The Dallas Morning News: To be a Texan is to be an environmentalist

Growing up in Texas, some of my richest memories include camping with my dad. Between hiking in the woods, fishing in the lakes, and watching the stars at night, I developed a strong pride for this state and all it has to offer. It’s a pride embedded in every Texan’s DNA. We’re a vast and unique land with nearly every kind of natural environment imaginable. More broadly, we lead the country on so many things, from commerce and politics to culture and energy.

While our history is steeped in identity as the oil and gas capital of the United States, our future is quickly becoming guided by a leadership role in clean energy and conservation. This is something we should highlight regularly, but especially on a day like Earth Day, when we celebrate our planet and reaffirm our commitment to protecting it.

We are facing some serious environmental challenges, many of which feel so monumental and divisive it can be hard to see a path toward solutions. What should give us hope, however, is remembering that all environmental challenges are local challenges. If we all stewarded our communities the best we can, we’d all be a lot better off.

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