Environment Texas 2024 Program Agenda

Environment Texas is a policy and action group with one mission: to restore and protect the natural world. Our staff works for clean air, clean water, clean energy, parks, wildlife, and a livable climate. Our members across the state put grassroots support behind our research and advocacy. Environment Texas is part of Environment America, a national network of 30 state environmental groups. 

More Nature

Horseback riding in Big Bend Ranch State ParkPhoto by TPWD | Used by permission

People need nature. Whether it’s visiting a state or national park to hike, camp, fish and hunt or hitting a neighborhood park to walk the dog or throw a frisbee around, spending time outdoors makes us happier and healthier. Our open spaces also protect critical habitat for wildlife. But as our state grows rapidly, our natural areas and habitat for wildlife are increasingly at risk of being lost to development. Environment Texas is working to:

• Add one million acres of parkland by 2030 by working with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department to implement the $1 billion Centennial Parks Conservation Fund 
• Win congressional approval of the bipartisan Recovering America’s Wildlife Act, which would provide Texas with $50 million per year for wildlife restoration efforts
• Get Texas cities to invest in local parks, including working to get Dallas to approve a $350 million parks and recreation bond and Houston to approve a $2 per household per month investment for better parks
• Get the Texas Department of Transportation to create more wildlife corridors, to help threatened wildlife like the ocelot avoid vehicle collisions

Texas Clean Air Project

Flaring at ExxonMobil’s Baytown facility in February 2021Photo by Staff | Used by permission

We look forward to the day where all Texans can breathe safe and clean air, especially vulnerable populations like children and senior citizens. Unfortunately, air pollution from petrochemical facilities, power plants, and even leaf blowers causes thousands of premature deaths each year, as well as inducing a host of human health issues including asthma and cancer. Environment Texas is:

• Challenging polluters, including ExxonMobil, in court to stop violations of clean air laws and working to stop the unlawful expansion of polluting facilities
• Working to get the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to strengthen federal clean air protections, including reducing allowable soot and haze pollution 
• Alerting Texans about industrial pollution violations through our Neighborhood Witness program
• Working to create incentives to help Texans purchase clean, electric lawn equipment

100% Renewable Energy

Photo by Tim O’Connor | TPIN

For decades, we have had the power to harness clean, abundant energy from the sun and the wind. In 2024, it can be done more efficiently and cheaply than ever before. Yet we’re still producing, consuming and wasting energy in ways that cause lasting damage to our environment and our health. We can have healthier communities right now and a livable future for generations to come — but to get there, we need to transform the way we produce and consume energy. Environment Texas is working to: 

• Oppose onerous and discriminatory policies which would slow the growth of wind and solar energy  
• Convince the state to accept $690 million in federal funding to provide rebates to low to moderate income Texans for home energy efficiency projects
• Educate thousands of Texans about federal tax credits available to install solar panels on their roofs, buy electric vehicles, and more
• Get Texans in the deregulated market to purchase electricity plans powered by 100% renewable energy
• Urge the Public Utility Commission to expand utility energy efficiency and demand response programs
• Promote rooftop solar by getting cities to streamline the permitting process
• Support the development of offshore wind in the Gulf of Mexico

Global Warming Solutions

The W.A. Parish coal power plant in Fort Bend CountyPhoto by Andrea Laureano | TPIN

As America’s number one greenhouse gas polluter (and the world’s 8th largest, just behind South Korea), Texas is ground zero in the fight to stop catastrophic climate change. Texas has to be central to efforts to decarbonize. Environment Texas is working to:

• Get the state of Texas to meaningfully implement new methane pollution standards for oil and gas 
• Close down the state’s dirtiest power plants including the W.A. Parish, Fayette and Martin Lake plants
• Get cities to make major investments in climate change mitigation and resilience

Don’t Trash Texas

Photo by Neil McQueen | Used by permission

Every day, people throw away tons of plastic “stuff” — packaging, bags, takeout containers, and more. Nothing we use for a few minutes should threaten our health and pollute our environment for hundreds of years. The waste we produce means leaky landfills, dirty air from incinerators, and more litter. We support policies dedicated to the principles of reduce, reuse, recycle and put us on a path to zero waste. Environment Texas is working to:

• Get Texas cities to strengthen programs to expand recycling and composting services
• Convince fast food chains like Whataburger, Chick fil A and Sonic to stop using polystyrene cups
• Reduce the production of plastic, rather than false “chemical recycling” schemes, a polluting process which perpetuates plastic pollution by converting plastic waste either into fuel or raw materials for new plastics.  

Clean Water

San Marcos River at Rio Vista ParkPhoto by Jonathan Cutrer | CC-BY-SA-4.0

From taking a dip in the local swimming hole to the water we drink from the faucet, we all want our water to be safe, healthy and plentiful. Environment Texas is working to: 

• Get our cities to require nature-based infrastructure, such as rain gardens and green roofs, in new development to stop contaminated runoff from entering our creeks and lakes
• Get Texas school districts to protect kids from lead contamination of drinking water at schools by replacing fountains with filtered water bottle stations, and installing filters certified to remove lead at all other taps used for cooking and drinking.
• Get cities and airports to stop the use of toxic PFAS in firefighting foam
• Clean up Houston bayous by strengthening the city and county’s MS4 stormwater permit to reduce water pollution

Destination Zero Carbon

Transportation is now America’s number one source of global warming pollution, with greenhouse emissions from cars, trucks, buses and other vehicles surpassing every other source. We simply can’t solve global warming without changing how Texans get around. Environment Texas is working to:

• Get school districts and transit agencies to switch to electric buses
• Get cities to make it easier for people to buy, drive and charge electric cars and bikes and live in walkable and bikeable neighborhoods
• Boost funding for bike lanes, sidewalks and public transportation
• Get electric vehicle charging stations installed at every state park
• Stop the expansion of I-35 through Austin

Save the Bees

Photo by Ivan Volozhanin | Shutterstock.com

Bees are dying off at an unsustainable rate, with serious consequences for our natural world. They play a vital role as pollinators, and losing them would have a devastating ripple effect across all ecosystems. That’s why we’re working to get: 

• Cities and the state of Texas to expand bee habitats by planting more pollinator friendly plants along highways and on government owned land  
• Amazon to stop selling bee-killing neonic pesticides