Jay Olaguer talks about the utilization of new air quality monitoring technologies to evaluate human exposure to air pollution in several neighborhoods.
HARC in the News
HARC serves as a valuable resource for both the private and public sector. Here you will find the latest news regarding HARC's research in the areas of air quality, water quality, clean energy, and resilience. HARC's communications department is ready to assist you with interview and research requests, press releases, media resources, and recent coverage of HARC.
For more information, please contact:
Kacey Wilkins, Communications and Marketing Specialist: 281-364-6092; email: harcmedia@harcresearch.org
Wednesday, February 4, 2015
Saturday, January 10, 2015
HARC's Jim Lester weighs in on expansion and affordability of groundwater supply in Houston.
Friday, January 9, 2015
"It will be extremely energy efficient, very modern and very space-efficient," said Jim Lester, on the new home for HARC.
Thursday, January 8, 2015
HARC's Gavin Dillingham, Clean Energy Policy, speaks on the state of energy efficiency and renewable energy policy for the state of Texas and City of Houston.
Thursday, December 11, 2014
HARC's Senior Research Scientist, Jay Olaguer, Program Director, Air Quality Science, weighs in on measuring methods used to chase pollution plumes.
Thursday, December 11, 2014
Jay Olaguer discusses ways to measure pollution plumes in North Texas. Given the measurement challenges, “traditional methods are really inadequate for the task at hand,” he said.
Wednesday, November 19, 2014
HARC's Research Scientist, Gavin Dillingham, Clean Energy Policy, discusses how Class B and C business properties can reap the benefits of being LEED-certified.
Friday, October 24, 2014
"Without knowing the reasons, it's too early to conclude what the drop in clams says about the bay's well-being", said Jim Lester, president of HARC.
Friday, October 24, 2014
HARC's Jay Olaguer, program director of air quality science, said that the state’s stationary monitors are at a disadvantage because they can’t move around. “You’d have to be very lucky with a single stationary monitor to catch a plume,” Olaguer said.
Saturday, October 4, 2014
The Galveston Bay Foundation and Houston Advanced Research Center have launched the first phase of the Galveston Bay Report Card, and are seeking your input about bay health.
Wednesday, September 24, 2014
Rich Haut, Program Director, Energy Production, discusses the new EFD's Virtual Hydraulic Fracturing website.
Tuesday, September 23, 2014
“The use of this state-of-the-art gaming software and graphics application is intended to familiarize users with the best practices associated with hydraulic fracturing, as well as increase the public’s understanding of these operations,” Rich Haut said.
Monday, September 22, 2014
Gavin Dillingham, Research Scientist, Clean Energy Policy, discusses the importance of Houstonians playing an integral part in dealing with climate change.
Friday, September 12, 2014
"Given all that, where would you plant the trees, and how would it help?" said Alex Cuclis on planting trees to combat Houston air pollution.
Wednesday, August 20, 2014
HARC's Research Scientist, Jennifer Ronk, Program Director, Environmental Science and Energy Efficiency, discusses the benefits of roof-top solar panels for homeowners.
Tuesday, August 5, 2014
Alex Cuclis, Research Scientist, Air Quality and Emissions, discusses whether fence-line monitors were the right approach to solve the impact of pollution being released by refineries.
Wednesday, July 16, 2014
“When people dig into the matter a lot deeper than they have, they will find that oil and gas activities do have a significant impact on ozone attainment,” said Jay Olaguer on the impact of natural gas extraction in the Barnett Shale.
Thursday, July 3, 2014
Three years ago this week, crews capped and sealed two pits of paper mill sludge that had long poisoned the San Jacinto River..."The cap has gone a long way to reduce short-term risk," states Jennifer Ronk.
Saturday, May 31, 2014
HARC's Program Director of Energy Production, Rich Haut, discusses how the influence of video gaming technology allows users to interact and creates ways to drill in an environmentally friendly way.
Wednesday, May 14, 2014
HARC's President and Chief Executive Officer, Jim Lester, discusses the consequences of the Antarctic melt on the Gulf Coast.
Sunday, April 13, 2014
“We’re in a part of the state that is out of the drought, but that is a temporary condition,” says Jim Lester on water conservation in the area.
Sunday, April 6, 2014
“It's like death by a thousand cuts, especially when you combine the oil spills with all of the other stressors to the bay,” says Lisa Gonzalez on impact of the oil spill into Galveston Bay on March 22, 2014.
Thursday, April 3, 2014
Jim Lester presented at Montgomery County Water Supply Symposium on Saturday, April 5, 2014 at The Woodlands Township.
Monday, March 24, 2014
The heavy oil spilled into Galveston Bay causes concern for the nation's great natural nurseries. HARC's analysis reveals that oil spills are typically small, averaging about 100 gallons per incident. The latest spill is the largest in the Ship Channel since a facility leaked 70,000 gallons of bunker fuel in 2000.
