PJM Analysis Makes Economic Case for Clean Power Plan

By Eliza Laubach A region-wide electric grid operating company, PJM, released a report in March analyzing how states could comply with a proposed U.S. Environmental Protection Agency rule requiring that power plants cut carbon dioxide emissions. The company, which extends into 14 states across the Northeast and Midwest, described lessened costs if states work together…

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Oil Train Disasters Increase Safety Concerns

A train carrying crude oil derailed and ignited during a snowstorm in West Virginia on Feb. 17, sending a fireball into the sky. The inferno burned down one home and forced residents from three nearby towns to evacuate. At least one of the 25 overturned tankers spilled into a tributary of the nearby Kanawha River.

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Regional Report Details Victories, Challenges Over Poverty

A report released in February by the Appalachian Regional Commission, Appalachia Then and Now: Examining Changes to the Appalachian Region Since 1965, examines the impact of improved infrastructure, education and job opportunities across the region. According to the report, Appalachia’s poverty rate dropped from 31 percent to 16.6 percent over the last five decades.

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Bustling Streets, Thriving Business: A Shared Vision in Southwest Virginia

Residents and community leaders came together in Dungannon, Va., to launch a new regional project, Hometowns of the Clinch. Participating communities, which currently include Dungannon, Tazewell, Richlands, Honaker, Cleveland, Cedar Bluff and St. Paul, will encourage economic development along the Clinch River — one of the most biodiverse river ecosystems in the United States

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Nature: There’s an App for That

Many smartphone applications tend to isolate users, since staring at a screen automatically distracts them from their natural surroundings. However, there are some apps that may actually help to bring users closer to nature — here’s a few to try.

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