The Appalachian Voice
Coal Ash Management Continues to Challenge Region
Legal challenges continue in North Carolina, as new contamination from coal ash is identified in Tennessee.
Read MoreWelcome to New Staff
Leigh Kirchner, Development Coordinator Join us in welcoming two new members to the Appalachian Voices team! Leigh grew up in beautiful Rockbridge County in the heart of Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley, where her roots go back many generations to a Monacan Indian on one side and German settlers on the other. A first-generation college student, she…
Read MoreCompetition in Solar Power Challenges Utilities
Utility companies in North Carolina and Virginia attempt to block third-party solar power from gaining a foothold in their coverage areas.
Read MoreRallying Against Climate Change
In October, we worked with our community partners to organize a rally in downtown Charlottesville, Va. This demonstration was part of the National Day of Action in advance of the United Nations Climate Change Conference schedule to take place in Paris in December. More than 150 residents gathered to ask their representatives to stop the…
Read MoreSouthwest Virginia’s New Economy Forums
In October, Appalachian Voices partnered with Virginia Organizing to host eight community forums in the coalfield counties of southwest Virginia. More than 130 residents participated in the forums, sharing their ideas about how to move the economy of their communities forward. We are excited to continue this conversation. In the coming months, we will publish…
Read MoreFormer Coal Executive Guilty of Conspiracy to Violate Mine Safety
Don Blankenship was convicted of conspiracy to violate federal mine safety standards, following an investigation into the causes of the Upper Big Branch Mine explosion that killed 29 miners.
Read MoreDrivers of Pollution
By W. Spencer King Nearly ninety percent of Americans drive to work everyday, the commute bookending the workday with traffic, red lights and monotony. Greenhouse gases contribute to climate change and smog, which are detrimental to both the environment and human health. These gases come from many sources including industry and electricity generation, but nearly…
Read MoreConsidering Clean Power Compliance
From The Appalachian Voice:Almost everyone agrees that the Clean Power Plan is a game changer. Beyond that though, arguments about the climate regulations are often deeply colored by politics and disconnected from the plan’s intention or realistically expected outcomes. Here’s how Appalachian states are reacting to the final rule.
Read MoreCoalfields Expressway
Virginia Highway Project Raises Questions about Relationship Between Coal and Roads By Molly Moore Ever since Appalachian coal began to power the Industrial Revolution, this fuel has influenced the location and condition of roads in the coal-bearing regions. In Virginia, a highway project currently under consideration — and partially under construction — is raising questions…
Read MoreAre We There Yet?
The future of transportation is right around the bend — it’s just a matter of getting there. By Molly Moore Two-lane country highways snaking around bends, and gravel lanes winding through valleys, are part of the national image of Appalachia. The twists of these roads shape a sense of home, and draw visitors to explore…
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