On Saturday, July 25, Appalachian Voices and several of our partner organizations facilitated the first statewide gathering of North Carolina communities impacted by coal ash.
Monthly Archives: July 2015
Virginia city first to support POWER+
The City of Norton, in southwest Virginia, has voted unanimously to support a federal budget proposal that would steer billions of dollars for economic development to coal-impacted communities, including in Virginia. It’s the first such local resolution in the nation supporting the White House’s “POWER+ Plan.” Appalachian Voices championed the resolution with Norton’s leaders and commends them for leading the way on this vital issue.
Va. City First Locality Nationwide to Support POWER+
Contact: Adam Wells, Economic Diversification Campaign Coordinator, Appalachian Voices, 276-679-1691, adam@appvoices.org Norton City Council voted unanimously yesterday evening in favor of a resolution supporting a federal budget proposal to steer billions of dollars for economic development and diversification to Appalachia’s…
Stream “protection” rule falls short
The Obama administration says its draft rule, released last week, to mitigate the water quality impacts of surface coal mining represents a “balanced approach to energy development.” But there’s nothing balanced about blowing the tops off ancient mountains and jeopardizing the health of thousands of Americans.
Ginseng’s growing role in the new Appalachian economy
Most people who live in the mountains know that just being here can have a healing effect on the soul. But not as many people know that many native plants have real medicinal properties. Growing and marketing those wild medicinal plants and herbs was the subject of a recent workshop offered by the group AppalCEED in Norton, Va.
Virginians’ electric bills could shrink under Clean Power Plan
A report by Public Citizen’s Climate Program details how the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s soon-to-be finalized standards on carbon pollution could lower Virginians’ power bills. The strategy for achieving this benefit is simple: invest in cost-effective energy efficiency programs first.
Interior Department Issues Draft Stream Protection Rule
Contact: Cat McCue, Communications Director, 434-293-6373, cat@appvoices.org Today, the U.S. Department of the Interior issued a long-awaited draft of the Stream Protection Rule, which the agency has been working on since 2010. The purpose of the rule is to prevent…
How much progress are we making on ending mountaintop removal?
Last week, the U.S. Energy Information Administration pointed to a steep decline in coal produced by mountaintop removal mining. But
a closer examination of the data calls into question the adequacy of the legal definition of “mountaintop removal” and, more importantly, demonstrates that much more work is needed to truly end destructive mining practices in Central Appalachia.
TAGS: appalachia Appalachian Voices Clean Water Act Coal Environment EPA Health Kentucky Mountaintop Removal Virginia Water Pollution
Eliminating poverty housing with efficient and alternative energy use
When North Carolina’s Ashe County Habitat for Humanity formed five years ago, seven people came together to study how to best build a home. They made a commitment not only to affordability, but also to energy savings, and the board voted to build all Ashe County Habitat houses to maximize efficiency and place an emphasis on alternative forms of energy.
