Posts Tagged ‘Tennessee’
Abrams Falls Trail: A Jaunt to a Jewel of the Smokies
By Stephen Otis The Abrams Falls Trail has historical nuances you won’t find just anywhere. Located in the Cades Cove area of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee, the trail, creek and falls are named after a historic leader of the Cherokee Nation, Chief Abram; a short side trail leads to Elijah Oliver’s…
Read MoreRecognizing Renewable Opportunities
Kentucky could realize 34 percent of its energy demand from renewable sources by 2025, a new study shows. Authored by West Virginia-based Downstream Strategies and Kentucky-based Mountain Association for Community Economic Development, the report found that solar photovoltaic and combined heat and power, the simultaneous generation of mechanical power and thermal energy used for heating…
Read MoreChattanooga Shows the Southeast How It is Done on Energy Efficiency
Outgoing Mayor Saves Million$ and Creates Jobs by Mandating 25% Energy Reduction Tennessee has made a name for itself in the last few years by being one of the fastest improving states for energy efficiency, according to industry groups such as ACEEE. Specifically, Chattanooga has gained international notoriety for being the democratically elected best outdoor…
Read MoreHalf-Baked Coal Ash Bill: A Dangerous Proposition for Our Air and Water
Air and Water Protections are as American As Apple Pie — and they are under attack. Most people talk about creating legislation in terms of sausage-making. It can be downright dirty work. But I prefer to think of it as pie-baking, requiring the combination of concentrated efforts while keeping the final product in mind. Though…
Read MoreUS Coal: Keeping the Lights On…In Chinese Boardrooms?
As American Coal Exports Skyrocket, Chinese Companies Look To Buy Up Appalachia Much of the financial infrastructure for companies operating Appalachian surface mines may soon be in China, along with an increasing amount of Appalachian coal. On May 7, Guizhou Guochuang Energy Holding Group said it had raised 3.9 billion yuan in a private placement…
Read MoreHIDDEN TREASURES #2 – Tennessee
Welcome to part two in our exploration of the most amazing places in the Central and Southern Appalachian Mountains — this time exploring some of our most fabulous Public Lands. Fiery Gizzard Mountain Located in the heart of the South Cumberland Plateau, Fiery Gizzard Mountain remains one of the most pristine landscapes in the Eastern…
Read MorePremium Coal Fined for New River Damage
Appalachian Voices is very happy to see the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) order a fine on Jim Justice’s Premium Coal after a January “black water” spill from a coal preparation plant sullied 28 miles of the New River. Initially, the fine will be $50,000, with the possibility of up to $196,000 in…
Read MoreTN Legislators Miss Another Opportunity to Protect State’s Mountains
House Subcommittee Kills Mountaintop Removal Ban With Delay Tactic In yet another act of political cowardice on the issue of mountaintop removal coal mining, a Tennessee House subcommittee voted to kill the Scenic Vistas Protection Act and for the second time to send it to summer study. Despite a passionate plea by bill sponsor Rep.…
Read MoreCritical Vote Today in Tennessee Legislature
Mountaintop Removal Makes Us Sick, Takes Away Our Jobs, and Destroys Our Mountains. What Else is Left to Study? The Scenic Vistas Protection Act is closer to passage than ever before. TODAY (Mar. 27) at 12 p.m. CST, the Tennessee House Environment Subcommittee will vote on whether or not to protect Tennessee’s mountains from the…
Read MoreWOW! More than Two Dozen Republicans, Democrats, and Independents Cosponsor Scenic Vistas Act
New Cosponsors Swarming as Advocates Prepare for Critical Test Tuesday Tonight a host of House Republicans, Democrats, and the state’s sole elected Independent signed on as cosponsors of the Tennessee Scenic Vistas Protection Act, signaling an unprecedented shift in momentum for our efforts to protect Tennessee’s Mountains. The bill is scheduled for a critical vote…
Read More