The Appalachian Voice
Appalachian Water Watch: Bringing Polluters to Justice, One Lawsuit at a Time
Appalachian Voices has joined the Sierra Club and Southern Appalachian Mountain Stewards in filing suit against A & G Coal Corporation in Virginia. The suit, represented by the environmental law firm Appalachian Mountain Advocates, alleges that A & G has been polluting Virginia’s public waterways through unpermitted discharge of selenium. The unpermitted discharge violates both…
Read MoreJoin Our 15th Anniversary Celebration
Just a few short weeks from our press date, Appalachian Voices will be celebrating its 15th anniversary of working to protect the air, land, water and communities of Appalachia. We hope you’re able to join us at the “Artists for Appalachia” event on June 21 in Charlottesville, Va., where we will enjoy a special evening…
Read MoreTranslating Intentions Around Climate Change into Religious Action
By Mallory McDuff As climate change becomes more politicized in Congress, many religious leaders — from evangelicals to Episcopalians — have expressed more agreement than discord on the need to address the rising threat. Yet it’s often easier to acknowledge the urgency of the climate crisis than to translate that knowledge into action on a…
Read MoreSaving Our Natural Heritage
The American spirit is tied to the land, to “purple mountain majesties” and the pioneer’s self-reliance. Our relationship with the natural world has always been a balancing act between the drives of conquest and extraction and an instinctual dependence, curiosity and respect. When we fail to guard our public lands against those who would tilt…
Read MoreRevealing the Common Thread: Blue Ridge Commons
By Brian Sewell Last year, Western North Carolina recognized the 100-year anniversary of the Weeks Act, the law that gave the U.S. Forest Service the ability to purchase private land in the Eastern United States to be managed as National Forests. Historian Kathryn Newfont’s new book, Blue Ridge Commons: Environmental Activism and Forest History in…
Read MoreThe White Squirrel Hiking Challenge
Editor’s Note: We have long featured our region’s fantastic places and phenomenal hikes in the “Hiking the Highlands” column. What we have less frequently focused on, however, is how some of our favorite places were protected in the first place. Non-profit land trusts are committed to the preservation of our region’s natural heritage and scenic…
Read MoreAmerican Chestnut: Return of the Forest King?
By Molly Moore When Daniel Boone traveled through Appalachia, the tall trunks and sweet nuts of the American chestnut flourished. But to most modern residents, stumbling across a full-size American chestnut in the woods is as likely as spotting an eastern cougar. Unlike the cougar, however, the chestnut is making a comeback. During the American…
Read MoreCoal Generated Electricity Drops To All-Time Low in First Quarter
By Jessica Kennedy Data released in early May show that coal’s current share of U.S. electricity generation is at an all-time low. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s Short-Term Energy Outlook report, coal made up only 36 percent of the country’s electricity in the first quarter of 2012, a drop of more than eight…
Read MoreKeeping Up with the Fracking Frenzy
By Brian Sewell The debate surrounding the controversial method of hydraulic fracturing for natural gas shows no signs of slowing down. The N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources recently submitted a final report in its shale gas study to the state general assembly. The report highlights the importance of establishing a strong regulatory framework…
Read MoreMassive VA Forest Fire Does Little Permanent Damage
By Anna Norwood High winds and low humidity were the perpetrators in starting multiple wildfires in southeast Virginia that burned almost 40,000 acres of national forest in April. The Fire and Aviation Supervisor for the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests, Michael Quesinberry, says these fires were the largest on record for Virginia. Quesinberry accredited…
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