Although mountain bogs represent less than one percent of the southern Appalachian landscape, they are pockets of immense ecological and practical importance and provide a haven for many rare plants and animals.
Monthly Archives: August 2014
Exploring Mountain Bogs
TAGS: fen mountain bog North Carolina Tennessee The Nature Conservancy US Fish and Wildlife wetland wilderness conservation
Full Disclosure?
As North Carolina considers its first natural gas drilling rules, a survey of the region shows how states are — and aren’t — regulating fracking.
TAGS: Clean Water Act fracking hydraulic fracking Hydraulic Fracturing North Carolina Smoky Mountains toxic water water contamination Water Pollution
Injustices Follow Elk River Chemical Spill
By Kimber Ray For many in West Virginia whose water was contaminated by Freedom Industries this past January, the $11,000 fine issued against the company by federal officials in July demonstrated the failure of state and federal officials to demand…
Prevailing Politics Influence State Reactions to EPA Carbon Rule
By Brian Sewell Flexibility: it’s the foundation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s plan to reduce carbon pollution from existing power plants. “That’s what makes it ambitious, but achievable,” EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy said when she unveiled the plan on…
Bridging the Economic Divide
By Kimber Ray Main Story Building New Opportunities For Women In Rural Appalachia Women aspiring to further their education and careers may find their path obstructed by a number of barriers, including domestic violence, biased gender expectations and low confidence.…
Campuses Compete for Gold by Being Green
By Carvan Craft Who said it can’t be fun to help the environment? By capitalizing on the spirit of sports rivalries, these three competitions have prompted colleges and universities to recycle, reduce electricity use, get outside and pounce on their…
Five Schools Switch to Landfill Gas Power
By Carvan Craft Five colleges are putting the saying “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure” into practice with their initiative to use landfill gas for light and power. Hollins University, Emory & Henry College, Lynchburg College, Randolph College and…
Bored to Death
By Amber Ellis Originally from eastern Russia and northeastern Asia, the emerald ash borer found its way to southeastern Michigan through infested cargo ships in 2002 and quickly became North America’s most destructive forest pest. Since then, the invasive beetle…
The Case of the Shrinking Salamanders
By Amber Ellis This year marked the hottest May and June in global record-keeping history, and it seems like salamanders across Appalachia are withering in the heat. A June study in Global Change Biology found that climate change may be…
Keeping West Virginia Wild
Lovers of outdoor recreation and stunning scenery can now permanently enjoy expanded public access to the popular Gauley River. The 665 acres in Gauley River National Recreation Area acquired by West Virginia Land Trust this spring includes a gorge once…
