2009 – Issue 6 (Dec/January)
For the Birds: Christmas Count Is A Holiday Tradition
By Maureen Halsema The longest-running wildlife census—the Christmas Bird Count—will kick off its 110th year starting Dec. 14, 2009. The annual event is sponsored by the National Audubon Society and other collaborative organizations, and will run until Jan. 5, 2010. This massive event was started in 1900 by an ornithologist named Frank Chapman, who was…
Read MoreRuffed Grouse: Drummer of the Woods
By Maureen Halsema It sounds like a drum beat; starting slow, the tempo increases as the air compresses between his cupped wings flapping towards the side of his body. The ruffed grouse stands on his display log in early spring performing this theatrical display to advertise his territory, confuse predators or attract nearby females. The…
Read MoreHope in the Colombian Coalfields: A Lesson For Appalachia?
Story by Sandra Diaz This article is the last in a series about a trip organized by Witness for Peace to the coalfields of Colombia, South America for people in the Appalachian coalfields and other parts of the U.S. Last month, I wrote about the dangerous working conditions of the La Loma mine, and the…
Read MoreA Prayer for Peace in Appalachia
Amid Christmas hymns and Hannukah lights, we ask you to join us in a prayer for peace in Appalachia. No one who follows events would ask why we need this prayer. Clearly, the climate of political violence escalated in 2009 with these incidents: • A US Census worker murdered in Kentucky, the word “FED” scrawled…
Read MoreCommunity-Owned Electricity Gets A Breath of Fresh AIRE
By Jamie Goodman and Jeff Deal Why is there so little renewable energy in Central and Southern Appalachia? It was this question that launched the Appalachian Institute of Renewable Energy (AIRE), a grassroots organization working to promote and provide renewable and community-owned energy in Appalachia. One of AIRE’s primary programs is the Community Megawatt Initiative,…
Read MoreSix Degrees: Read the Crystal Ball of Climate Change
By Sarah Vig For this issue, the AV Book Club choose to read a book that delves into an issue with the potential to impact the lives of every human being, indeed most every living thing on the planet: global warming. In “Six Degrees: Our Future on a Hotter Planet” (HarperCollins, $16.95), British journalist Mark…
Read MoreEnvironmental Stewardship: When Beliefs Become Actions
“The world’s religions have a crucial role to play in the fight against global climate change.” United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, speaking to the leaders of nine major religious movements. By Julie Johnson Approximately 85 percent of the world’s population adheres to some form of organized religion, and these organizations could be the key…
Read MoreToxic Ponds: Coal Ash Ponds Pollute North Carolina Water
Story by Maureen Halsema Thirteen coal ash ponds in North Carolina are contaminating ground water with toxic pollutants known to cause cancer and organ damage, a recent report shows. Appalachian Voices’ Upper Watauga Riverkeeper team conducted an analysis of groundwater contamination data and reviewed the test results of wells surrounding 13 coal ash ponds located…
Read MorePrenter Hollow Sues Coal Companies Over Contaminated Water
By Maureen Halsema A clean glass of water is difficult to find in Prenter Hollow; a glass from the tap looks more like a glass of dirty tea. In Boone County, W.Va, nearly 300 people are suing nine coal companies for water contamination. Residents in Prenter claim that their private water wells were contaminated from…
Read MoreThe JOBS Project Proposing A Community-Owned Biopower Association in West Virginia
Story by Julie Johnson Appalachia has been hit hard by the economic downturn, but communities of the region are collaborating to find a way to rebound. Enter the JOBS project-a nonprofit organization proposing a sustainable solution. The program calls for a number of small-scale biomass and wind power generation facilities in the most impoverished areas…
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