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A Prayer for Peace in Appalachia
Amid Christmas hymns and Hannukah lights, we ask you to join us in a prayer for peace in Appalachia. No one who follows events would ask why we need this prayer. Clearly, the climate of political violence escalated in 2009 with these incidents: • A US Census worker murdered in Kentucky, the word “FED” scrawled…
Read MoreCommunity-Owned Electricity Gets A Breath of Fresh AIRE
By Jamie Goodman and Jeff Deal Why is there so little renewable energy in Central and Southern Appalachia? It was this question that launched the Appalachian Institute of Renewable Energy (AIRE), a grassroots organization working to promote and provide renewable and community-owned energy in Appalachia. One of AIRE’s primary programs is the Community Megawatt Initiative,…
Read MoreSix Degrees: Read the Crystal Ball of Climate Change
By Sarah Vig For this issue, the AV Book Club choose to read a book that delves into an issue with the potential to impact the lives of every human being, indeed most every living thing on the planet: global warming. In “Six Degrees: Our Future on a Hotter Planet” (HarperCollins, $16.95), British journalist Mark…
Read MoreEnvironmental Stewardship: When Beliefs Become Actions
“The world’s religions have a crucial role to play in the fight against global climate change.” United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, speaking to the leaders of nine major religious movements. By Julie Johnson Approximately 85 percent of the world’s population adheres to some form of organized religion, and these organizations could be the key…
Read MoreToxic Ponds: Coal Ash Ponds Pollute North Carolina Water
Story by Maureen Halsema Thirteen coal ash ponds in North Carolina are contaminating ground water with toxic pollutants known to cause cancer and organ damage, a recent report shows. Appalachian Voices’ Upper Watauga Riverkeeper team conducted an analysis of groundwater contamination data and reviewed the test results of wells surrounding 13 coal ash ponds located…
Read MorePrenter Hollow Sues Coal Companies Over Contaminated Water
By Maureen Halsema A clean glass of water is difficult to find in Prenter Hollow; a glass from the tap looks more like a glass of dirty tea. In Boone County, W.Va, nearly 300 people are suing nine coal companies for water contamination. Residents in Prenter claim that their private water wells were contaminated from…
Read MoreThe JOBS Project Proposing A Community-Owned Biopower Association in West Virginia
Story by Julie Johnson Appalachia has been hit hard by the economic downturn, but communities of the region are collaborating to find a way to rebound. Enter the JOBS project-a nonprofit organization proposing a sustainable solution. The program calls for a number of small-scale biomass and wind power generation facilities in the most impoverished areas…
Read MoreASHEVILLE GO: Green Opportunities
By Maureen Halsema There is much ado about green collar jobs, but who is qualified to work them? An Asheville-based program called Asheville Green Opportunities (Asheville GO) is ready to fit the bill, training unemployed young adults to launch careers in this growing industry. Asheville GO provides training, education and services to help enhance and…
Read MoreA Vision of Virginia’s Energy Future
Commentary by Tom Cormons Special to The Voice My 21-month-old daughter seems to know no greater joy than that of splashing in the cool, clear waters of our mountain creeks, or walking along a rocky trail beneath the lush hardwood canopy, happily chewing on a birch twig. A favorite destination is the Blue Ridge’s Humpback…
Read MoreSaving North Carolina, One Watt At A Time
By Austin Hall Amid the growing discussion of energy use, global climate change and how to implement renewable energy, North Carolina state legislators and a coalition of grassroots organizations have proposed a measure that directly tackles the issue of using electricity efficiently in state. North Carolina SAVE$ Energy is an initiative to create a statewide,…
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