the morning of august 25, 2017, started the way most rainy days often do. the night before, my brother and i monitored the weather for the next day, secretly hoping that classes would be canceled so i could avoid my dreaded physics presentation. the next morning, our phones buzzed with incessant flash flood warnings and an email from our head of school declared classes were canceled – here we go!

everything was routine, except something felt off. when the meteorologist spoke, he reported with urgency, panic, and a tinge of fear, sprinkling in words like “500-year flood” and “catastrophic rainfall.” quickly, the sounds of the tv faded away and were replaced by muffled sounds of panicked phone calls about knee-deep water and shrieks from friends floating in the bacteria-filled floods. our city was swallowed whole, and my mom muttered, “oh no.” within hours, houston was underwater, and i wished i was in class.

news flash: more storms like harvey are coming

hurricane harvey was a category 4 hurricane that made landfall in the greater houston area and the southern corridor on august 25, 2017, affecting more than 13 million people and forcing 39,000 people out of their homes. just east of houston, the rainfall totaled 60.58 inches (about the size of my 5-foot grandma) near nederland, texas, the highest amount in a single storm for any place in the continental united states. 

houston is no stranger to extreme rainfall. with its proximity to the gulf of mexico, a major source of moisture, the city is highly susceptible to flash floods. however, 2017 was a year of special devastation with exceedingly high multi-day rainfall. according to the fourth national climate assessment, harvey’s catastrophic rainfall was likely a result of warmer ocean surface temperatures feeding the tropical precipitation trajectories in texas due to human-induced climate change.

the national oceanic and atmospheric administration (noaa) predicts an above-average hurricane activity this year, marking 2022 as the seventh consecutive above-average hurricane season. human-caused increases in greenhouse gas emissions and air pollutants have amplified atmospheric variability in the atlantic ocean, which scientists say has increased tropical cyclone activity since 1970. 

the new normal, a different meaning

when it rains, it pours, and hurricane intensity is only getting worse. due to sea level rise, tidal flooding has increased by 490% in some areas of texas since 2000. according to states at risk, by 2050, an additional 117,000 texans are projected to be at risk of coastal flooding. 

along with devastating physical damage, harvey brought with it $125 billion in damage, boasting the title of the second-most costly hurricane in u.s. history. in 2018, harris county voters passed a $2.5 billion bond to go toward flood-protection projects to address these impacts. city officials have worked with the harris county flood control district to modify channels, build stormwater detentions (basins), extend bridges, and construct levees in anticipation of future flooding. 

as the energy capital of the world and home to several oil and gas industries, houston has a special responsibility to lead the charge in sustainability. houston’s commitment to making the city carbon neutral by 2050 works in tandem with its first-ever climate action plan, a science-based, community-driven strategy founded in 2020 which outlines transformative solutions for building operations and transportation networks, as well as how residents can prepare for storms with emergency tool kits. 

“flash flood warning” holds a vastly different meaning to me now. a phrase of excitement and relief quickly turned to signals of fear and tragedy. there can only be so many warnings until it’s too late. 

when i was growing up, one of junie’s favorite spots to explore was the hike-and-bike trail around lady bird lake in downtown austin. of course, every visit ended in a trip to the water. junie’s dusty paws would bound down the familiar paths as she glanced back every few yards to make sure i was following behind. she would approach the lake’s edge warily, then gingerly step in to cool off from the scorching texas sun and gulp down a refreshing mid-afternoon drink. when heading home she would leave a trail of muddy paw prints in our wake, refreshed and happy.

today, though, a visit to the water may end differently. 

in 2019, austin’s lakes saw a sudden increase of harmful algae blooms (habs) that tragically resulted in several dogs’ deaths and led to residents avoiding any contact between their pets and local bodies of water. no deaths — dog or otherwise — have been reported in austin since 2019, but hab events continue to occur across the city and pose a major threat to public health.

austin’s habs involve blue-green algae called cyanobacteria. this algae is naturally occurring but proves toxic in certain forms. in humans, the health effects of cyanotoxins may first appear as common cold or flu symptoms like fever, headache, and vomiting. indicators in dogs include weakness, and respiratory paralysis, which can lead to death.

in late september of this year, toxic levels of cyanobacteria were found in one part of barton creek, a popular local swimming area. though levels have since dropped to safer amounts, both lady bird lake and lake austin, which sits northwest of the city down the colorado river, have recently displayed concerning levels of toxic algae. 

as human-induced climate change continues to threaten our day-to-day lives, habs like austin’s will only happen more often. cyanobacteria thrive in environments with warm waters and high concentrations of carbon dioxide — two major consequences of global warming.

increased water temperatures lengthen the growing season and widen the geographic range of algal blooms. texas has already seen a 1 to 2 degree f increase in annual average temperature since the early 20th century. scientists project that annual average temperatures in the southern great plains will further increase 3.6 to 5.1 degrees f over the next 30 years, potentially worsening the effects of habs over time.  

