2014 TribuneFest: Audio From the Environment Track

The environment track at the 2014 Texas Tribune Festival featured panel discussions on water planning, protecting the Texas Coast, the state of Texas agriculture and Texas vs. the EPA. Listen to audio of each session here: 

The "What's Next for Water?" panel, moderated by Texas Tribune Reporter Neena Satija, kicked off the environment track. Paneists included former El Paso Water Utilities President Ed Archuleta, former state Sen. Kip Averitt, Texas Water Development Board Chairman Carlos Rubinstein, Meadows Center for Water and the Environment Executive Director Andy Sansom and Rio Grande International Study Center President Tom Vaughan.

The next panel, "Saving the Texas Coast," was moderated by Texas Standard Host and Managing Editor David Brown. Panelists included state Rep. Joe Deshotel, Nature Conservancy of Texas Director Laura Huffman, former Texas Land Commissioner Garry Mauro, state Sen. Larry Taylor, Rockport Mayor C.J. Wax and General Land Office Deputy Commissioner Helen Young.

The third panel, "The State of Agriculture," was moderated by Texas Tribune Newsletters Editor John Reynolds. Panelists included Texas A&M University AgriLife Extension Assistant Professor Tiffany Dowell, Texas Agricultural Land Trust CEO Blair Fitzsimons, state Rep. Tracy King, Republican Agriculture Commissioner Nominee Sid Miller and Texas Farm Bureau Public Policy Director Jim Sartwelle.

The track's final panel, "Texas vs. the EPA," was moderated by Neena Satija of the Tribune. Featured speakers included state Rep. Myra Crownover, Environment Texas Director Luke Metzger, Laura Miller of Summit Power Group, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality Chairman Bryan Shaw and Texas Tech University Assistant Professor Jennifer Vanos.