The Appalachian Voice
Green Collar Jobs
Sustainable Jobs for the Appalachian Future Story by Gregory McNamee A quarter-century ago, a friend of mine moved from Wytheville, Virginia, to southern Arizona to take a job in an emerging, fast-growing field: installing rooftop photovoltaic panels to take advantage of the desert’s one great abundance, solar energy. He flourished—briefly. Then, for reasons that political…
Read MoreGreen forestry redefines the profession
Story by Bill Kovarik They’re not just loggers with horses. When Jason Rutledge and his colleagues walk into the woods, they are thinking about how to protect the forest ecology, not how quickly they can deliver ten thousand board feet to the mill. That’s just one difference between traditional forestry and what Rutledge terms restorative…
Read MoreBlue Skies for Green Education
Story by Bill Kovarik As new green technologies transform the economic landscape, the need for focused education and training has become apparent. While only a few pilot programs specifically designed for green collar jobs are currently in place, community colleges and universities are poised for dramatic expansion. Climate change and federal stimulus dollars are spurring…
Read MoreComers Rock and Hale Lake
Story by Joe Tennis Ah, the view: That’s what makes Comers Rock such a jewel. But shhh! Don’t tell everybody: Let this jewel of southwest Virginia remain hidden. Comers Rock sits on the Grayson-Wythe county line at an ear-popping 4,102-foot elevation. It’s a place listed on all Virginia state maps. But the trouble, for the…
Read MoreLess Twittering in the Trees
Story by Kathleen McFadden Spring comes slowly to the mountains. Long after the early-season flowers have come and gone in the lowlands, winter-weary mountain dwellers wait patiently for their first sight of a royal purple crocus, the golden glory of the backyard forsythia and the return of our cherished birds. But the birds of Appalachia…
Read MoreTaking the Price Tag Off Our Heritage
Story by Sarah Vig At the Center for Cherokee Plants, the seeds are not for sale. “People will stop by and ask us if we sell the plants, or why we aren’t trying to sell our seeds,” said Kevin Welch, who founded the Center, “I tell them ‘you can’t put a price on your heritage.’”…
Read MoreWater Wars: West Virginia Coalfield Residents Sue Over Contaminated Water
Story by Sarah Vig In Mingo County, W. Va., one of the largest coal-producing counties in the nation, 760 residents are preparing to face off against Big Coal. The group filed a class action suit against Massey Energy and its subsidiary, Rawl Sales & Processing, on claims of personal injury, wrongful death, property damage and…
Read MoreCourts, Congress and Universities Consider How to Change Mountaintop Removal Policies
Story by Bill Kovarik The fight over mountaintop removal coal mining accelerated this spring, with action in the courts, the regulatory agencies, Congress and universities. For the first time in almost a decade, environmentalists appear to be winning. Courts gave the mining industry one initial victory in mid-February, when the pro-business U.S. 4th District court…
Read MoreKids’ National Park Companion Hopes to Excite New Generation
Story by Alison Singer In 1986, the Eastern National Park & Monument Association (ENPMA) began the popular Passport to Your National Parks program. ENPMA, in cooperation with the National Park Service (NPS), developed imitation passports to encourage parents and children to visit the parks. Each passport includes maps, visitor information, photographs and illustrations. The passport…
Read MoreAppalachian Activists Answer Call to Civil Disobedience
Story by Alison Singer and Sarah Vig Protests erupted across the Appalachians this winter and spring as activists took to the streetsfor clean air and water and an end to dirty coal in all its phases—mining, processing, and burning—in an unprecedented way. On Coal River Mountain, activists and community members have been engaging in a…
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