nutrient pollution is another related factor. this phenomenon occurs when nutrients mix with rain runoff and seep into bodies of water. phosphorus and nitrogen are the most common pollutants and can result in excessive algae growth and enhanced toxicity. in turn, overgrowth of algae causes low oxygen levels in the water, affecting the entire ecosystem by killing fish and inhibiting aquatic plant growth.

in june, the austin city council unanimously voted to launch a pilot project to mitigate the effects of harmful algae using phoslock, a material that chemically binds the phosphorus in water and sediment into a mineral form so that blue-green algae cannot obtain its nutrients. this five-year-long, $1,484,000 contract with the sepro corporation includes water collection and analysis as well as three phoslock applications across 20 acres of water around lady bird lake. city officials have not disclosed the status of the project since it was first announced.

austinites should remain wary of areas displaying blue- or bright green-colored algae and stay up-to-date on the fluctuating risks of local bodies of water via the city’s monitoring systems. now, on my visits home, i can’t explain to junie why i now steer her away from the water’s edge on our walks, but at least i can take comfort in the fact that i’m doing my best to keep her — and myself — safe.

editor’s note: check back each day during cop26 for more pieces in planet forward’s climate hits home series.

wind energy is so prevalent in texas, that if the state were its own country, it would rank fifth in the world for wind energy with about 25 megawatts installed throughout the state according to the american wind energy association.

what’s even more impressive about wind-powered electricity in texas? in 2019, something monumental happened. the electric reliability council of texas (ercot) released their biannual report for the first half of the year and wind had surpassed coal. the difference in energy usage was small with wind coming in at 22% and coal at 21%, but wind has been growing steadily in practice and as a focus for politicians, educators, environmentalists, and local economies.

lubbock, texas, is the heart of wind research, industry, and education in the country. it’s the home of texas tech university and the national wind institute (nwi), and the university is the only one in the nation with a degree program for wind engineering. anyone that’s familiar with west texas knows that wind turbines are as plentiful as tumbleweeds and prairie dogs. new “wind farms” appear every year on the farmland surrounding small towns. these wind farms pump money into local economies and bring new life to these communities.

matt saldana is a small-town texas native and an employee of the national wind institute. saldana also is an instructor at texas tech, specializing in renewable energies, finance and economics, and project management. he has seen firsthand the changes that come with the wind industry while living in sweetwater, texas. while there, he witnessed a revival of the small town as money was brought into the community as a result of a new wind farm outside of town. saldana explained the entire process. 

when a contractor sees potential for a wind farm in an area, they go to the landowners of large farms and ranches with the request to put instruments on their land to take readings of wind speeds in the area, according to saldana. he said this stage is fully noncommittal and comes with no guaranteed compensation for the landowner. if the owner agrees to having turbines built on their property, the contracting company will begin construction.

as a thank you to the community, developers will often pay for new roads, sidewalks, or schools. in sweetwater, a new, state-of-the-art school district was built. this allowed for more money to be spent on teachers’ salaries, bringing in new faculty from the metroplex.

while the turbines are being constructed, thousands of temporary jobs are created. not only are local men and women hired to be on the construction crews, but local motels, restaurants, and gas stations see more business than they have in a long time. while they are under construction, the developers are subject to all local tax rates as well, ensuring the cities receive municipal funding. saldana said after construction, about 30 well-paying, permanent jobs are given to local residents. the landowners that have turbines on their properties receive a percentage of the revenue that each turbine produces (generally 3% to 8% depending on the specific company and production levels of each turbine, according to saldana).

“people are being allowed to keep the family farms they’ve had for generations,” saldana said.

the american farmer is in critical condition. production prices are at an all-time high, climate change is affecting growing seasons and harvesting, and trade wars with foreign countries have made it harder for many to sell what little yield they have. farm bankruptcies are up across every region of the country and the farmer suicide rate is one of the highest in the nation. saldana said that the extra revenue brought in by turbines to family farms has helped people save the land that’s been in their families for generations.

saldana said that research is being done constantly in order to push the industry forward. a few hot topics in the field include cybersecurity of turbines on the grid, finding a use for old and out of date equipment, moving into offshore capabilities, and finding a way to store renewable energy.

“renewable electricity can’t be stored,” saldana said. “finding a solution to that would be a game changer.”

saldana said despite the many positive aspects of the wind industry, there is still controversy surrounding wind turbines for people who live around them: endangering wildlife such as birds and bats, disrupting flora and fauna, and the low aesthetic value of the wind farms. he said the nwi is working on addressing these issues and that developers often work with wildlife conservation groups funding research and relocating bird species, like the lesser prairie chicken.

