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Mistaken Identity: Recognizing the northern water snake
The non-venomous northern water snake is frequently spotted at swimming holes and rivers in Appalachia — and sometimes mistaken for its venomous cousin, the copperhead.
Read MoreAppalachian Media Institute: Envisioning Our Future
For 28 years, the Appalachian Media Institute has given young people from Central Appalachia a platform to explore their voice, document issues in their communities and elevate rural stories. A program of Appalshop, a multimedia arts and cultural organization in Whitesburg, Ky., AMI interns gain hands-on experience with media production and learn about topics such…
Read MoreRebukes, a resignation and more reasons to worry about coal ash in NC
Where does the war of words over coal ash health advisories leave North Carolinians with contaminated drinking water? Exactly where they were before: as distrustful of DEQ and DHHS as they are of their water’s safety. But in the battle between state employees and the McCrory administration, residents are clear on who they trust.
Read MoreVermicompost: Let earthworms green your kitchen
Vermicomposting relies on earthworms to turn kitchen scraps into a rich soil amendment more quickly and with less odor than conventional composting methods.
Read MoreVoter Turnout in the Mountains
Voter turnout for presidential elections has been consistently lower in Appalachia than in the rest of the nation since at least 2004, according to scholars.
Read MoreBurning Southern Forests to Fuel Europe
The global push for “green” energy has led to clearcutting across the Southeast, where forests are being harvested to fuel Europe’s — and particularly the United Kingdom’s — push to use alternative fuels.
Read MoreFueling Cars with Plants- A test case in North Carolina
Though biofuels are most common in the Midwest, the state of North Carolina delved into biofuels research in 2007 before slowing research in 2013. Thus far, the venture hasn’t yielded much success.
Read MoreCourts Could Determine Obama’s Environmental Legacy
As the Obama administration draws to a close, several regulations set to safeguard the environment and public health are either not finalized or tied up in the court system.
Read MoreMountaintop Removal Coal Mining in West Virginia
Two mountaintop removal coal mines are proposed in West Virginia, and another relatively new mine faces a pollution lawsuit. Meanwhile, federal courts upheld the EPA’s denial of the largest mountaintop removal permit ever proposed.
Read MoreAlpha Natural Resources to Exit Bankruptcy
Alpha Natural Resources won approval to emerge from bankruptcy. The plan rests on the transfer of Alpha’s core coal assets to new company, Contura Energy, Inc.
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