Can Austin conserve its way out of water and energy emergencies?
Only in Austin would a bona fide honky-tonk hero be tapped to do public service announcements about saving water. In a current radio and TV ad – which debuted last month amidst a chorus of dignitaries at City Hall – Asleep at the Wheel frontman Ray Benson delivers a swinging little tune about water conservation, but also aptly lyricizes the inexorable connections between water use, energy use, pollution, and even climate change – connections that the city is increasingly broadcasting. Benson’s Western swinging jingle is called “Observe & Conserve”: Let’s have a conversation about water conservation. It’s all up to you and me. …