The Calm-Me-Downs Wrangle from Far Left Texas

Texans turned out at the state cemetery to pay their respects to Sarah Weddington this afternoon in Austin. #txlege #RoeVWade @DMNPolitics

https://t.co/SR9U43Nyf9

— BeLynn Hollers (@Belynnhollers) February 10, 2022

Martha Menchaca's new book gives an overview of Mexican Americans' embattled experiences throughout Texas history to present day.

Released through @UTexasPress, you can read an excerpt of her work here: https://t.co/4sEZ1VgjeF

— Texas Observer (@TexasObserver) February 11, 2022

The 1813 Battle of Medina was one of the largest and bloodiest battles in Texas history. Yet little is known about it, including the actual location of the battle.

Now, the largest organized effort to locate the battle site has begun. https://t.co/rIVuZ0968U

— Texas Standard (@TexasStandard) February 9, 2022

A sneak peek at Powderhorn Ranch, an unspoiled, 17,351-acre coastal paradise set to become a state park.https://t.co/GY7jDPPQs3

— Texas Monthly (@TexasMonthly) February 10, 2022

Blue Oyster Cult at Oyster Bake just makes ✨sense✨

They'll join Chingy, Josh Abbott Band, Puddle of Mudd, Bobby Pulido, & more to help San Antonio burn out the day, burn out the night for the return of one of Fiesta's biggest events.https://t.co/hkfn6dOsKR @mySA @Oyster_Bake

— Maddy Skye (@MaddySkye) February 9, 2022

Galveston’s Mardi Gras tradition began more than 150 years ago.

Islanders held private masked balls in 1856 & 1867. Galveston's earliest recorded public celebration of Mardi Gras was in 1871. Now, the annual event is among the largest in the nation.

📷: @GalvestonIsland pic.twitter.com/SkwsOq5aTq

— Texas Historical Commission (@TxHistComm) February 8, 2022

#SXSW2022 is back (March 11-20) and we're more ready than ever to give you the scoop on the coolest bands, films, interactive, free stuff, and parties. To kick it off, here’s how it’s going to look this year! https://t.co/hkZ0FR0uRM

— Do512 (@Do512) February 10, 2022

The largest antiques mall in the Southwest attracts locals who are regulars and road-trippers who are curious. https://t.co/EObmB7LfqJ

— Texas Highways Magazine (@TexasHighways) February 10, 2022

Confession: We were on vacation last week and went to the butterfly migration sanctuary atop Sierra Chincua in Michoacán. It’s one of the most fantastic natural wonders I’ve ever seen. Where we were, it was snowing Monarchs. pic.twitter.com/vydT9u92E2

— Bud Kennedy / #ReadLocal (@BudKennedy) February 9, 2022

The Environmental Wrangle from Far Left Texas

You might have seen massive smoke in East Houston this morning. pic.twitter.com/dG0Fkyvx0o

— Air Alliance Houston (@airallianceHOU) February 7, 2022

Dark smoke and huge flames.#petrometro pic.twitter.com/MfV0pk6lli

— Sema (@_SemaHernandez_) February 7, 2022

Another Monday, another unpermitted air emission. #SSM Valero Houston Refinery flare putting off thick smoke in southeast Houston - ABC13 Houston https://t.co/sW4oDsxjY4

— bryan parras (@HighTechAztec) February 7, 2022

Per @TCEQ initial reports: Here are the initial emission totals (in pounds) from Friday night's power outage in Texas City. #GalvNews pic.twitter.com/GjP8Uwqc64

— John Wayne Ferguson (@JohnWFerguson) February 7, 2022

Flaring at Valero’s Houston refinery in Manchester sent black smoke billowing above the city’s East Side Monday morning. [...] (That) follows another flaring event Friday night (Feb.4) at the Galveston Bay refinery owned by Marathon Petroleum Corp. It too blamed flaring on a power outage. ...

Shell Chemical Company also alerted neighbors to possible flaring at its Deer Park plant Monday night, though the cause was unclear. Shell was not immediately available for comment.

Flaring events like these rain chemicals on the city’s eastern neighborhoods, polluting the air and affecting the health of sensitive groups, said Bryan Parras, an East Side resident and an organizer with the environmental advocacy organization Sierra Club.

“One of these events can exceed the permitted levels they are allowed to emit for the entire year, depending on how long the flaring lasts,” he said.

Just another day in Big Greasy.

Satellites have detected massive gas leaks : NPR

It’s Not leaks:

There's new evidence, collected from orbiting satellites, that oil and gas companies are routinely venting huge amounts of methane into the air. https://t.co/cgIY51kXCf

— 🌹 🔥 Dark Warlord 🔥 🌹 (@drkwarlord) February 11, 2022

Shaken by #fracking quakes, Texas is forced to act https://t.co/0iV4ciosay #Permian

— Forever in debt to your priceless advice. (@PDiddie) February 10, 2022

"#Earthquakes in #TX doubled in 2021. Scientists cite years of #oil companies injecting sludgy water underground."

Imagine solving earthquakes, #ExtremeWeather & #ClimateChange all at the same time with the same solution ! 🌎#TXLege#CarbonDividendshttps://t.co/r7uo0XDnqH

— @CCLHouston (@CCLHouston) February 11, 2022

Listen & Learn, in case you're not up to date on @NatButterflies closure due to dangerous threats, harassment & targeting by MAGA political operatives hellbent on disrupting & destroying our nice things--like butterfly sanctuaries (not to mention libraries & soon, highways) https://t.co/R7RrmQhyHC

— National Butterfly 🦋 (@NatButterflies) February 10, 2022

Bruce Melton at The Rag Blog wrote a comprehensive essay about what he called the 'Tex-Ice' disaster ahead of Valentine's week, offering some survival stories about our current emergency and some new solutions to our existential crisis.  Sharon Wilson for Earthworks reminds us that methane releases are the damaging ecological impacts of Texas winter storms nobody really mentions.  Clean Technica points out the hidden costs of keeping natural gas-fired electric plants online (paying surge prices in a Uri-like event).  And Luke Metzger at Environment Texas has new research showing the role rooftop solar could have played in preventing 2021 Texas power crisis.

The last Wrangle this week has my calm-me-downs, and it will appear later today.