Jul 15 Economy “Death Spiral.” How A Carbon Tax Could End Some Coal Towns … Or Fund A New Future Declining coal tax revenues place coal-reliant counties in Appalachia at risk of fiscal collapse, according to new research from the centrist Brookings Institution and Columbia University. Policies designed to prevent further climate change would accelerate that decline, the report found, but could also provide a new stream of revenue to help communities rebound from coal’s […] By Sydney Boles Jul 15 Economy “Death Spiral.” How A Carbon Tax Could End Some Coal Towns … Or Fund A New Future Sydney Boles
May 15 Energy & Environment As Ohio Valley Ponders Plastics Growth, Report Warns Of Threat to Climate As a new plastics industry emerges in the Ohio Valley, a report by environmental groups warns that the expansion of plastics threatens the world’s ability to keep climate change at bay. The report released Wednesday by the Center for International Environmental Law, Environmental Integrity Project, FracTracker Alliance, and others used publicly available emissions data and […] By Brittany Patterson May 15 Energy & Environment As Ohio Valley Ponders Plastics Growth, Report Warns Of Threat to Climate Brittany Patterson
Apr 22 Energy & Environment For Earth Day Nature Conservancy Preserves 100,000 Acres Of Appalachian Forest And Streams A conservation group chose Earth Day, April 22, to announce the purchase of a massive property in Appalachian forest to protect habitat and help wildlife adapt to the challenges of climate change. The property covers 100,000 acres of forest straddling the Kentucky-Tennessee border. The Nature Conservancy, the nonprofit that made the purchase, said it plans […] By Sydney Boles Apr 22 Energy & Environment For Earth Day Nature Conservancy Preserves 100,000 Acres Of Appalachian Forest And Streams Sydney Boles
Feb 12 Energy & Environment Coal Community Leaders Urge Congress To Include Them In Climate Action Economic development leaders from the Ohio Valley’s coal communities used a Congressional hearing on climate change Tuesday to say that their communities must be central to conversations about climate solutions. Testifying at a House Natural Resources subcommittee hearing on climate change and energy transitions, Peter Hille, president of the Berea, Kentucky-based Mountain Association for Community […] By Brittany Patterson Feb 12 Energy & Environment Coal Community Leaders Urge Congress To Include Them In Climate Action Brittany Patterson
Aug 24 Energy & Environment Trump Power: Industry Analysts Say New Rule Will Not Fuel Coal Comeback When President Trump wants to talk coal, he comes to West Virginia. So it was not surprising that the president visited Charleston just hours after his administration unveiled a long-awaited overhaul of the Obama administration’s signature climate change regulation, the Clean Power Plan. “We’re cancelling Obama’s illegal, anti-coal-destroying regulations. The so-called Clean Power Plan,” Trump […] By Brittany Patterson Aug 24 Energy & Environment Trump Power: Industry Analysts Say New Rule Will Not Fuel Coal Comeback Brittany Patterson
May 18 Energy & Environment Shine A Light: Regional Effort To Aid Puerto Rico Caught In Trump’s Solar Tariffs Far from the ocean and Puerto Rico’s famous beaches, narrow roads wind into mountains not unlike the country roads of our home, West Virginia. After hours of driving we reach a rural community in the island’s center called Tetuan Tres. Like so many places in rural Appalachia, you don’t come here accidentally. We’ve come to […] By Glynis Board and Rebecca Kiger May 18 Energy & Environment Shine A Light: Regional Effort To Aid Puerto Rico Caught In Trump’s Solar Tariffs Glynis Board and Rebecca Kiger
Nov 9 Energy & Environment Carbon Capture Reconsidered: Big-Ticket Climate Fix Gets a Fresh Look A bipartisan group in Congress, including several Ohio Valley lawmakers, is pushing for more federal support for technology known as carbon capture and storage. The lawmakers and an uncommon alliance of labor, business, and environmental groups want to pass legislation called the FUTURE Act which would speed commercial deployment of technology that reduces carbon dioxide […] By Glynis Board Nov 9 Energy & Environment Carbon Capture Reconsidered: Big-Ticket Climate Fix Gets a Fresh Look Glynis Board
Sep 22 Energy & Environment The New Normal: Super Storms Highlight Importance Of Disaster Planning Harvey. Irma. Maria. The hurricane season’s super-charged storms have highlighted the importance of disaster planning, and the aftermath offers a fresh lesson in just how long and difficult recovery can be. Communities in the Ohio Valley, some still recovering from flash floods themselves, are looking at ways to prepare for what emergency management professionals warn […] By Glynis Board Sep 22 Energy & Environment The New Normal: Super Storms Highlight Importance Of Disaster Planning Glynis Board
Jun 27 Energy & Environment Divestment Proposal Pits Coal States Against California Political leaders in West Virginia and Kentucky are joining a coalition of states threatening to sue California over a program the state is pushing that would drop investments in coal. This week the attorney general of West Virginia joined 11 other Republican attorneys general and the governor of Kentucky in signing a letter to the […] By Glynis Board Jun 27 Energy & Environment Divestment Proposal Pits Coal States Against California Glynis Board
Jun 1 Energy & Environment Coal Country’s Mixed Views On Climate Accord Many political leaders in the Ohio Valley approve of President Trump’s decision to withdraw the United States from the Paris climate agreement. But surveys indicate that public opinion across the region varies, with a slight majority saying they’d like the country to stay the course on climate change. According to a Yale University survey, the majority of […] By Glynis Board Jun 1 Energy & Environment Coal Country’s Mixed Views On Climate Accord Glynis Board