2009 – Issue 1 (Feb/March)
Emory River System: Beauty and Biodiversity in Peril?
By Dr. Anna George, Tennessee Aquarium “There is nothing more eloquent in Nature than a mountain stream.” On September 12, 1867, John Muir crossed the Emory River on his 1,000-mile walk to the Gulf of Mexico. He had set out 12 days earlier from Louisville, Kentucky on his expedition south to the Gulf. The Emory…
Read MoreAltered Lives- The Human Side of an Environmental Disaster
Story by Sarah Vig When looking at photographs of the TVA coal ash disaster in Roane County Tennessee, the enormity of the spill’s environmental impact is immediately apparent. According to some, the disaster could only be put into perspective from the air. But in other ways, the impacts are best seen on the ground. The…
Read More4th Annual Week In Washington To Promote Clean Water Protection Act
Help Lobby Members of Congress to Pass an Anti-Mountaintop Removal Bill In mid-March, the Alliance for Appalachia will be sponsoring the fourth annual End Mountaintop Removal Week in Washington, a week of direct lobbying by Appalachian residents and others from across the United States. Participants get to join with other activists and impacted citizens, and…
Read MoreField Coordinator and Riverkeeper Canoe Into Tennessee Coal Sludge
Narrative by Sandra Diaz December 26th, 4:30pm – 4 days after the 1 billion gallon toxic coal ash spill in Harriman, TN. I’m on the phone with Donna Lisenby, the Upper Watauga Riverkeeper in North Carolina, who was planning to travel to the TVA coal ash spill and collect water samples along the Emory River.…
Read MoreWalk to a Waterfall in Southwest Virginia
By Joe Tennis Come spring, long before trees see leaves sprout again, the waters flow on Phillips Creek. Blasting, gushing, pouring down a stone embankment like a shower, the waterfall of the Phillips Creek Recreation Area feeds the rocky Phillips Creek as it courses its way beyond the remnants of a moonshine still, the memories…
Read MoreNew Books For Thru-Hikers
Reviews by Bill Kovarik How to hike the Appalachian Trail:The nitty-gritty details of a long-distance trek By Michelle Ray (Stackpole Books) “In a world full of mediated spaces and experiences,” writes Michelle Ray, “a trip to the back country allows an individual the sort of autonomy he or she craves.” As Henry D. Thoreau said,…
Read MoreThe Appalachian Trail
Story by Bill Kovarik This winter, as three million enthusiasts check their gear and prepare for spring on the Appalachian Trail, they’ll be happy to know that more protection and an expanded trail network are on the way. Also on the way is a better understanding of the trail’s problems through the AT Mega-Transect project.…
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