Positive News on Water Management from UTEP

In Tanzania holes are often dug for water which is often contaminated.

[This bit of positive news from UTEP just came to my attention. According to the U.N. "(w)ater scarcity already affects every continent. Around 1.2 billion people, or almost one-fifth of the world's population, live in areas of physical scarcity, and 500 million people are approaching this situation. Another 1.6 billion people, or almost one quarter of the world's population, face economic water shortage (where countries lack the necessary infrastructure to take water from rivers and aquifers)." The problem is also right here at home. Check out which city is number 5 in this 2013 Huffington Post report.]

UTEP to Offer New Water Resources Engineering Management Track
Last Updated on July 13, 2015 at 1:16 pm 

The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) now offers a Water Resources in Engineering Management (WREM) track within the Master of Engineering in Civil and Environmental Engineering program.

The WREM track will prepare students with the necessary abilities to understand and manage resources in a water-scarce world. It will be led by WREM Coordinator and Clinical Professor Ivonne Santiago, Ph.D., and Edmund Archuleta, director of water initiatives at UTEP.

“The long-term vision for this program is to prepare engineers to solve complex problems in an increasing water-short world and to establish UTEP as a preferred university to study water,” Archuleta said. “UTEP is already a well-known leader in water resources with a diversified research and teaching portfolio in desalination, reuse, advanced water treatment, sustainability and related topics. This degree will provide the student with the important engineering and management tools to work in various facets of either the private or public sector.”

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Across the developing world, there is a shortage of fresh water supplies free from pollution and there continues to be a lack of development of these resources. Given its geographic location in the Chihuahuan Desert and need for integrated water resources, the El Paso region is perfectly situated for students to study and learn about the need for water sustainability.

While there have been continuous education advances in the field of water use and desalination, there is a need to better define the water resource curriculum to meet today’s challenges and expected future challenges so that our water resource workforce is better prepared at the technical and management level.

Out of necessity, El Paso has had to diversify its water resource plans. The city has been successful in developing and implementing water conservation, ground water management, surface water rights, reclaimed water use and desalination.


“Water resources management is a critical need across the U.S. and the world,” said Richard Schoephoerster, Ph.D., dean of the College of Engineering. “El Paso and UTEP have developed unique expertise in this area, and this program will help to share our expertise and knowledge. I am very grateful for Ed Archuleta’s leadership and the effort of the faculty to get this program off the ground.”


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Living Green in the Southwest: Let It Hang

Daisey Bingham from Grist

Last Monday's "Living Green" post mentioned the fact that a big way that we can all save water is to use less electrical energy. All power plants need water to cool their plants and make steam to generate electricity. 

Judy "Anonymous" Ackerman left this comment which I re-publish because I know that comments don't always get read:

"Especially here in Sun City, everyone should use 'linear solar clothes dehydrators with wind turbulence stabilizers' (close line and clothes pins). It does take a few more minutes to hang your clothes on the line, but the wonderful smell they get is worth the effort. Clothes dryers are probably the biggest energy hog in your house. It also wears out your clothes faster. You know that lint in the dryer? It is from your clothes because of the abuse they receive tumbling around in your dryer. Use the line! 

"Paint your roof white! I did this 5 years ago and the difference in the need for cooling has been tremendous. A white roof keeps your house cooler. The paint seals any leaks. And, no more shingles coming loose in the wind. Paint is way cheaper than putting on a new roof. In addition to YOUR savings, you reduce global warming by increasing the albedo and reducing the heat island effect."

Judy is just about right about a clothes dryer. After central air, it is the biggest energy hog in your home. See the chart at wholesalesolar.com.  (You also may want to read their list of ways to lower energy use in the home.) 

I did ask Judy if she knew how to soften line dried towels. She does what I do: just use them stiff and they soften after each use. Still it always bothers me. Some suggest softening them on the fluff cycle of the dryer for a few minutes before or after hanging to dry. But then we are back to using the HOG. I checked online and several places suggested putting 1/2 cup of distilled white vinegar in the fabric softener dispenser. I tried it and . . . it works! The towels were softer - not as stiff. (White vinegar is great. I use it for mopping the hardwood floors and cleaning counters and stove tops. The heck with all those expensive, multi-syllabic chemicals.)

Live in an apartment and don't want or you aren't allowed to hang your underwear on the balcony? Get a clothesline that you can use indoors.

Painting your roof white is debateable. Those who have done it whom I know are very happy. (Judy is one such person.) Cooling bills go down in the summer. But are they offset when it comes to winter heating? 

White roofs do increase the albedo. (That's "albedo" and not "libido". We would be so lucky.) Read the definition of albedo. Use the word at the next party you attend. "But how does that help increase albedo?"

Stanford News reported in 2011: "Urban 'heat island' effect is only a small contributor to global warming, and white roofs don't help to solve the problem, say Stanford researchers. Heat emanating from cities – called the 'urban heat island' effect – is not a significant contributor to global warming, Stanford researchers have found. They also concluded that if all the roofs in urban areas were painted white, it would increase, not decrease, global warming."

