Asheville GreenWorks, the Tree Commission and the city have joined forces to host a four-part workshop series on tree care this spring.
Fundraiser educates on the perils of pollution
Funds raised benefit GreenWorks’ Youth Environmental Leadership Program, an outreach initiative that provides young adults ages 16-19 with environmental career exploration opportunities.
Citizens’ Climate Lobby proposes plan to break partisan deadlock
The Asheville chapter of a national environmental group is pushing a plan it believes can win bipartisan support for combating climate change.
DeWayne Barton feeds both mouth and spirit at the Burton Street Peace Garden
The Burton Street Peace Garden started out as a community experiment, says founder DeWayne Barton. Today, the space serves a variety of needs and purposes, nourishing bodies and souls on what was once a trash-strewn vacant lot.
Boone Guyton’s car is powered by the sun
When Boone Guyton and Claudia Cady take to the road, they are driving on energy gathered from the sun by their home solar panel system. The couple made the switch to an electric vehicle as a personal step to fight climate change.
CTS contamination has poisoned more than drinking water
For nearly 30 years, the CTS of Asheville Superfund site has been a source of physical and social toxicity for the surrounding community. With remedial efforts to address the source of contamination finally underway, residents, activists and others reflect on the triumphs and tribulations of the decades-long battle for a clean-up and accountability.
Asheville Arts and Science Festival combines two disciplines at Salvage Station
A new local festival will come to Salvage Station on Saturday, March 31. Organizers of the Asheville Arts and Science Festival hope to raise awareness about what science looks like in the real world. And by incorporating a healthy dose of art, the family-friendly event also aims to hook visitors with the beauty that science can inspire.
Power to the people: Best of WNC 2018 voting begins
With a far out feeling, voting has begun for the beloved annual Best of WNC awards. Only you can decide who’ll be feelin’ it in the new summer of love, when winners are announced this August. You have until 11:59 p.m. on the night of Saturday, April 28 to complete your ballot and make sure your voice is heard. […]
WNC’s industrial hemp growers reflect on experimental first season
Last year, a handful of area farmers planted the first hemp crops to be grown legally in Western North Carolina in over 70 years. That first crop was plagued by delays introduced by regulators at the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, who held up shipments of seeds and seedlings, leading to a late start. Growers expect a smoother process for the 2018 growing season.
Talk to celebrate options for gardening beneath the tree canopy
On March 20, landscape architect Sieglinde Anderson and photographer Ruthie Rosauer will share advice for gardening beneath and appreciating this region’s diverse and abundant tree canopy. Sponsored by the Hendersonville Tree Board, the talk will take place at 6 p.m. at the Henderson County Library Auditorium in downtown Hendersonville.
Asheville City Council, Buncombe Commissioners discuss racial equity, development in joint meeting
2018’s annual joint meeting of Asheville City Council and the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners highlighted issues of racial equity, police use-of-force and zoning conflicts affecting Buncombe residents.
Dam removal projects restore WNC waterways
Whatever their original purpose, many local dams are now seen as ecologically problematic. Nonprofits, community groups and government agencies throughout Western North Carolina are now working to remove this legacy of outdated dams. Although challenging, the process offers benefits for the wildlife, safety and recreation potential of the area’s waterways.
Future transit efforts, concerns mirror Asheville’s past
Asheville as we know it today was built upon the back of its electric streetcar system, one of the largest networks of its time. As the city finds itself in a growth spurt once again, could its defunct trolley system provide some clues to Asheville’s transit future?
Regulators approve lower-than-requested Duke Energy rate increase, impose coal ash penalty
The N.C. Utilities Commission today approved a rate increase requested by Duke Energy Progress. As approved, Duke may charge an average increase of 7.09 percent. The electricity provider also received permission to increase the basic monthly customer charge for residential customers from $11.13 to $14.
Icky leaks
ASHEVILLE
Waterrock Knob expansion brings together stakeholders, public
The highest peak in the Plott Balsam Mountains, Waterrock Knob encompasses a unique ecosystem. The Blue Ridge Parkway will now conserve 5,329 acres of this irreplaceable landscape thanks to recent land and financial gifts by a network of conservation groups and private donors. The public is invited to weigh in on plans for the area through Feb. 25.
‘Friends’ groups provide vital support for public lands
We all need friends, and public lands in Western North Carolina increasingly receive care in the form of “Friends” nonprofit groups. In an era of shrinking federal budgets for parks and forests, these organizations are stepping up to preserve and maintain public spaces.
How does Asheville’s single-stream recycling facility work?
Asheville recycled 590 pounds of trash per household per year in fiscal year 2016-17, the highest rate among North Carolina cities. But when you throw your commingled recyclables in the blue bins, where do they go? How does single-stream recycling work? Does it work? Xpress takes an inside look.
Despite environmental concerns, salt still most effective de-icer
To keep cars from slipping and sliding — and crashing and smashing — when weather conditions turn roads icy, the city of Asheville and the N.C. Department of Transportation treat local motorways with salt. While the substance can impact water quality and the health of wildlife, officials say they mostly succeed in balancing environmental and traffic safety concerns.
City weighs environmental pros and cons of natural greenways
As greenways grow in popularity, the city of Asheville is looking into natural surface trails as a possible way to develop a greenway system that benefits people, the planet and the city’s pocketbook. But are greenways of dirt and gravel actually more green?
Programs help residents stay warm while keeping costs down
The new Buncombe Energy Savers project, with help from Green Built Alliance, provides energy-efficient upgrades to low-income residents’ homes.