EcoBits: ATX Floods, Scooter School, & Lots of Green Holiday Parties

[Water] Last week’s record-breaking rainfall wreaked havoc in Austin. Three people in Travis County died and hundreds of homes were damaged. Mayor Steve Adler has since declared a local state of disaster.

Here’s how you can help:

Donate new undergarments, socks, pillows, blankets, and towels to the Hope Family Thrift Store. More info>>
Make a monetary donation to flood survivors through the United Way. More info>>

[Water] One way that the City of Austin tries to minimize flooding is the drainage fee, which is a flat $9.80 fee paid by all Austin Energy customers. This fee then pays for fixes to flooding, as well erosion and water pollution mitigation.

But starting this month, the fee is changing. Drainage fees will now be based on the amount of impervious cover on a property. Impervious cover is anything that prevents water from being absorbed into the ground, like rooftops, concrete, and driveways. When a city has a lot of impervious cover, the rain has no where to go, and flooding can occur more frequently.The new drainage fee is designed to be more fair, charging residents in accordance with their actual impact on the city’s drainage system. More info>>

[Water] One side effect of the rain is that it has helped to replenish Central Texas’ water reservoirs. As the Austin American-Statesman reports, about 85,000 acre-feet of water made its way into Lake Travis over the past two weeks. That’s enough water to meet the annual need of 340,000 Austin households. Lake Buchanan also saw a rise of 40,000 acre-feet. Together, the two lakes, which are the chief water source for more than one million people, are 78 percent full. More info>>

[Transportation] Looking for a new way to get around Austin? Electric scooters are a convenient,emission-free way to increase your mobility. Electric Avenue Scooters, located at the Triangle, sells a wide array of electric scooters. They’ll even teach you how to ride one with their Scooter School. The school offers the lowest priced Basic Rider Course in Austin. The State of Texas requires anyone wanting to ride a scooter or motorcycle that’s capable of going 30 mph to take a Basic Rider Course and receive their M endorsement or motorcycle operators license. More info>>

[Recycling/Zero Waste]Food waste in the US is a big problem. We produce a lot of it and when it’s sent to the landfill, all it does is rot and produce methane, a powerful greenhouse gas. Ever since their first collection in 2012, the Compost Pedallers have been changing this equation here in Austin. Using cargo bikes, the Compost Pedallers pick up organic waste from their members (who pay a monthly fee) and then take it to dozens of local farms and gardens to be composted.

Now the Compost Pedallers want to do more. They’ve developed a new electric-assist cargo bike specifically designed for urban waste collection that will increase their route efficiency by 30 percent and allow them to bring their organics collection service to even more Austinites. But they can’t do it without your help. They’re launching a crowdfunding campaign on November 10th to raise the money for the new bikes. More info>>

[Climate Change] Mark your calendar for Austin’s Global Climate March on Sunday, November 29th at 1pm at the Texas State Capitol building. The march is being held the day before the UN Climate Summit begins in Paris. Austin’s march is being held in solidarity with many others that will be held on November 29th to encourage world leaders to forge a strong international agreement at the summit.In Austin, the goal is to create a coalition of teachers, students, people of faith, people of color, and labor. The event will be family-friendly and include guest speakers on climate change and environmental justice. More info>>

[Holidays] Now that Halloween is over, the holiday season is upon us and that means lots and lots of holiday parties. Here’s a list of some of the upcoming eco-celebrations.

8th Annual Austin Green Holiday Party –December 3rd from 6pm to 10pm at Barr Mansion and cohosted by 13 different environmental organizations and businesses, including the Austin EcoNetwork, Shades of Green Radio Show, Austin Earth Day Festival, and Texas Campaign for the Environment
Solar Austin Holiday Party – December 8th from 6pm to 9pm at the Brick Oven
Sierra Club Holiday Party – December 8th from 6:30pm to 9:30pm at Barr Mansion

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Amy Stansbury

Amy Stansbury is the Editor-In-Chief of the Austin EcoNetwork .

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Amy Stansbury

Amy Stansbury is the Editor-In-Chief of the Austin EcoNetwork .

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EcoBits: ATX Floods, Scooter School, & Lots of Green Holiday Parties