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First Colonists Were No Strangers To Drought
Excerpt from a new book: Heart of Dryness / By James G. Workman. Visit www.heartofdryness.com – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – “New hard evidence, accumulated from tree ring data and pollen counts, suggests that devastating droughts have shattered human settlements, dating back to when people first…
Read MorePrivate Wells Raise Concerns for Public Health
Story by Sarah Vig You would think for small, rural communities in central Appalachia, water from a private well—available at the fairly low cost of maintaining a well and without the hassle of a monthly bill—would be a blessing. And if it weren’t for mining operations, slurry injections, radon-rich aquifers, and an often poorly managed…
Read MoreAcross Appalachia Shorts
Will Harlan Runs 72 “Miles for Mountains” The same day members of the Alliance for Appalachia waited in the halls of Congress for the Senate hearing on the Appalachia Restoration Act (S 696) to begin, iLoveMountains.org supporter Will Harlan ran 72 miles along the TN-NC border to raise awareness about the campaign to end mountaintop…
Read MoreMusic on the Mountaintop Combines Music, Mountains and Sustainability
The Music on the Mountaintop Festival will be held again at the Old State Fairgrounds in Boone, N.C. on Saturday, August 29, 2009. The event will feature headliners Sam Bush, Keller Williams, The Steep Canyon Rangers, Acoustic Syndicate, and Yo Mama’s Big Fat Booty Band, as well as 15 regional and local acts from western…
Read MoreMountaintop Removal Coal Mining’s Summer of Discontent
Story by Bill Kovarik A summer of discontent is rapidly turning into an autumn of confrontation, as Congressional hearings and regional protests increasingly pit environmental activists against coal industry employees. In one of over a dozen full scale protests this spring and summer, scientist James Hansen and actress Daryl Hannah were arrested in a protest…
Read MoreProposed Water Intake Facility Near New River: Headwaters Concerns Downstream Residents
Story by Linda Coutant One community’s demand for drinking water is causing angst among residents concerned about preserving the New River’s historic, environmental, recreational and economic future. It’s a common debate across North Carolina and other states as growing populations demand more from limited natural resources. The Town of Boone, located in Watauga County, N.C.,…
Read MoreWATER WARS OF THE SOUTH
Georgia, Alabama and Florida have been in court over the Chattahoochee River and the river’s Lake Lanier for decades. Water supply for Atlanta is the upstream issue; enough water for fisheries and shellfish, particularly in the Apalachicola Bay, is the downstream issue for Florida and Alabama. A federal court ruled in July that Congress would…
Read MoreProdigal Summer: Steamy and Smart Summer Reading
Story by Sarah Vig Appalachian author Barbara Kingsolver’s 2000 novel “Prodigal Summer” reads at times like a steamy romance, a natural history, and a family drama, and it is the best of all these things: sexy, smart, lovely, and at times deeply sad. The unlikely mixture of all these elements makes the book perfect for…
Read MoreBehold the Beautiful Butterfly
Monarch Migration Offers Teaching Opportunities Story by Marsha Walton Talk about endurance athletes! Monarch butterflies make human tri-athletes look like slackers. Millions of these beautiful insects (weighing less than two ounces as adults) embark on a spectacular 2000+-mile journey from the United States and Canada to spend winters on a few mountaintops in central Mexico.…
Read MoreWater Matters
Now more than ever, it’s a good time to think about the future of water in Appalachia and the Southeast. Experts warn that we will have to face declining quality and quantity of water due to expanding population, changing climate, mountaintop removal mining and other issues.The solutions may prove to be elusive, but rational planning…
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