Climate change is projected to bring hotter, drier conditions to the West Texas city, where plans to provide enough water focus on greater conservation, diversifying resources and more water reuse. Writer Michael Haederle reports for TCN.

A court fight over the nation’s most famous endangered species could foreshadow more such battles as climate change yields a hotter, drier Texas while water demand grows. Michael Berryhill reports for TCN.

Besides recovery from the Deepwater Horizon disaster, they include reversal of long-term habitat loss, nutrient over-enrichment, overuse, coastal development’s impacts and climate effects, one oceanographer told attendees. A report by Austin writer Melissa Gaskill.

The recommendations from Rice University researchers include a Houston Ship Channel floodgate, new levees, a wetlands recreation area to buffer against storm surges and a sharply limited focus for new Galveston development.

By various recent measures and indications, Texas still ranks as a leader in generating and buying wind power. But troubles may lie ahead, including the loss of an important federal tax incentive.

Texas is a legendary producer and consumer of energy, but recent developments continue to illustrate how Texans – more fitfully than some advocates would prefer – are also embracing energy saving through efficiency measures.

After slumping, public agreement that global warming is happening is on the upswing, two recent polls found. A third study concluded economic woes were likely the main reason for increased climate-change skepticism in recent years.

Houston remarks by the chief scientist of Britain’s Met Office regarding attitudes and actions of that nation’s Conservative-led government underscored the stark differences between the U.K.’s Tories and U.S. Republicans.

“We enter this spring with our water supply conditions in a much more vulnerable state than they were at this time last year,” one speaker warned recently at a UT water forum, “Texas Drought 2012: Are We Prepared?”

Texas red oaks are susceptible to drought, while live oaks and white oaks require less water, the Texas Forest Service says. It lists native trees such as pecans, cedar elms and bur oaks as well adapted to drought. A report by Ari Phillips of Reporting Texas.