The Appalachian Voice typically looks inward, exploring the intricacies of our region.

This time, however, we looked out at the rest of the world to see what Appalachia’s global ties could tell us about the life, history and struggles that take place within these mountains.

Take a moment to flip through the print version or visit our webpage, and let the latest issue of The Appalachian Voice take you around the world and back again.

Our features begin with Global Connections, an introduction by our editor, Jamie Goodman, that showcases Appalachia’s worldly history and busts the myth of the region’s isolation. On the facing page, Finding a Common Language examines how Appalachia’s growing Latino population is striving for, and attaining, integration with mountain communities.

Realizing that Appalachia’s energy future is closely tied to the pulse of the planet, we consider the best available energy forecasts in A Clean(er) World, which looks at how America fits into the future of electricity generation. Our centerspread, Uncharted Waters, features a global map that highlights some of the trends and hot spots in the international energy trade.

Appalachia’s experience with resource extraction has taught the region some valuable lessons. In Extracting Insight, writer Paige Campbell looks at how communities impacted by mining around the world are sharing knowledge and experiences. Of all the experiences that tie people together, sharing music can be one of the most meaningful. On the facing page, Kindred in Song discusses the international exchanges centered around traditional Appalachian music.

Exposure to foreign markets has brought booms and busts to the region’s furniture and lumber industries, as writer Jesse Wood documents in A Double-Edged Sword. Those same economic forces also wrought dramatic changes in Appalachian agriculture. World Market explores how globalization has added to some small farmers’ struggles while also fostering fertile ground for a local food revival.

The “Appalachia and the World” theme even worked its way into some of our regular features. In a special expanded Naturalist’s Notebook column titled They’re Here: Alien Species in Appalachia, writer Matt Grimley takes a humorous look at the conundrum of invasive species. And don’t miss the invasive species recipes!

On a more serious note, our editorial — A Call for Climate Security — reminds us what national security truly means. In the same vein, Lincoln and Climate Science, a guest Viewpoint by Dr. Bill Kovarik, ties the present to the past.

In our recurring Coal Report section, The Export Enigma, a feature by Brian Sewell, studies Appalachian coal’s complex overseas outlets. Other Coal Report stories include: Under Pressure, Patriot Coal To Phase Out Mountaintop Removal, plus analyses of coal industry employment, the status of coal ash, and other briefs.

We also launched Appalachia’s Political Landscape, a new section covering the ties between Appalachian politics, energy policy and the environment. This fresh addition begins with a bang in The Battle is Over — Has the “War” Just Begun?

On the lighter side, AV Book Club features a remarkable work by poet bell hooks, Appalachian Elegy. In Hiking the Highlands, travel to Sylva, N.C., and Push to the Pinnacle.

Catch up on environmental news from around the region in Across Appalachia — from radon awareness month to Duke Energy and the Dries of the New River to Powell River mussels and lead in Chattanooga.

And last but never least, Inside AV shares news about the good work Appalachian Voices has been up to over the past couple of months. Read about the No More Excuses campaign, calling on President Obama to end mountaintop removal coal mining, and take action if you haven’t yet! New evidence of mountaintop removal in Tennessee refutes coal industry claims to the contrary in Seeing Is Believing, and we recap our 40th birthday celebration for the Clean Water Act. That’s not all, of course, so read more in the organizational roundup.

Plus check out our Member Spotlight, where author and Appalachian Voices Board Member Silas House talks about Appalachian identity!

We always welcome your thoughts, and in early 2013 we will need readers like you to tell us what you like about The Appalachian Voice and what you would most like to see in the future. Sign up to participate in our readership project and you’ll be entered in a drawing for some great prizes! Read more here.

If you would like a year’s subscription to The Appalachian Voice delivered to your door, become a member of Appalachian Voices. And if you want to ensure that the print version is available at your local coffee shop, library, or grocery store, email voice@appvoices.org about becoming a volunteer distributor.