Posts Tagged ‘Tennessee’
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.
Read MoreDevastating Forest Fires Ignite Southeast
Numerous forest fires burned across the Southeast throughout the autumn. Nearly 120,000 acres of forest burned, and the city of Gatlinburg, Tenn., was badly damaged, with 14 lives lost.
Read MoreAmerica’s miners deserve better than this; time to do your part
America owes a debt to the nation’s coal miners. The Miners Protection Act would begin to pay that debt, but the opportunity for Congress to pass the bill is quickly slipping away.
Read MoreO’ TVA where art thou?
The Tennessee Valley Authority was created in the 1930s to bring cheap electricity to the most rural reaches of the Tennessee River valley. Almost a century later, many residents are struggling to pay electric bills that can be hundreds of dollars a month for their modest homes. Utility-sponsored financing to help with energy-efficiency improvements would go a long way.
Read MoreDo-It-Yourself tips for energy efficiency: Heating & Cooling
Education is a key part of our work, and one way we are helping residents lower their energy costs is by creating and sharing some short videos with Do-It-Yourself energy efficiency tip. This video features John Kidda, founder and President of reNew Homes, Inc., in Boone, N.C., discusses programmable thermostats as a way to save on heating and cooling.
Read MoreEnergy bill acrobatics
For the Schmidt family of Tazewell, Tennessee, managing their budget is a balancing act, and one they have become very good at. But high electric bills–up to $300 in the winter–makes that balance tricky to maintain, sometimes leaving very little for emergency funds, much less for the home repairs they need that could actually lower their energy use.
Read MoreMurals Showcase Rare Species
Knoxville, Tenn., is home to the largest Endangered Species Mural completed by the Center for Biological Diversity and artist Roger Peet.
Read MoreChattanooga Launches Solar-Electric Car-Sharing Program
Chattanooga, Tennessee, launched an electric car-share program with the goal of reducing emissions and traffic congestion.
Read MoreTennessee Passes New Lead Notification Bill and other shorts
Tennessee passes a new lead notification program, study shows improved soil health in North and South Carolina, and more environmental news from around the region.
Read MoreKeeping energy through the generations
“We do everything we can to keep energy,” Barbara Taylor says as she heads down the stairs to the basement of the home she has shared with her husband, Paul, in New Tazewell, Tennessee since 1980. Outside it’s a humid 78 degrees, but in the narrow basement room that houses the Taylors’ heat pump it’s cool and dry.
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