Houston Runoff Candidates Respond to Climate Change, Tackling Illegal Dumping, Recycling More
Environmental groups promote candidate questionnaire to remind environmental voters to get out to the polls
HOUSTON – As leaders across the planet are meeting in Paris for their final week in the UN’s much anticipated 21st Conference of Parties (COP 21) to address climate change, a handful of environmental groups in Houston have come together to promote Houston City Council runoff candidates’ views on environmental and climate issues and to encourage voters who care about the environment to get to the polls.
In a questionnaire co-sponsored by Texas Campaign for the Environment, NAACP Houston Branch, Texas Environmental Justice Advocacy Services (t.e.j.a.s.), Dr. Robert Bullard, the League of Women Voters of the Houston Area, the Sierra Club Houston Regional Group, Air Alliance Houston, the San Jacinto River Coalition and the Citizen’s Climate Lobby, nearly all the candidates who responded acknowledge and say they take climate change seriously.
“We encourage all Houston voters who care about the environment to educate themselves about how candidates will address key issues such as resource conservation and environmental health,” Melanie Scruggs, Houston Program Director for Texas Campaign for the Environment said.
The short questionnaire also asks specifically about candidates’ views on recycling and illegal dumping. Of the responses received from the 16 candidates, there appears to be universal support for improving recycling and tackling the problem of illegal dumping, with education as a common thread.
Early voting ends December 8th and election day for the runoff is December 12th.