Texas has been described as one of the most polluted states in the nation. Identify some of the environmental issues that have contributed to this label and explain how cities in this state have responded to these problems. Explain how voters in Denton addressed the issue of hydraulic fracturing (fracking) in their community and how this became a local-versus-state political issue.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

An ideal response will:
1. Identify environmental issues that have contributed to high levels of pollution in Texas: generation of large amounts of pollutants as by-products in processing fossil fuels or in manufacturing chemicals by petrochemical industries, toxic waste dumps in many cities resulting from disposal of petrochemical waste, air pollutants and "ozone alert" days resulting from heavy automobile traffic and coal-burning power plants, and threats to local water supplies by fertilizers and herbicides.
2. Explain how several cities began to use "smart growth" programs, "sustainability," and "green city" programs to address such issues, especially after President George W. Bush made little effort to deal with the problem of climate change.
3. Explain that in response to Bush's inaction over climate change, many Texas cities joined other local governments with a wide array of environmental initiatives, including efforts to reduce traffic congestion and air pollution, increase reliance on renewable energy, and reduce urban temperatures through extensive urban forestry.
4. Discuss the situation in Denton when voters in 2014 approved a local ordinance to prohibit hydraulic fracturing within the city limits of their community after complaining about the noise and toxic fumes spewing from wells near their homes, only to have the legislature overturn this ordinance. Signing the law, Governor Greg Abbott claimed this was necessary so state government could protect private property rights and avoid local regulations that threatened oil and gas production. This move demonstrated the power of the oil and gas lobby in Texas.
5. Discuss how the Denton anti-fracking ordinance and its negation by the legislature was part of a larger local-versus-state political issue that persists. Governor Abbott has complained about a "patchwork quilt of local bans and rules and regulations that is eroding the Texas model," which has traditionally avoided overregulating and overtaxing most businesses at the state level.