News:

Explosions Rock Oil Refinery Near Houston

Giant Ducky Occupies Exxon Houston

Dallas Area Chemicals Fire

Texas and Toxics

Texas is the home of the petrochemical industry in the United States. The creation of petrochemical factories in the state has led to thousands of people who have become ill from under regulated or unregulated emissions and toxic chemicals exposure. Communities of color have been disproportionately impacted by pollution emissions.

The citizens of Texas are working hard to make their state a cleaner and healthier place to live, work, and to do business.

Texas politicians, however, have been attacking the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and are trying to weaken regulations. Texas Governor Rick Perry sued EPA to avoid reporting on greenhouse gas emissions. Texas Senator Kay Bailey Hutchinson claims that regulations will hurt the economy, when the opposite is true; strong regulations create a level playing field for businesses and reward businesses making safe and healthy products.

Recently, a Houston business focused on sustainable products, New Living, hosted a live broadcast on Pacifica Radio station KPFT with EPA Region 6 Administrator Al Armendariz and several community members, responding to the attacks on EPA by Texas politicians. Read the news advisory. Listen to the program.

Speakers included:

Juan Parras, from Texas Environmental Justice Advocacy Services (TEJAS) in Houston.

Hilton Kelly, from Community In-power Development Association, Inc, Port Arthur

Diane Wilson, author of “An Unreasonable Woman: A True Story of Shrimpers, Politicos, Polluters, And the Fight for Seadrift, Texas” Lavaca Bay

Neil Carman, PhD, scientist, Sierra Club, Austin

Leo Gold, Host, New Capital Show on KPFT in Houston

This event sponsored by Jeff Kaplan at the New Living Store in Houston.

Also sponsored by Anne Robertson, New Conscious Capital