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How green is my bayou? Houston, the energy capital of the world, wants to be the environmental capital as well. Good luck!

Article Excerpt
Perhaps it is not so surprising that the turning point in Houstons uneasy, often contemptuous relationship with its less-than pristine environment came in the form of a political ad for Al Gore. The moment occurred during the 2000 presidential campaign. For those who might need a refresher, at the time it was fine with just about everyone in Houston that a brownish haze graced the horizon, that occasional chemical plant explosions in the Ship Channel area announced themselves with booms that shook the ground from miles away, that the oily aroma that fouled an otherwise glorious morning was described by local business leaders, accompanied by knowing winks, as "the smell of money." But then came Gore's TV spot, which implied that the rest of the country might become like Texas--which, of course, meant like Houston-if a certain Texas governor became president. This message was accompanied by shots of belching smokestacks, massive oil refineries, and a mother tending to her ailing child--all because, the narration went, George W. Bush was giving tax breaks to oil companies while opposing health care for thousands of kids. "Texas ranks last in air quality" the ad pointed out.

While none of this was news to Houstonians, the concern of mortified community leaders was that the ad was also running in cities from which they were trying to lure businesses. After years of dismissing as whiners the small minority who suggested that pollution was doing damage not just to Houston's image...