2017 — October/November
Seeking Opportunities in Solar Energy
Solar energy is on the rise across the nation. According to The Solar Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing solar energy, “one out of every 50 new jobs added in the United States in 2016 was created by the solar industry.” Restrictive policies and lower population density, however, have led to solar power being…
Read MoreA Capsule History of the Blue Ridge Parkway
A brief history of the Blue Ridge Parkway written by Dr. Anne Mitchell Whisnant, a professor at the University of North Carolina.
Read MoreTreasures of the Parkway
Here, we outline some of the best overlooks, hikes and historic sites along the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Read MoreRapids from Flannagan Dam Drive Tourism
Local residents and small business owners near Flannagan Dam are pushing for more frequent releases from the dam to allow for a longer whitewater rafting season to increase tourism.
Read MoreOpposition to Proposed Tennessee Mountaintop Removal Mine
Kopper Glo Mining is seeking a second permit to release pollution from its nearly 1,500-acre proposed Claiborne County, Tenn., strip mine into public waterways. Attendees at a public hearing voiced a number of concerns.
Read MoreFormer Coal Company Town Integrates Energy Efficiency and Solar
By Dan Radmacher Powering a coal museum with solar panels is the kind of news story that attracts attention, as the city of Benham, Ky., discovered. “It’s put us on the map internationally,” says former Benham Power Board chairman Roy Silver of the decision to install solar panels on top of the Kentucky Coal Museum,…
Read MoreWest Virginia Governor Shows Allegiance to Coal
West Virginia Governor Jim Justice is pushing for federal coal subsidies, but his companies have also amassed millions in fines due to worker safety and environmental violations.
Read MoreSnail Tales
Did you know Appalachia has the most snail species out of any region in North America? Discover the important role our slimy little friends play in the ecosystem in this issue’s Naturalist’s Notebook.
Read MoreThe Rules of the Solar Game
Nothing is more free than the sun and the wind, right? The answer is not as clear-cut as one might think, and is different from state to state and even within the same state, as utilities often set their own renewable energy policies. The cost of both residential and utility-scale solar has fallen greatly in…
Read MorePipelines Face Continued Challenges
Citizen and environmental groups continue to challenge the proposed Atlantic Coast Pipeline and Mountain Valley Pipeline as the companies behind the pipelines push for rushed decisions.
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