December 2016 / January 2017
Home on the Appalachian Range
Other Top Stories
Following Cherokee Footpaths
Hundreds of years ago, before interstate highways drove through the mountains, a network of trails winding around the Southern Appalachians served as the arteries of the sovereign Cherokee nation.
Public Pushback Against Appalachian Natural Gas Pipelines
Community members from across Appalachia are joining together to fight the construction of the Atlantic Coast and Mountain Valley Pipelines, but critics cite flaws with the ongoing environmental review process.
Reclaiming Mined Mountains to Beneficial Use
More than one million acres across Appalachia have been disturbed by surface coal mining. These formerly mined lands offer many challenges, but could also become focal points for economic development and reforestation.
Appalachians Against The Dakota Access Pipeline
Across Appalachia, communities are supporting the indigenous-led resistance to the Dakota Access Pipeline, a partially constructed crude oil pipeline stretching 1,100 miles across North and South Dakota, Iowa and Illinois.
Traveling The Crooked Road
Along its 330-mile route, The Crooked Road in Southwest Virginia connects visitors with the sounds of America’s roots music and demonstrates how a region can leverage its cultural assets to develop a new economy.
Driving Trails of Appalachia
Take a day or a week to discover Appalachia along one of the region’s many driving trails.
Buckingham’s Battle: Residents oppose proposed gas compressor station
A proposed natural gas compressor station in Buckingham County, Va., would keep gas moving through the Atlantic Coast Pipeline. But many nearby residents are opposed to the industrial facility because it would cause pollution and noise and devalue nearby properties.
Dec 2016 / Jan 2017 - Columns
This Green House
Electric Cooperatives Initiate Community Solar Projects
Electric cooperatives in Virginia and Tennessee have launched community solar projects to help members save money while reducing carbon emissions.
Naturalist's Notebook
Ponies of the Grayson Highlands
The wild ponies of Grayson Highlands State Park and Mount Rogers National Recreation Area in Southwest Virginia attract hikers of all ages — but take heed, don’t feed the ponies!
Member Spotlight
Daylight Savings Challenge
For the Daylight Savings Challenge, our Energy Savings team partnered with student volunteers from Appalachian State University to distribute almost 100 energy efficient LED light bulbs to six seniors across Watauga County, N.C.
Politics
Trump’s Would-Be Coal Comeback Faces Long Odds
President-elect Donald Trump has expressed his support of the coal industry. Less clear is how he will attempt to revive the struggling sector — or how he will confront the collateral damage to human health, the environment and the climate that could result.
