The United States Environmental Protection Agency met in Houston, one of the five cities nationwide to hold public hearings, to discuss the first revision to the ozone standard in more than 10 years.

The current level-84 parts ozone per billion parts air-could be changed to a range of between 70 and 75 ppb. EPA’s scientists suggested a 60 to 70 ppb threshold.

When an agency won’t listen to the recommendations from its’ own scientists, who will they listen to?

Cue 12-year-old asthma sufferer Taylor “ Tay” Candelario, whose presentation was supported by the American Lung Association. She addressed the panel with an emotional account of her life with asthma. Ripe with descriptions of the enormous medical costs to her family to the day-to-day inconvenience associated with taking several medications daily to the inability to do “normal kid things.” And, if that weren’t enough to at least form a little knot in the throat, then perhaps the guilt trip did the trick.

I come here today to ask you to be like our country who will send our proud soldiers to back up a country that needs help, a state that helps other states when a hurricane strikes, a city that provides resources to those that can’t help themselves. People with asthma that need help, for the air, in the future that our elders and the people born after us that they won’t have asthma or any other lung problems, for people to live longer, and I come to you today and ask that you can give us hope that our air, my air to be clean once again.

You can be rest assured that Texas is doing everything possible to address the current ozone problem, but still faces “insurmountable challenges.” Thank you Mr. Texas Commission on Environmental Quality Chief for that most obvious of updates. Although, the connection between asthma and ozone levels is greatly disputed, the fact still remains that the air is dirty and it needs to be clean. The truth is, the EPA, as well as Texas lawmakers are unwilling to take the necessary measures needed to reach the recommended lower standards.

Unfortunately, one asthma sufferer isn’t enough to open some ears or get some stuffy suits moving, but maybe they will hear this:

Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.

Featured Song: “Big Yellow Taxi” by Joni Mitchell


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Breathe Easier? Not So Much. Dallas Observer

Harris County: death penalty capital of the world and now home to more Hispanics than Anglos. That’s right; Anglos are now in the minority in almost one in 10 U.S. counties and Pat Buchanan can’t do squat about it.

The Houston Chronicle tells us that as of July 2006, Harris County alone has an estimated 1.48 million Hispanics (38.2 percent of the population), compared to the 1.44 million Anglo residents (36.9 percent). Harris is still second in the country, though, tied with Miami-Dade. Los Angeles is in the lead. Typical. LA already took the title of most polluted city away from Houston. Might as well take all the Hispanics, too.

And in case you thought this is a freak accident, CNN is reporting that minorities will account for half of U.S. residents by 2050.

Reconquista!

Featured Song: “Mexican Guy” by The Stooges

Can we get half price for dead ones?

The Houston Museum of Natural History, a place that all Houstonians know intimately by the time they’re done with the 89th grade, is buying live roaches for the public, 25 cents a pop. Apparently this has something to do with an exhibit they are preparing on roaches and they need some live ones because it wont be disgusting enough if they just use pictures and shit. The museum is trying to get their hands on 1000 of these things, as if they couldn’t just go into any storage room and find twice that many scurrying away from the light as soon as they open the door. If there was some place that paid 25 cents per massive disgusting bug year-round, any dedicated Houstonian could make a gajillion dollars and never have to work again. [Source]

As you, our faithful reader, should be well aware of by now, CW humbly began in Houston, Texas. Now, H-Town is notorious for a variety of reasons. First it was the most polluted city. Then it was the fattest. Of course, there’s Enron. And Andrea Yates. Don’t forget about the lady who ran over her husband (multiple times) with her Benz.

Enter: Purple Drank. As fat as or as toxic as Houston may be, it is officially the City of Syrup. Houston even has an entire album dedicated to it’s codine-laden addiction.

But it turns out that addiction to the affordable mauve concoction isn’t limited to the fourth-largest city in the United States. The AP (via ABC News) tells us that about one in every 14 high school seniors caved and told the researchers that they’ve been getting high off of the purple stuff. Generic and useless quote from the feds follows:

“It’s bad that kids are buying cough syrup and using it this way it’s not good for them,” said John P. Walters, director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy.

No worries, though, fans of pot. Your drug of choice is still the top contender:

Marijuana remained the single most abused drug among teens, although its use also dropped slightly within all three grades.

We can sleep soundly knowing that the dope-smoking 9th grader still thrives in this mad, mad world.

Featured Music:

Big Moe - “Purple Stuff”