2006 – Issue 4 (August)

The health of our nation’s streams is in jeopardy, and the culprits are things we may not even consider detrimental at first. Activities like mowing stream banks and letting cattle walk in a creek can turn these small waterways into little more than drainage ditches. Sedimentation and erosion affect the water quality of the streams…

images/voice_uploads/Wind.mountaineer.14794.gif With the rising demand for renewable, domestic energy sources and the recent passage of federal tax breaks for renewable energy, windpower has resurfaced as a promising solution to America’s energy problems. The Department of Energy’s goal is that windpower generate 5% of American energy by 2020. In the Western US, windpower is firmly entrenched.…

Massey Energy and other coal-based energy companies could increase profits and preserve the Appalachians by choosing not to engage in mountaintop removal (MTR). Instead of flattening a projected 1 million acres over the next decade, energy companies like Massey could instead use the land to develop a local mountain based economy integrating mountain sited wind…

Two shoe salesmen, the old anecdote goes, were scouting for business on a tropical island. The first sent back a message to the home office that went something like this: “No use, boss. Everyone goes barefoot here.” But the second fellow had a different perspective entirely: “Everyone is barefoot — sales potential unlimited!” In early…

images/voice_uploads/PICT0075%5B1%5Dtrout.gif At the dawn of American Civilization, the brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) could be found virtually anywhere in the Appalachians where cold water flowed. The brook trout is the most fragile of the East’s gamefish and it serves as an indicator species for a watershed. Deforestation caused by logging and chestnut blight in the late…

images/voice_uploads/wiley.gif Ed Wiley is one determined man. On August 2nd, he embarked on a 455 mile walk from Charleston, WV to Washington D.C. to dramatize concerns about the safety of a school located next to a major coal mine. The school, Marsh Fork Elementary, is about 400 yards from a 2.8 billion gallon coal slurry…

This month the Charlotte metro area saw its first Code Red ozone alert of the year. On Code Red days, the simple act of breathing outside puts even healthy adults at risk of damaging their lungs. This red alert presents an opportunity to reflect on how our quality of life depends on decisions made by…