RockingChair

Front Porch Blog

Updates from Appalachia

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Aww shucks, y’all …. thanks!

We’re doing a little victory dance today! Blue Ridge Outdoors’ readers voted Appalachian Voices the Best Environmental Organization in 2016. Aww shucks — thanks everyone. We’re committed to living up to the honor in 2017, and beyond.

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Zach Galifianakis’ “Democracy for Sale” screens in North Carolina

A new documentary by Zach Galifianakis digs into how North Carolina has been transformed by the growing tidal wave of political spending. Screenings of “Democracy for Sale” will take place in numerous North Carolina towns throughout January and February.

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Michael Regan, who was appointed this week as secretary of the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality, pledged to increase transparency at the agency.

Gov. Cooper nominates new environmental secretary

Gov. Roy Cooper has appointed Michael Regan as the next secretary of the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality. Regan pledged to develop greater transparency at the agency. That alone could signal a shift from the prior DEQ leadership’s approach to public engagement on environmental issues.

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BARC’s solar farm contains 1,750 solar panels and produces 550 kilowatts of energy. Photo courtesy of the BARC Electric Cooperative

Rural electric co-ops invest in community solar

Community solar is a cooperative alternative to installing solar panels on an individual residence. Several rural electric cooperatives in Appalachia are now providing this option for their members who want to use renewable energy.

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Atlantic Coast Pipeline environmental review falls short

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission released its draft environmental review of the $5 billion Atlantic Coast pipeline last Friday. Unfortunately, the agency ignored evidence that the proposed 600-mile pipeline, spearheaded by Dominion Resources, is not needed and puts lives, communities, drinking water and the climate at unacceptable risk.

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