Monday, March 24, 2014
A barge that spilled 168,000 gallons (635,000 liters) of oil Saturday into Galveston Bay is threatening a refuge that's crucial habitat for thousands of birds, experts say. National Georgraphic looks to HARC's Galveston Bay Oil Spill Environmental Overview Mapping Application for critical information on the spill.
Wednesday, March 12, 2014
HARC's Stephanie Glenn and the Double Bayou Watershed Protection Plan team review stakeholder ideas on potential voluntary solutions to water quality concerns in Double Bayou.
Thursday, March 6, 2014
The Galveston Bay Foundation and HARC are partnering to provide residents the new Galveston Bay Report Card that will feature critical information on the health of Galveston Bay.
Tuesday, February 18, 2014
HARC Researcher, David Hitchcock, serves as a member of Bike The Woodlands Coalition pushing for bicycle lanes and shoulders to make the area more rider-friendly.
Tuesday, February 4, 2014
Cost, complexities cited as residents rage over dioxin's harm to rivers.
Monday, December 23, 2013
HARC's Vice President, Lisa Gonzalez, presents The State of Galveston Bay at the Deer Park Community Advisory Council final meeting of the year.
Monday, November 25, 2013
HARC's President Jim Lester discusses rising seas and what that means to Houston and the Gulf Coast.
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
Jim Lester discusses the importance of funds created by Proposition 6 should be prioritized for conservation and more innovative water strategies.
Friday, November 8, 2013
North Texas ties with Houston as the highest average in Ozone pollution. HARC's Jay Olaguer provides his theoretical view on ways to meet federal ozone standards.
Thursday, November 7, 2013
HARC’s Jim Lester weighs in on critical view of Tx water plan.
Thursday, November 7, 2013
After the successful passage of Proposition 6, Jim Lester confers over which projects should be at the front of the line for funding.
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
HARC Research Scientists, Rich Haut and Birnur Guven, discuss the importance of capturing and reusing natural gas and ways to reduce the amount of air pollution associated with the equipment.
Monday, September 23, 2013
HARC and TSSWCB host meeting to discuss ways to protect Double Bayou watershed.
Saturday, August 3, 2013
Few business people have done as much to change the world as George Mitchell.
Tuesday, July 30, 2013
George P. Mitchell is recognized as the Houstonian of the century for his vision of The Woodlands, philanthropy, oil and gas contributions, and global legacy.
Friday, July 26, 2013
Scott Tong was the last person to interview George Mitchell back in December of last year.
Monday, June 17, 2013
HARC senior research scientist Jennifer Ronk discusses solar energy in Texas.
Thursday, May 30, 2013
"If you're not measuring, you're just guessing," says Alex Cuclis, a chemical engineer who worked at a refinery for 15 years and now studies air pollution at the independent Houston Advanced Research Center.
Thursday, May 30, 2013
The Houston area produces about a quarter of the nation's gasoline, and about a third of the plastics that are in our cars, cupboards and just about everywhere else. So it is no surprise that this heavily industrial area has a problem with air pollution. But in the past decade, Houston's air has improved dramatically.
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Despite the many advantages of storing water underground, water utilities typically don't understand that the technology is tested and ready to use, according to HARC President Jim Lester. "It just makes so much more sense" than surface reservoirs, he says.
Thursday, April 4, 2013
Storing water in manmade reservoirs underground – a technology increasingly being explored in drought-conscious Texas – can avoid eminent domain issues and dam-safety concerns that complicate surface-reservoir plans, HARC president Jim Lester says.
Thursday, April 4, 2013
Through another HARC and City of Houston partnership, a new sustainable transportation alternative is made available for Houston residents. HARC’s role was to secure funding and manage the implementation of the new bike sharing program.
Thursday, February 14, 2013
The Houston Advanced Research Center continues to tackle important environmental issues outlined by its founder, George Mitchell, more than 30 years ago. HARC is looking to develop technologies that reduce the impact of oil and gas exploration, reduce emissions from diesel engines, and improve air quality in the Houston and Dallas regions.
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Rising sea levels are likely to cover the coastal highway on the unprotected west end of Galveston sooner than previously predicted.
Monday, December 3, 2012
Harris County Commissioners Court approved $1 million dollars in federal funding to CT scan the community's air. "This gives us opportunities to address environmental justice in a way we never have before," says Jay Olaguer, director of air quality research at the Houston Advanced Research Center.
Sunday, November 11, 2012
Integral to the cadre of scientists and engineers concerned about undercounts is Alex Cuclis, an air pollution researcher with the Houston Advanced Research Center. He's also determined to broaden the use of advanced instruments to measure rather than estimate emissions.
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