The Appalachian Voice
The Means to More Efficient Ends
Energy Conservation Takes Businesses to New Heights By Brian Sewell If not in person, most Americans have seen the Empire State Building in pictures and postcards, along with the emerald light that often illuminates the upper reaches of the spire. The iconic building has held its share of marketable claims to fame over the years…
Read MoreThe Appalachian States of Energy Efficiency
By Matt Grimley Every year, the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy releases rankings on individual state’s energy efficiency performance. And every year, Appalachia is middling at best in saving energy. The ACEEE’s State Energy Efficiency Scorecard examines everything from building codes to utility programs and policies to determine who takes the top spot. 2012’s…
Read MorePower to the People
By Molly Moore It’s no coincidence that the words “electricity” and “power” can be used interchangeably. Our society owes a huge debt to electricity — it’s often easier to recount the aspects of our lives that are connected to an outlet than not. But instead of controlling our energy use, we’ve let our addiction to…
Read MoreA Story of Perseverence
Hiker Overcomes Medical Condition to Complete Final Leg of AT By Molly Moore Exploring the mountains wasn’t a part of Kenneth Bordwell’s childhood in Dayton, Ohio. His father read news clippings about Grandma Gatewood, a remarkable woman from southeast Ohio who hiked the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine three times, but Bordwell didn’t step…
Read MoreTrek Across Georgia’s Rooftop
Story and photo by Peter Barr Two short hikes in northern Georgia’s Blue Ridge Mountains climb to the state’s highest peaks and reward visitors with its most stunning views. While the elevations of Brasstown Bald and Rabun Bald reign supreme in the Peach State, their picturesque scenery and fascinating cultural history are also difficult to…
Read MoreRegional Roundup
A Failure To Cooperate Over Wilderness Right-of-Way Rutherford Electric Membership Corporation filed a condemnation petition in January that would allow the utility to build power lines through Box Creek Wilderness, a 5,100-acre tract of preserved forest east of Asheville, N.C. REMC says the utility needs the line to supply power to members in McDowell County…
Read MoreTennessee Legislators Dodge Vote on Mountaintop Removal Although a bill to protect Tennessee’s mountains received broad citizen and political support — and media attention from around the world — state legislators chose to deny public testimony on the measure and instead let the Scenic Vistas Protection Act die without a vote. Appalachian Voices Tennessee Director…
Read MoreEPA Finds Impaired Streams Across Nation, Cites West Virginia
According to a recent report by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, more than 55 percent of the country’s rivers and streams are in poor biological health, unable to support healthy populations of aquatic insects and other creatures. The most widespread problem is excessive levels of nutrient pollution; high levels of phosphorus, found in detergents and…
Read MoreBuild-It-Up! Prepares Young Leaders
By Kate Cahow Tessa Gore’s passion for creating positive change in the Appalachian region was sparked during her time with Build-It-Up West Virginia. “My first summer, we traveled to several mountaintop removal sites, and I witnessed the impact on the environment and surrounding communities,” says Gore, a student at Lindsey Wilson College in Columbia, Ky.…
Read MoreWilliamson, W.Va. – A Gateway to Sustainability in Central Appalachia
By Kate Cahow The Coal House, built in 1933 from its namesake rock, sits in downtown Williamson, W.Va., in the heart of Appalachia’s coal mining region. It is home to the Tug County Chamber of Commerce. Next door, construction of a high-tech “smart office” is underway in the lobby of the historic Mountaineer Hotel. The…
Read More