Written by Lara Mack

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Lara Mack

A native Virginian and lover of mountains, forests, and people, Lara is enthusiastic about all good works to defend the Appalachian mountains and communities. As Appalachian Voices' Virginia Field Organizer, she believes the best kind of political change comes from the bottom up.

Members of the Buckingham County Planning Commission look over a packed room of people speaking out against the Atlantic Coast Pipeline compressor station.

Environmental justice in Buckingham County

A proposed compressor station along the Atlantic Coast Pipeline route would pose public health risks and increase noise pollution in a rural, historically black community. Citizens are fervently urging local officials to reject the project, which would severely impact the viability of the pipeline overall.

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Hands Across the Appalachian Trail

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If I had a hammer…

Lara Mack, our Virginia Field Organizer, helped organize last Saturday’s “March on the Mansion” in Richmond to call for clean energy solutions over fracked-gas pipelines, toxic coal ash and climate impacts. She reflects on the legacy, captured in the timeless song, “If I had a hammer,” on the power of citizens coming together to fight for social justice.

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