While at first blush, you might not even think about coal in Texas – we haven't had an underground mine in operation in the Lone Star State since the early 1950s – it is an industry here which made Texas one of the nation's top lignite coal producers for years. The low-grade coal is found in deposits mined at or near the surface. So, if we really are seeing the death-knell of coal, what might it mean for Texas and Greater Houston, specifically?
On this edition of Houston Matters, we ask Jim Malewitz, energy reporter for the Texas Tribune.
Also this hour:
Houston Real Estate Snapshot
We discuss what Houston's real estate market looks like as we head into summer with Scott Davis, principal at Tisona Development, a commercial and residential development company.
Pint of Science Festival
Pint of Science, an annual, worldwide festival came to Houston this week. The all-volunteer organization behind it brought together scientists skilled in space, artificial intelligence, immunotherapy and other disciplines. They all gathered at three local bars as a way to spark interest in science and help Houstonians to get to know their friendly neighborhood scientists. Paige Phelps reports on one such event, at Mongoose versus Cobra in Midtown.
The Book of Wanderings
This week (May 23-27, 2016), aspiring writers are attending the 8th annual Boldface Conference for Emerging Writers at the University of Houston. The conference is aimed at young writers who are either still in school or who have yet to publish a book. It includes workshops, classes and presentations by established writers.
One of the writers presenting this year is Houstonian Kimberley Meyer. At a young age she put her dreams of being a world traveler on hold when she became pregnant with her daughter. But two decades later, with her 19-year-old freshly out of the house for college, Meyer got the chance to live out that dream of world traveler, with her daughter in tow. She wrote about it in The Book of Wanderings: A Mother-Daughter Pilgrimage. Michael Hagerty talks with Meyer.
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