The above add is from the Burghli Homes website.
Solar-powered housing for the masses is happening in Houston. At least, it's on Houston TV. Besides the above commercial for subsidized affordable housing built by Burghli Homes, there was a Fox News report on the Rice Solar Decathlon House that David Dewane wrote about on this blog here and was part of the RDA Small Houses Tour.
Friday May 8
HOUSTON PAVILIONS --- Downtown project gets upbeat news: Bowling, Lucky Strike Lanes back on track after capital infusion [Houston Chronicle] "The stylish bowling alley, bar and cafe concept was originally to open late last year, but in early February the company announced that the project had been put on hold due to a lack of financing. It is now scheduled to open in September."
BORDER FENCE FUNDS HIT A WALL: Reversing Bush's policy Obama budget includes nothing to extend barrier beyond 670 miles built or planned [Houston Chronicle]
Thursday May 7
Sugar Land man starts fundraising campaign to build facility for homeless" Steve Kobrin formed nonprofit to help needy [Houston Chronicle] "Five years ago, Kobrin said he was driving home from work when in a matter of 'split seconds' God gave him a vision, he said, something he had never experienced before."
Developer unveils ‘green' medical office in Tomball [Houston Chronicle] "Located at 506 Graham St. in Tomball, the commercial real estate developer, headquartered in The Woodlands, has constructed the 55,000-square-foot, two-story Tomball Medical Plaza. It is registered to be Leadership In Energy and Environmental Design Certified at the silver level by the U.S. Green Building Council."
THE TEXAS LEGISLATURE: Toxics bill a lot of hot air. Watch-list measure by Gallegos doesn't do enough, say environmentalists [Houston Chronicle] "'If they're going to deal with it one time, forever, then this bill doesn't do enough,' said Elena Marks, director of environmental and health policy for Mayor Bill White. Marks has lobbied for changes to the bill, including enforceable deadlines for emissions reductions and the required use of monitors at the fence lines of refineries and large chemical plants in areas on the watch list."
Home starts dive in the first quarter: Credit crunch gets lot of blame. Dramatic Houston-area drop-off may mean higher prices later in year [Houston Chronicle] "New construction of single-family homes fell 55 percent compared with a year ago to 3,150 units, according to data released Wednesday by Metrostudy, a Houston-based market research and consulting firm. Starts were off 70 percent from the first quarter of 2007."
Wednesday May 6
Opening doors to ecofriendly homes. SOLAR: Homes will cost around $135,000 each. City subsidizes solar-powered houses for those with low incomes [Houston Chronicle] "A couple living in a prototype built in the 4300 block of Elysian has received no energy bill for the past three months, said developer Zack Burghli, who built that home and the 10 in northeast Houston and is slated to build the 13 being considered by council. Utility costs in the homes - including electricity, water, sewer and natural gas - are not likely to amount to higher than $50 a month for a 2,000-square-foot residence, depending on usage, Burghli said."
Climate bill gives area lawmaker star quality GREEN: His district is home to refineries, plants Cap-and-trade backers need to have support of Rep. Gene Green [Houston Chronicle] "Green has told congressional leaders and President Barack Obama that some carbon dioxide emission allowances will have to be given for free to refiners in order to win his support."
Tuesday May 5
Smog season could be expanded EPA report says effects of global warming could hamper efforts to reduce smog in Houston [Houston Chronicle]
Homeless project ‘probably gone': County likely to remove funds to convert motel [Houston Chronicle]
EDITORIAL Short arm of the law Who gets tough against companies polluting Texas? Hint: It's not the state. [Houston Chronicle]
Monday May 4
MOVE IT Recent flooding renews talk of fixing infrastructure [Houston Chronicle]
CAMH zones in on local works [Houston Chronicle]
"No Zoning really is about Houston's art permeability," said Toby Kamps, CAMH's senior curator, who organized the exhibit with curatorial associate Meredith Goldsmith. "For some reason, all kinds of projects here crop up outside of museums and galleries."
Kamps identifies two related influences on artistic life.
"Certainly, the fact that the city doesn't have zoning regulations and there's a more or less mixed-use approach here means that there are all kinds of unused industrial buildings, vacant lots, unrestricted domestic lots with no setback regulations - and artists are able to create works of art and creative environments for themselves all over the place," he said. "I think the other (factor) is the Texas spirit of being a maverick and a go-it-alone kind of person. With our extreme interest in property rights and our ingrained respect for entrepreneurs, there's a kind of (attitude that) ‘as long as it's not on my property line, who am I to tell anybody what they can and cannot do?' "
PORT: Bipartisan effort wins praise. More stimulus money coming than lawmakers had requested [Houston Chronicle] "The stimulus money - $99 million for the Port of Houston and $25 million for the Port of Galveston - will fund dredging, port operations, maintenance, facility rehabilitation and marsh restoration. Texas lawmakers say that the massive cash infusion is larger than all the federal aid the ports combined have received over the last four years."
IKE DOCUMENTARY A PROJECT CLOSE TO THEIR HEARTS Galveston high school students chronicle the recovery from the devastating storm. [Houston Chronicle]
COULD THE NEXT STORM BE WORSE? FLOODING: Developer says floods won't worsen Katy Prairie development, some fear, would mean more severe floods in future [Houston Chronicle] "Development encouraged by a planned segment of the Grand Parkway connecting Interstate 10 to U.S. 290 threatens to diminish the environmentally sensitive prairie's capacity to absorb floodwaters, said Jim Blackburn, an attorney representing the Sierra Club in two related lawsuits."
Saturday May 2
Editorial Just the tonic Creating a sustainable future in Galveston. Idea House on Galveston Island showcases ways to create a sustainable future. [Houston Chronicle] "The effort to shape that long term is symbolized most recently by the shiny Idea House featured by Coastal Living magazine on the east end of the Island. The magazine's dream home, designed by San Antonio-based architect Michael G. Imber, is in a tony beach-front development out of reach economically for most Galvestonians."
