Archive for September 2010
Natural Gas, Is it Right for Appalachia?
By Derek Speranza It’s the middle of July in West Trenton, N.J. More than 600 protesters have gathered outside a meeting of the Delaware River Basin Commission, speaking out to protect the region’s drinking water and water reserves from contamination. The issue? Natural gas drilling – a controversial practice that has been by some labeled…
Read MorePond Scum Solutions: Turning Pollution Into Fuel
By Maureen Halsema The concept is simple—take one of the most effective photosynthetic life forms on earth and put it to work. The secret weapon: algae. Algae are organisms that grow quickly in aquatic environments via photosynthesis, CO2 and nutrients, and they can be used to produce biomass and biofuel. Algae have several advantages over…
Read MoreBiofuels: Local Gives Way to Large Scale
By Bill Kovarik ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Melita Kyriakou watches as a big blue fuel truck with a green biodiesel logo grinds past the fuel tanks, under the bridge and up the hill – off on another delivery to one of the four biodiesel retailers in the mountain city. The good news, for Blue Ridge Biodiesel,…
Read MoreEcono-vironment
Communities across Appalachia strive to ensure the economic and environmental health of their region by launching innovative programs focused on long-term solutions. Stories by Julie Johnson Since September of 2001, over 6,400 West Virginia National Guardsmen have served in multiple combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. Currently, there are 998 active military reservists that will…
Read More“Appalachia Rising” To Rise Up in D.C.
By Jillian Randel A weekend of mobilizing will take place in Washington D.C., September 25-27, designed to help citizens learn what they can do to help end mountaintop removal coal mining. The Voices of the Mountains Conference, scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, will feature workshops and panel discussions about Appalachia, civil disobedience, and the issues…
Read MoreOld Dominion Postpones Seeking Air Permits for Proposed VA Power Plant
By Sandra Diaz Wise Energy for Virginia coalition, a coalition of several environmental organizations whose mission is help secure a clean energy future for Virginia, has recently seen progress in their campaign to stop construction of a new coal-fired power plant in the Hampton Roads area proposed by Old Dominion Electric Co-op (ODEC). ODEC recently…
Read MoreStewards of the Rock
Story and Photos by Megan Naylor Bouldering is a sport of strength, power and dynamics focusing on pure contact with the rock, free from harnesses, ropes and racks of gear. It brings both climber and rock together in a rhythmic balance of fluid grace and technical moves. What began as a niche sport is now…
Read MoreHints of Autumn on Falls Branch Trail
Written by Lesley Eaton In the left hand corner of a small parking lot off the side of a curvy mountain highway sits a trailhead, an entrance into another world of sorts. A few feet after stepping off the pavement and onto the trail, I close my eyes to thoroughly take in my new surroundings.…
Read MoreKeeping On the Sunny Side: Carter Family Fold Survives In Spite of Tragedy
Written by Joe Tennis Like the traditional tunes collected by her grandfather, Rita Forrester carries on, always trying to “Keep On the Sunny Side.” Even in the face of tragedy. In December 2009, Forrester awoke to find her home in flames, barely escaping in her nightgown. Forrester, granddaughter of musicians A.P. and Sara Carter, lost…
Read MoreTurning Trash Into Glass
Former Landfill Fuels The Pursuit of Art By Maureen Halsema Nestled in the Black Mountains of western North Carolina, lies a unique twist on a trash heap. In 1994, creative minds from Yancey and Mitchell counties came together to discuss the closure of their 21-year-old landfill in Burnsville, N.C. From that mountain of trash sprouted…
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