Posts Tagged ‘Virginia’
Survey says: Virginians want clean energy
A bi-partisan poll released today shows solid support among Virginia voters for the state to develop a plan to cut carbon pollution and shift to cleaner sources of energy. Meanwhile, in Richmond, the General Assembly is heading in the opposite direction, casting votes in favor of dirty fossil fuels.
Update from the Virginia General Assembly
Virginia’s legislative session may be brief, but many bills with major implications for our future energy mix have already been acted on. Two weeks into this year’s session, here is a look at where our top issues stand.
Fracking and pipelines threaten Appalachia
The natural gas industry has overwhelmed scores of communities across the country, building miles of new pipelines and erecting huge drilling rigs. Appalachian Voices today launched web pages about efforts to open North Carolina to fracking and proposals to build natural gas pipelines through several Appalachian states, and the growing citizen movement to shift to cleaner energy.
Ecotourism Rises Along with Hope for a Region’s Future
After enduring generations of the booms and busts of an economy almost entirely dependent on the coal industry, the residents of far southwest Virginia are beginning to take their economic future into their own hands by capitalizing on the mountainous region’s incredible natural beauty to promote ecotourism.
Read MorePetition Focuses on Va. Regulatory Failures
Appalachian Voices recently joined the Sierra Club, Southern Appalachian Mountain Stewards and Appalachian Mountain Advocates to file a formal petition with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency alleging that a Virginia agency had failed to comply with requirements of the Clean Water Act since 2011.
Read MoreAtlantic Coast Pipeline Proposal Advances
Duke Energy, Dominion Resources and other partners are teaming up to build a 550-mile pipeline to better access natural gas produced in Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia, where fracking has proliferated in the Marcellus and Utica shale formations.
Read MoreVirginia Restoration Reroutes Troubled Water
In Rockbridge County, Va., construction vehicles this August began carving out nearly half a mile of new streambed for the Maury River. Tree plantings to stabilize the soil are scheduled to begin this fall. This will be the largest stream restoration project completed by the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, which received funding from a federal grant program and a local family farm.
Read MoreServing Virginia Parks
The Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation is launching the inaugural year of its Virginia Service and Conservation Corps program. Participants will maintain trails and improve natural habitats at Pocahontas, Leesylvania or Hungry Mother State Park.
Read MoreFive Schools Switch to Landfill Gas Power
By Carvan Craft Five colleges are putting the saying “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure” into practice with their initiative to use landfill gas for light and power. Hollins University, Emory & Henry College, Lynchburg College, Randolph College and Sweet Briar College are the first institutions in Virginia on track to meet all of…
Read MoreSouthwest Virginia is for (Outdoor) Lovers
By Amber Ellis On Sept. 13-14 in Abingdon, Va., the Appalachian Spring Initiative will host a regional expo to highlight southwest Virginia’s outdoor recreational opportunities. The initiative, which focuses on community development, has identified eight attractions as pillars of ecotourism in southwestern Virginia, including the New River, High Knob Recreation Area and the Daniel Boone…
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