Across Appalachia
Seeds of Change Initiative to Improve Access to Local Food
The Boone, N.C.-based non-profit group Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture received a $1.1 million grant from Heifer USA to strengthen the local food system in what is known as the High Country region of North Carolina. The Seeds of Change Initiative is a multi-year program that will build upon the emerging local food movement to…
Read MoreBy The Numbers
78%: Voters nationwide who support the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s work to hold polluters accountable. 170: Votes against environmental protection in the House of Representatives since the beginning of 2011 1,048.3 million: Number of short tons of coal the U.S. consumed in 2010, the second-lowest consumption rate in a decade. 1995: The last time coal…
Read MoreGhostly Legends Rooted in History
By Molly Moore As fall creeps into Appalachia, a smoky fog drifts through the hollows and wraps trees and church steeples in a ghostly haze. At this time of year, it’s wise to pay attention to the human stories buried in the region’s historical towns and landmarks. Elizabethton, Tenn., one of the earliest permanent settlements…
Read MoreShooting Our Ecological Footprint: Appalachian Mountain Photo Competition Taking Submissions
By Molly Moore Beauty isn’t limited to blue skies. Sometimes a photograph captures the resilience of a besieged hemlock or the bleak gray of a mountaintop removal site and reveals beauty in the midst of ecological turmoil. With that in mind, Appalachian Voices is again sponsoring the Our Ecological Footprint category of the ninth annual…
Read MoreIt’s Sad to Say, Fracking’s Here to Stay
A new series of proposed natural gas pipelines will give many states better access to natural gas reserves of the Marcellus Shale, a formation of sedimentary rock that covers much of the Appalachian Basin. The pipelines will connect to larger interstate lines to reach more customers in the northeastern United States and possibly Canada. The…
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Rays of Solar Progress Peeking Out in Appalachia By Jeff Deal While Appalachia has not yet realized the progress made in solar electricity generation in the United States’ West Coast or Northeast regions, solar energy development within our region is slowly moving forward. The town of Newland, N.C., will host a 900kW solar electric facility…
Read MoreEnvironmental News from Around the Region
Shady Valley Residents Speaking out on Pesticide Use By Meg Holden Shady Valley, Tennessee is small, rural and quiet—quiet until now, that is. The recently formed organization Shady Valley Neighbors for Clean Air and Water is speaking out against environmental injustice in their community, and it isn’t so quiet in the valley now. B&W Quality…
Read MoreEarth Day 2011
Story by Kaley Bellanti The first question everyone should ask folks in Appalachia this April is, “What are you doing for the 41st annual Earth Day?” The answer is a little more complicated, because of the array of events taking place throughout the region. From a recycling contest to dumpster diving, the fairs and exhibitions…
Read MoreSolar decathlon, JOBS solar project… see what’s happening Across Appalachia
ASU in the Running for Solar Decathlon By Jesse Wood Students at Appalachian State University are striving to be shining examples of sustainability by building the best model home on the planet. ASU’s Solar Homestead team is one of 20 universities from around the globe competing in this year’s U.S. Department of Energy’s Solar Decathlon,…
Read MoreEnvironmental News From Across the Region
Google Sees the Forests… and all the Trees! On December 2nd, Google Inc., announced an ambitious 21st century innovation to help protect and monitor the World’s precious forests. Via their Google Earth Engine, the company seeks to enable scientists and researchers around the world to study, track and clearly report their findings as to the…
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