“there’s always going to be pushback no matter the industry,” saldana said. “(the positives) outweigh the negatives by environmental benefits and just keeping stuff in the ground.”

despite these controversies, there’s no question that renewable energy industries have earned their place in texas. wind powered energy has become a major source of power for the state and only continues to grow. wind energy allows for more assurance from blackouts, brownouts, and offers a new, clean means of electricity on the grid, ensuring a green method of urban resilience as our population spreads in urban areas; as a result, rural communities in west texas continue to thrive thanks to the economic spark this industry brings them.

double majoring in political science and french at texas tech university in lubbock, texas, warrior is a political activist for climate change. today she is a part of the 2019 global climate march at one of three strikes held in lubbock. as i interviewed her in the park on the corner of a busy intersection adjacent to the college, chants from other marchers intermingle with the din of traffic in the background.

“what do we want? climate action! when do we want it? now!”

q: why are you here today?

a: i’m here today to support a strike and be a part of the movement to help the next generation live. i recently became president of the tech student democrats on campus and found out about the event through a speaker we met with. our future depends on being politically active and making changes.

q: do you think that climate change and environmental issues have a negative connotation in west texas?

a: (my hometown) has an oil-based economy. lubbock is the same. a lot of people rely on the oilfield as a source of income. we’re a part of that spectrum, but we need to go to other forms of energy. it’s hard for people to accept a shift away from it, but there are little things we can do like recycle and decrease the use of cars.

q: how long do you think it will be until we begin to see noticeable changes?

a: i believe that it will take at least 10 years to decrease carbon emissions, but i believe that with everyone on board we can get there faster.

q: when did you become politically active?

a: i became involved in politics during the last election and became more conscious of decisions in relation to the climate when i realized my own faults during my first year of college. i started realizing how much waste we produce as individuals and as an entire population.

q: what do you see as the most pressing issue in regards to climate change today?

a: the most pressing issue, in my opinion, is the rising temperature levels and extreme weather. 

q: how do you think we can help this particular issue as well as any others that we face?

a: we can start by taking on industries that control single use plastic. we can speak to our representatives and increase regulations that will fight to curb our effect on the planet.

the interview ended, and warrior touched up her sodden sign with a permanent marker. as she made her way back to join the other protesters, the sun began to peek through the clouds and the downpour weakened into a drizzle. adding her voice to the chants of the group, warrior held her sign up proudly.

every year 67 million tons of coconuts are harvested for natural sports drinks and food products; however, this also produces large amounts of agricultural waste. nci has embraced the opportunity to turn renewables into automotive parts in your vehicle and consumer goods sold at your local retailer!

by focusing on natural composites, nci facilitates finding natural, renewable alternatives to petroleum-based synthetic materials. with nci’s special processing, coconut shells can be ground into a fine powder and used as a functional filler in a multitude of plastic parts. above and beyond reducing petroleum content, the coconut material actually increases mechanical performance. that’s why we call our coconut shell powder a functional filler. it works great in thermoplastic and thermoset applications providing great dispersion and less wear and tear on machines.

additionally, production facilities in developing countries provide natural economic stimulus to workers by finding higher value-added applications for bio-waste streams. nci is committed to dignity of workers, improving safety and opportunity.

most conversations about bio-materials begin with research alone without a plausible business case, with unclear material benefits, and without a functional supply chain. nci’s coconut products provide equivalent or better cost solutions that increase material properties and can be sourced for quality, traceability and scale. perhaps most exciting, coconuts are only the beginning; natural waste streams exist around the globe, and nci looks forward to finding solutions that incorporate renewables into products used every day!

the partnership held a goal setting conference in january 2010 to create common sustainable goals and develop partnership-guided projects to contribute to the vitality and quality of life in central texas.  in work groups, teams developed objectives, goals and plans toward a sustainable region through education, sustainable development and land use, multi-modal transportation, better handling of materials and resources, and improved quality of life.

city mayors and the garrison commander reviewed the objectives and goals and decided a regional recycling program was a top priority as the most feasible and economically viable option which involved and benefited the region.

the vision of the regional recycling program is for the partnership to work together and combine resources to create a recycling program that not only pays for itself, but also contributes funds for other mutually beneficial projects.

the mid-20th century discovery of oil and gas fields in central texas changed the trajectory of several small towns in decline. but the boom bypassed the town of roscoe.

from his nearby cotton farm, cliff etheredge watched the other towns grow. “to me, the hungriest man is the one who has to sit and watch somebody else eat,” he said. “that’s what we did here.”

then, in 2004, etheredge saw a chance to cash in on the emerging west texas wind boom. as chairman of wind works, a wind farm development company, he introduced wind energy to roscoe. landowners earn income for each turbine placed on their property and a percentage of the profits from the energy each turbine produces.

the roscoe wind farm is the world’s largest capacity wind farm with 627 wind turbines and a total installed capacity of 781.5 mw.

see more at powering a nation