All Posts
Putting the Able in Sustainable: One Homeowner’s Foray into Green Retrofits
Story and photo by Jamie Goodman After years of dreaming about building or buying a home I finally took the plunge into mortgage ownership this summer. We decided on a favorable compromise of our lofty fantasies, aspirations and budget; a home originally built in 1979 within easy walking distance of our work, grocery shopping and…
Read More
These Green Houses:
Green Building 101
By Jeff Deal Green building might just be the world’s oldest construction style. Caves, lean-tos, waddle and daub, mud brick, stone pyramids and temples, wooden post and beam, Devonshire Cob; all are green building styles, some dating back more than 5,000 years. While there’s not much new under the sun, the resurgent appreciation of these…
Read MoreIt’s Sad to Say, Fracking’s Here to Stay
A new series of proposed natural gas pipelines will give many states better access to natural gas reserves of the Marcellus Shale, a formation of sedimentary rock that covers much of the Appalachian Basin. The pipelines will connect to larger interstate lines to reach more customers in the northeastern United States and possibly Canada. The…
Read MoreWhere is our National Media? — Editorial
I know rants about this particular point have appeared widespread in independent publications, but The Appalachian Voice has avoided weighing in. Now it’s time to go there. IS mainstream media on vacation? The most well-known story of late conspicuous in its absence from big news conglomerates is certainly the weeks-long Occupy Wall Street protest still…
Read MoreMercury Proposal Receives Support, Opposition
This spring, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency proposed a rule that would reduce mercury, particulate matter and sulfur dioxide emissions from coal plants. According to the agency, the proposed rule would save an estimated 17,000 American lives a year beginning in 2015 and prevent 120,000 cases of childhood asthma. A campaign motivated by environmental organizations…
Read MoreCongressional Hearing on Stream Buffer Zone Neglects Residents
By Jamie Goodman On Sept. 26, a Congressional hearing took place in Charleston, W.Va. to discuss proposed revisions to the controversial stream buffer zone rule designed to further protect waterways in Appalachia. Conducted by Representatives Doug Lamborn (R-CO) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) from the Subcommitte on Energy and Mineral Resources in Charleston, W.Va., the…
Read MoreSaying Hello to Our 2011-12 AmeriCorps Team
Appalachian Voices is excited to welcome three new members from Americorps Project Conserve to our team for the 2011-12 service year. Brian Sewell Communications Outreach Associate Brian graduated from the College of Charleston with a B.A. in Communications and a minor in Religious Studies. He was a freelance writer in Charleston, S.C. before relocating to…
Read MoreResponding to the Threat on Our Water
In 1969, a fire on Ohio’s heavily polluted Cuyahoga River shocked the American public into taking action. Out of that movement, several federal laws, including the Clean Water Act of 1977, were established to safeguard U.S. waterways from industrial pollution. Now, a mere 30 years later, members of Congress are attempting to undermine the very…
Read MoreCider Beans, Wild Greens and Dandelion Jelly
By Molly Moore After several decades living and eating in the hills of east Tennessee, California native Joan E. Aller proves her love for southern Appalachian cuisine in Cider Beans, Wild Greens and Dandelion Jelly. This is a serious cookbook, and Aller has her priorities straight. In it, food is given the respect true cooking…
Read MoreCreepy, Crawly Centipedes (at a Halloween Party Near You!)
By Jillian Randel They’re creepy, they’re crawly and they give you the heebie jeebies. As you gear up for Halloween, consider one of Appalachia’s scariest, most squirm-inducing invertebrates: the centipede. These nighttime crawlers may not be the cuddliest creatures, but they are beneficial to our eco-system — especially to those who garden. Although centipedes come…
Read More