Front Porch Blog
Updates from Appalachia
Mountaintop removal limited — not stopped — in Tennessee
The Obama administration has approved a petition from Tennessee to designate some 75,000 acres of mountain ridges off limits for surface coal mining. The move protects mountain streams, wildlife habitat, scenic views and eco-tourism assets of the iconic Cumberland Plateau. But other mountains in Tennessee are still threatened with mountaintop removal mining. Take action today.
Final Stream Protection Rule released
On Monday, the U.S. Department of the Interior released the Stream Protection Rule, which aims to protect streams from the impacts of surface and longwall mining. The final rule offers only modest improvements to protections for public waterways, but it is well worth defending from congressional attack.
Why is Dominion’s IRP important for Virginia’s future?
In Virginia, electric utilities providing public services are regulated to ensure that they balance reliability, sustainability, and affordability. That balancing act is what “integrated resource planning” is all about. In this blog, we dive into the recent plan from Dominion Virginia Power, the heavyweight in the state’s electric sector whose choices affect not only its customers, but virtually all of us, and our environment.
Trouble is afoot in NC special session
After days of deflecting questions and refusing to explain their priorities for the “emergency session,” Republicans introduced a slew of bills that would make sweeping changes and dramatically shift the balance of power away from the governor. Take action to stop this blatant abuse of power.
Lighting up the night with the Daylight Savings Challenge
To make this winter a little easier for folks in Boone, N.C. facing high energy bills, Appalachian Voices devised the Daylight Savings Challenge. Five student volunteers helped us distribute energy efficient LED light bulbs to seniors. All together, the project should save the residents at least $280 a year. That translates to about 1.75 tons of coal that won’t get burned and more than four tons of carbon dioxide pollution that won’t contribute to climate change