Read another summary of that research HERE.

Remember, living "green" is not just about being green yourself but having a green community and working together.

BTW, when leaving a comment, you can enter your name and leave the URL field empty. I think that confuses folks more than anything and so they choose to be anonymous.


Please support elpasonaturally©. Go HERE to donate and help turn El Paso "green". 

The Friday Video: Climate Science: What You Need to Know

Guess Where the Water Will Come From

Here's an interesting story: Water Use for Fracking Has Skyrocketed, Stressing Drought-Ridden States. Now that fracking has begun just over the hill from El Paso on the Diablo Plateau/Otero Mesa and there will be at least a second well before December, guess where the water will come from.

There's still an online anti-fracking petition. Sign if you haven't. Tell your friends and family members.

Living Green in the Southwest: Using Less Electricity Means Saving More Water for a Thirsty Southwest

[Each Monday elpasonaturally© will discuss ways to live more "green" in the southwest. (Actually, the tips can be followed most anywhere else.) Living "green" means living simply while recycling, reusing and repurposing. It means not only having a green home or business, but also being a good neighbor, knowing that we are part of a community and that our actions affect others, our ecosystem and the world.] 

Click to enlarge and read.

Producing electricity requires water - lots of water. For example, El Paso Electric's Newman Power Station uses a Fuji Steam Turbine. It also requires water to keep the plant and its equipment cool. Thus one way to help conserve water in the El Paso southwest is to cut down on your electrical usage. Not only does that cut your bill and save you money, it's a way for all of us to help have a sustainable water future.

The chart above gives tips to save energy and keep cool during our hot summer months. You can Google "saving energy" or "cutting electrical bill" to get other tips. The important thing is that what we do at home or at our places of work affects others and has an impact on future generations and the environment.


Please support elpasonaturally©. Go HERE to donate and help turn El Paso "green". 

Time Running Out to Comment on San Eli Gas Pipeline

Energy Transfer Partners natural gas pipeline explosion on June 14, 2015 in rural DeWitt County, Texas resulting in a massive fire and home evacuations (AP Photo)

[Below is a letter from the Mayor of San Elizario written yesterday asking people to send in comments about the proposed Comanche Trail pipeline. elpasonaturally© posted about this pipeline this past Friday. The deadline for comments is today at 3 PM. As Mayor Sanchez says, commenting will take only five minutes of your time.

Good morning,

There are proposed natural gas pipelines planned for our region in the near future, that pose many concerns which include public health and safety, environmental impacts and threaten our potential for economic development and the first step in intervention carries a deadline of tomorrow, (Monday) July 6th at 3pm MST.

A little background:
Currently 3 or 4 natural gas pipelines currently exist in the area between the City of San Elizario and Fabens. (I'm still verifying the exact number.) OneOK, Inc. will begin laying a pipeline known as the Roadrunner in Sept. 2015 with plans for completion by April 2016.* Energy Transfer Partners (ETP) has recently filed a permit to lay a 42-inch, 192 mile long pipeline called the Comanche Trail Pipeline. Both are slated to export natural gas into Mexico. However, besides a few thousand feet at the connecting points of the border, both are under the jurisdiction of the state of Texas (Railroad Commission)--without Federal regulation--even though these are international private/public partnerships.

We ONLY have until Monday, July 6th at 3pm MST to request the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to intervene and place the entire Comanche Trail Pipeline under their jurisdiction. And the more people we can get to comment, the better our chances of having a voice.

And we have made it extremely easy to comment! It can be done online and I have provided a document that you may copy and paste. (Attached and in the dropbox link below.) Of course, you may write your own comment but it is important to do so before the 3pm MST deadline.

***Link to comment here*** 

Please note, in commenting you MUST reference our docket number CP15-503-000. (Please see sample)

Should you wish to write your own comment, here are a few points to consider:
1. There is no regulation determining how many pipelines are allowed. Should these pipelines proceed, there could potentially be 6 in a very small area with no cap currently in place.

2. There are quite a few people who now live in the vicinity and should an explosion or other incident occur, potentially thousands may be in danger.

3. San Elizario High School is less than a mile away from the proposed lines. The safety of our students is at risk.

4. Recently, two pipelines exploded. ETP had a 42-inch pipeline explode on June 16 and it could be seen from 20-miles away and another 4-inch pipeline exploded on June 25 that injured 4 people, two critically. (See news links at the bottom of this email for more info.)

5. Even if the pipelines are regulated in the US, we have no say as to what happens on the Mexican side and unfortunately, that is also less than a mile away.

6. Due to the number of natural gas pipelines in such a concentrated area, border security is an issue. This small section of our border which is essentially in our community, is extremely vulnerable and these proposed pipelines only increase the risk to national security.

7. These companies claim to help the economy by creating jobs but in reality, they import a team of experienced workers who have done this throughout the state. Once the pipe is laid, the jobs are gone anyway.

