Front Porch Blog
The Land Matrix, Part 1: Stakeholders
The first installment in our new series, The Land Matrix, begins our look at land ownership in Appalachia and how it impacts efforts to diversify the region’s economy.
Read MoreMassive mountaintop removal mine threatens Clearfork Valley
The Clearfork Valley of Tennessee has been intensely surface-mined going back decades. Now, Kopper Glo Mining is moving forward with a nearly 1,500-acre mountaintop removal mine on nearby Cooper Ridge.
Read MoreDuke Energy wants to raise your power bill
Duke Energy is asking the North Carolina Utilities Commission for approval to raise rates for its residential customers by more than 16 percent. But North Carolinians are already paying the cost for Duke Energy’s mess.
Read MoreWest Virginia Gov. Jim Justice fights for coal — at any cost
West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice clearly favors Central Appalachian coal — it’s largely how he made his fortune after all. It’s less clear whether Justice is thinking about Central Appalachian people or the future of the region.
Read MoreSolarize Wise is running strong with Sigora Solar
Check out this quick video about Solarize Wise, a community campaign to make going solar simple and affordable for residents, farmers and business owners in the Wise County, Va., area. Now is the time to find out if solar is right for you!
Read MoreRe: The Problem With Pipelines
Guest blogger Mike Younger became involved in the struggle to prevent pipeline expansion when his community in middle Tennessee was informed that they were in the path of a massive fossil fuel infrastructure project.
Read MoreWhite House halts review of mountaintop removal health impacts
The U.S. Department of the Interior ordered the National Academy of Sciences to halt its review of the links between mountaintop removal coal mining and human health impacts.
Read MorePreparing for Monday’s Solar Eclipse
On August 21, a total solar eclipse will occur over the United States for the first time in 38 years, and will be visible in parts of the southern Appalachian mountains. Here are some tips on how to see this fascinating celestial event.
Read MoreMonogamous and territorial – my common traits with woodpeckers
Living in Virginia, it’s easy to take the Blue Ridge Mountains for granted. But if you pay attention, there’s a mystery to them that many don’t appreciate — including the companies who want to build natural gas pipelines through them.
Read MoreIn Tennessee, Powell Valley Electric Co-op members speak out
Electric co-ops are governed by boards who are democratically elected, and therefore supposedly responsive to their customers, who are also co-owners of these utilities. The Powell Valley Electric Cooperative in east Tennessee has stirred grave concern with its herbicide spraying policy, and members are speaking out.
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