Voice Feature #4 Archives < Appalachian Voices

Why Appalachia’s Spotted Skunk is so Rare

By Contributing Writers | May 9, 2024 |

The eastern spotted skunk was not always as rare as it is today. Find out what researcher Emily Thorne has learned about this master of malodor.

‘Invaded, Disregarded and Dismissed’

By Dan Radmacher | December 1, 2023 |

Four women of various ages are standing on a slope in a forested area. Trees are bare except for evergreens and the ground is littered with fall foliage in browns and dull reds. The women are wearing cool weather clothes and one looks like she is speaking toward the camera while leaning one arm against a tree trunk.

Bent Mountain neighbors monitor Mountain Valley Pipeline construction amid rising concerns over degraded pipes and a rushed completion deadline.

Castle in the Sun

By Dan Radmacher | October 27, 2023 |

“Kids look at it, and they see a castle,” says Scott Miller, executive director of Just For Kids Advocacy Center, of the nonprofit organization’s new Beckley, West Virginia, headquarters. That castle is now solar-powered by a 14-panel ground array, which was unveiled in a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Oct. 25.

Report: Blue hydrogen hype not backed up by science

By Contributing Writers | October 4, 2023 |

According to new research, making hydrogen from natural gas, so-called “blue hydrogen,” is not much better than burning fossil fuels, and would waste billions in federal government spending while worsening climate change.

Indigenous Couple Fights For Social And Environmental Justice

By Lorelei Goff | August 3, 2023 |

A crowd of Indigenous people, some dressed in traditional clothing or carrying banners, walk along a road behind a woman carrying a vessel of water.

The nonprofit organization 7 Directions of Service is working to protect the rights of people and nature.

Left High and Dry After the Flood

By Lorelei Goff | April 20, 2023 |

Debris covers one side of a damaged bridge that once connected a blue house to the roadway in the foreground. Receding water reveals badly eroded creek banks.

Gaps in aid and a cumbersome application process are complicating the recovery process for Buchanan County government and residents in the aftermath of flooding that happened in July 2022.

Clearing the Air on How Wood Pellet Factories Affect Their Neighbors and the Climate

By AV's Intern Team | January 28, 2023 |

aerial view of the Sampson wood pellet plant

The wood pellet industry is growing in the American South, but communities near wood pellet plants are seeing damages to air and water quality. As new facility proposals from wood pellet companies like Enviva continue, local residents and regional climate activists are speaking out.

As EPA Prepares to Update Federal Air Quality Limits, Coal Dust Looms Large in Eunice

By Willie Dodson | August 25, 2022 |

Frustrated with constant coal dust, residents of Eunice, West Virginia, asked the state to install an air quality monitoring device in their community. The request was denied.

A Cloud of Coal Mine Dust over a West Virginia Community Points to Regulatory Shortcomings

By Willie Dodson | March 22, 2022 |

As residents of the Eunice community in West Virginia grapple with coal mine dust, regulations governing air pollution offer little help.

Extending the Growing Season

By AV's Intern Team | February 10, 2017 |

Appalachian farmers and gardeners are using season extension techniques such as high tunnels to expand growing opportunities.

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