busy this summer and I wanted to share some photos to show you what we’ve been up to. Above, see a photo of our canvass staff. After a 15 month pandemic-forced hiatus, we relaunched our door to door outreach program earlier this summer, working to get Amazon to stop selling bee-killing pesticides.

El Paso Congresswoman Veronica Escobar, a member of the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis, joined us for a webinar on plastic pollution. More on our Wildlife Over Waste campaign on Spectrum News and KXXV-Waco.

Our legal intern Alessandra Papa held a press conference in Midland calling on Gov. Abbott to veto cuts to clean air funding (unfortunately, he did not). Learn more in the Houston Chronicle, San Antonio Express-News and Inside Climate News.

We urged Texas officials to adopt policies promoting solar and battery storage and requiring gas infrastructure to weatherize. KXAN, Dallas Morning News, Houston NPR, Houston Chronicle, Bloomberg

We launched a campaign to get the Austin city council to adopt tougher clean water standards on development. Seven dogs have died due to exposure to toxic algae in area lakes and half our creeks have unsafe levels of fecal bacteria. We think nature-based infrastructure can help. More on CBS Austin.

We also collected “photo petitions” for our clean water campaign.

We released our annual report on water quality on Texas beaches. Houston Chronicle, I Heart Radio, Houstonia Magazine.

We launched Texas Voices for 100% Renewable Energy.

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission voted for a deal to protect 515 acres of land at the headwaters of Honey Creek, in the Texas Hill Country. More on our More Nature campaign: San Antonio Report, San Antonio Express-News, Houston Chronicle.

We made the rounds at Fort Worth city hall as part of our municipal advocacy program. Here we are with Fort Worth Council Member Jared Williams (second from right).

We alerted The Guardian about refinery pollution resulting from Hurricane Ida. More on the Texas Clean Air Project: El Paso Times, Beaumont Enterprise, KPRC-Houston

We spoke out against the Texas Department of Transportation’s plans to widen Interstate 35 to as many as twenty lanes – a disaster for our environment. More on our Destination: Zero Carbon campaign: Austin American-Statesman, KUT, Austin American-Statesman.

We held a webinar to talk wildlife corridors. The bipartisan infrastructure bill includes $350 million for them.

We advocated for bold action to tackle global warming and make sure we have a safe climate for future generations (this is just a shameless photo of my kids, no action here other than eating a birthday cake). Texas Tribune, Houston Chronicle, Dallas Morning News, Houston Chronicle, Texas Public Radio, KXAN-Austin.

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Luke Metzger

Executive Director, Environment Texas

As the executive director of Environment Texas, Luke is a leading voice in the state for clean air and water, parks and wildlife, and a livable climate. Luke recently led the successful campaign to get the Texas Legislature and voters to invest $1 billion to buy land for new state parks. He also helped win permanent protection for the Christmas Mountains of Big Bend; helped compel Exxon, Shell and Chevron Phillips to cut air pollution at four Texas refineries and chemical plants; and got the Austin and Houston school districts to install filters on water fountains to protect children from lead in drinking water. The San Antonio Current has called Luke "long one of the most energetic and dedicated defenders of environmental issues in the state." He has been named one of the "Top Lobbyists for Causes" by Capitol Inside, received the President's Award from the Texas Recreation and Parks Society for his work to protect Texas parks. He is a board member of the Clean Air Force of Central Texas and an advisory board member of the Texas Tech University Masters of Public Administration program. Luke, his wife, son and daughters are working to visit every state park in Texas.