8. Most of the landowners oppose these pipelines (via an attorney representing a good deal of them) and are concerned about their farms and land being destroyed. OneOK has already stated they will impose eminent domain which leaves these landowners powerless.

9. The property values in our community will decline and the potential for development is severely stunted.

10. No regulation exists that requires these companies to do environmental or cultural studies. Therefore damage to the environment is a scary variable and our community's rich history is threatened.

More Info
This dropbox link has the following:
   -Videos and photos of the Alpine area that shows how the natural landscape has been destroyed due to staging for Trans-Pecos Pipeline (also an ETP venture.)
   -Proposed Roadrunner and Comanche pipeline routes.
   -Comment sample (Word doc and PDF) that may be used for the FERC submission.
For more info on the Trans-Pecos Pipeline (which mirrors the Comanche Trail and may answer questions) visit here.

News
White Deer Explosion

Trans-Pecos Pipeline

Cuero Explosion

Legislation Introduced Regulating Tax Deduction for Energy Companies

ETP announces pipelines in West Texas

ETP Billion $$$ Merger

*Please note, asking for Federal intervention via comments on the Roadrunner is not possible at this time as we missed the date. A tactic used by energy companies is to fly below the radar for as long as possible and unfortunately, they semi-succeeded on this one. But we're looking into our options and will fight for our City and the protection of both constituents and the environment alike. On that note, this request is also late due to the fact I only recently found out about the deadline for the Comanche Trail Pipeline. Five minutes of your day, that's all I ask!

Thank you for your help.

Maya Sanchez
C 915-205-1876

A Gas Pipeline Under the Rio Grande? Watch Out San Eli

Click on image to enlarge.

A few persons in Far West Texas (i.e., El Paso) are aware of the controversy of building a gas pipeline from the Waha Oil Field in Pecos County through the most pristine land in Texas: the Big Bend. Plans to build this pipeline have fueled quite a rebellion led by the Big Bend Conservation Alliance. Naturally folks down there should be concerned for their environmental and cultural treasures. 

It is the Comision Federal de Electricidad (CFE) of Mexico that wants to import gas from Texas for domestic consumption while Pemex develops the infrastructure it needs to take advantage of natural resources in Mexico. One of the pipelines, the Trans Pecos Pipeline, is the one that is planned to run through the Big Bend region. A Mother Jones story, The Pipeline That Texans Are Freaking Out Over (Nope, Not Keystone), outlines the anger of people in Presidio County, Texas.

Click on image to enlarge.

Except for a very few people, almost nobody in El Paso County knows about the sister pipeline of Trans Pecos - the Comanche Trail Pipeline. It will go from Waha through Culberson and Hudspeth Counties and then cross into El Paso County and cross underneath the Rio Grande at San Elizario. Read the Hudspeth County Herald's story from earlier this spring: Survey Work Begins for New Natural Gas Pipeline Through Hudspeth County.

Beyond an obligatory newspaper post about the project (you know - the fine print in the classifieds that almost no one reads), there has been little mention of nor furor over the proposed pipeline. The environmental and cultural (archaeological, tribal, etc.) impacts have been largely glossed over. Concern for a possible contamination of our Hueco Bolson and the Rio Grande have gone without comment. What's worst of all is the potential of a gas line explosion at San Elizario. If that happens, bye, bye people of San Eli.

Both pipelines have been railroaded by the State agency which regulates them: the Texas Railroad Commission. However, to cross the border requires a Presidential Permit which triggers more rigorous reviews of the project. The Comanche Trail Pipeline people refer to their pipeline as "intrastate" and neglect to tell anyone about this one small detail - it becomes interstate when it crosses over into Chihuahua, Mexico. The Big Bend Conservation Alliance realizes this fact and are making a good argument that the companies behind the Trans Pecos are "segmenting" on purpose. They don't want the stricter federal guidelines, they want the complicity of the Texas Railroad Commission.

The same argument can be made about the Comanche Trail Pipeline. 

Time is of the essence. Comments or interventions by stakeholders (the Audubon Society, local tribes, the County of El Paso for example) must be submitted by 3 PM this coming Monday, July 6. To efile a comment, you can go to http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/ecomment.asp and follow the directions. You probably should read the Comanche Trail Pipeline, LLC; Notice of Application first.

One does wonder what will happen to the natural gas going to Mexico once Pemex is able to exploit its own resources. The 42 inch pipelines have a capacity of up to 1.1 billion cubic feet per day. (CFE estimates that 1,475 million cubic feet per day will pass through the Comanche Trail Pipeline and that 1,350 million cubic feet per day will pass through the Trans Pecos Pipleline.) So where will the excess go, if indeed there is an excess? And will it all stop once Pemex is ready. Frankly, I find that the conjecture in the Big Bend Conservation Alliance blog quite possible if not probable.


Please support elpasonaturally©. Go HERE to donate and help turn El Paso "green".