The Appalachian Voice
Interview with Tom Perriello
Tom Perriello, a lifelong resident of Ablemarle County, Va., is a steadfast supporter of environmental and poverty concerns. He used his background in law to prosecute warlords in West Africa, was named one of Time Magazine’s “40 under 40” in 2010, and represented Virginia’s 5th district from 2009 to 2011. While in Congress, he supported…
Read MoreAugust/September 2013 Newsbites
Working to protect Kentucky streams from selenium, introducing our new Tennessee Tuesdays, and earning a 4-star rating through Charity Navigator!
Read MoreGroups Win Latest Round in Frasure Creek Lawsuit
The lawsuits between Appalachian Voices and partners and Frasure Creek Mining read like the most complicated court crime novel, with fascinating — but slow-moving — plot twists galore. Eric Chance, AV’s water quality specialist, leads us through the latest attempts by the state of Kentucky to block environmental organizations from the proceedings.
Read MoreClimate Action Plan has Major Implications for Coal
By Brian Sewell In late June, President Obama announced his administration’s climate action plan. The speech at Georgetown University signaled to Congress that the president was keeping his promise to come up with executive actions to address the threat of climate change, and reignited claims of a “war on coal” in Central Appalachia and nationwide.…
Read MoreOil and Gas Boom Straining America’s Energy Infrastructure
By Brian Sewell The United States is experiencing a natural gas boom largely due to advances in drilling and extraction technologies. And in recent years, some have celebrated the fuel as a bridge to a clean energy and carbon-free future. But according to a report by the Center for American Progress, the other side of…
Read MoreNative Bivalves “Musseling” Their Way Back into Appalachian Streams
By Matt Grimley Waterways are sometimes disturbed by humans, and mussels are often the first to feel the pain. Thankfully, conservationists are working to repair native Appalachian populations of the bivalve. In West Virginia, the state Division of Natural Resources is using fish to restore pollution-damaged populations of pink heelsplitter mussels, and they’ve found an…
Read MoreARC Develops New Community Capital Bank to Invest in Appalachia
By Chelsey Fisher The Appalachian Regional Commission opened a new bank called Appalachian Community Capital in June to increase loans and other capital that small businesses in Appalachia receive. Industry analyses have shown that over the past several years, banks across the nation have instituted tighter credit requirements for small-business lending and reduced their risk-taking…
Read MoreSolar Leasing: Crediting Electric Bills with the Sun
By Davis Wax Energy distribution for the people, by the people. That was the founding principle of electric cooperatives and municipal utilities as they sprang up in the United States throughout the twentieth century. Today, any profits made by these member- or city-owned utilities go back into infrastructure, operation, or payments towards their member-investors. Seldom…
Read MoreRunning on Reality: A Conversation with Anthony Flaccavento
An abridged version of this interview was published in the print edition of our June/July 2013 issue. Here’s the full transcript. For more than 20 years, Anthony Flaccavento has worked to build bridges between small-scale organic growers like himself and farmers markets, grocery stores and public schools. He founded Appalachian Sustainable Development in 1995, a…
Read MoreAddressing Food Insecurity
Finding New Ways To Feed Families Story by David Brewer The welcome arrival of spring and summer in Appalachia represents that magical time of year when, instead of bundling up for a trip to the grocery store, we toss on a pair of sandals and head to the farmers markets to peruse the colorful and…
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