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Creepy, 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 MoreEco-friendly Living in Outdoor Spaces
By David Pferdekamper and Brian Sewell Considering the changing colors and the crisp air, autumn is as good a time as any to spend outdoors. If you don’t have an “outdoor living space” yet, it may be time to create that welcoming, comfortable and eco-friendly addition to your home. Humans have long incorporated garden spaces,…
Read MoreDancing a beat to faith, economy and environment
By Jillian Randel Our planet, and the humans on it, are in great peril. God provided the world with beauty and bounty — enough for all to live happy and healthy, yet the origins of evil have fostered greed and corruption. In a wonderfully written one-woman show, Leaps and Bounds, Tevyn East weaves together religious…
Read MoreGreat Smoky, or Great Smoggy Mountains?
Declining Air Quality in the Great Smoky Mountains By Kerri C. Weatherly Burning fossil fuels in the Tennessee, Ohio and Mississippi valleys convert into harmful secondary pollutants that are carried by wind into southern Appalachia. Research and observation of air quality in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park over the past few decades shows that…
Read MoreBartering for the Economy
By Jillian Randel Consider the effects that a warming earth will have on the global economy. Ecological and environmental systems provide enormous benefits to the goods and services sector, reminding leaders that we live in a multi-layered, interconnected world. The Appalachian region presents a diverse array of economies susceptible to the impacts of climate change.…
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Top 10 Arguments Used By Climate Skeptics
(And Why They’re Wrong)
By Dr. Matthew Wasson, Ph.D. The debate is over — at least in the scientific community. Over ninety-four percent of experts in the field agree that the climate is warming due to human activity. In 1998, nearly 75% of Americans believed that “solid evidence” of climate change existed. Due to a well-funded campaign by the…
Read MoreAcme McCrary: Shaping legs and sustainability in the textile industry
“A successful merchandise lineup hangs on the right products…and the right partner. Coincidentally, we offer both.” – Acme McCrary —Story by Kyle Wolff Textile plant Acme McCrary is out to prove that big industries can make a big impact. The company’s Pritchard Street facility in Asheboro, N.C., is home to one of the country’s largest…
Read MoreSolar decathlon, JOBS solar project… see what’s happening Across Appalachia
ASU in the Running for Solar Decathlon By Jesse Wood Students at Appalachian State University are striving to be shining examples of sustainability by building the best model home on the planet. ASU’s Solar Homestead team is one of 20 universities from around the globe competing in this year’s U.S. Department of Energy’s Solar Decathlon,…
Read MoreNasty, Brutish and Short: Life Under the Leadership of Budget Axe-Man Hal Rogers
As the first assault on clean air and clean water rules takes shape in the new Congress, Americans would be well advised to investigate how the man leading the assault, Appropriations Chair Hal Rogers, has served his own constituents. If the state of his East Kentucky district is any indication of the direction that Rogers’…
Read MoreContamination Concerns Mount as Gas Fracking Heats Up
Story by Jillian Randel The negative effects of fracking for natural gas just keep, well, stacking up. The impact of drilling in Appalachia has already been substantial. The Marcellus Shale formation, which stretches from New York to Pennsylvania and Ohio down to West Virginia, contains large reserves of natural gas, and instances of water contamination…
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