Sharing the bad air

“Do as I say, not as I do” might as well be the words of the state of North Carolina to the Tennessee Valley Authority when it comes to air quality and power-plant pollution. While hearings were held in Asheville between N.C. Attorney General Roy Cooper and the Tenn.-based utility company, Charlotte-based Duke Energy was […]

Asheville activists arrested at Cliffside power plant

As the sky grew light on the morning of April 1, a half-dozen activists locked themselves to the heavy earth-moving equipment parked at the Cliffside power plant construction site in Rutherford County. At least three Asheville residents joined others from across the state to protest Duke Energy’s recently permitted, 800-megawatt coal-fired facility. The 20 or […]

Asheville City Council

The Asheville City Council chamber has seen its share of controversy … but helmets? Scores of people wore protective headgear to Council’s Feb. 26 meeting—not because of physical danger, however, but to show support for a new city bicycle plan. On a roll: Helmet-clad cyclists showed up in droves to support Asheville’s bike plan at […]

‘Tis the season for Jam

Warren Haynes lives in New York City. Although he’s certainly not a typical New Yorker—his Southern drawl and mountain-bred charm are dead giveaways—it does seem a little odd that we only get to see this hometown hero perform locally a mere once a year. Founder of the feast: Warren Haynes has been bringing famous and […]

Election dejection blues

I believe that Asheville is one of the most enlightened cities per capita in America. I also think it’s now clear to most enlightened folk that to achieve a truly sustainable civilization, we need carefully controlled levels of development, population and pollution. So how do I explain our recent election in which Elaine Lite, the […]

Stirring the pot

The Windsor Hotel, an anomaly in pricey downtown Asheville, has long been something of an endangered species. A downtown fixture for decades, the boarding house on the corner of Broadway and Walnut streets was one of the few remaining housing options in the central business district for people of modest means. Many long-term residents lived […]

Full circle

After spending time out West and Down Under, I drove back across country just in time to celebrate the 12th anniversary of my arrival in Asheville. Memories flashed through my mind: chugging up a steep mountain highway in my overloaded Nova (luckily at 2 in the morning); sharing a nice apartment with my grown kids, […]

S.E.E. Expo workshops

Here’s a complete list of the workshops and other special programs at the expo. These presentations are included in the admission price (click here to download the printer-friendly .pdf schedule, “2007SEESchedule.pdf” for more details). Classrooms “A” & “B” are tents adjacent to McGough Arena. Classrooms “C” & “D” are adjacent to the Green Home Show […]

Know thy beehive

What does it mean to be the “World’s Greatest Party Band” (even if self-proclaimed) in an age when the term “party” is increasingly linked to terms like “green,” “people’s” and “for the planet”? “Love Shack” at Biltmore Estate: Surreal enough, even for Fred Schneider. For the B-52’s, holder of said title, it means that more […]

The need for Fresh Air

During the mid-60s, my family enjoyed vacations on Hilton Head Island, a beautiful, sub-tropical paradise. Back then, the only way onto the island was via ferry and there was only one traffic light. The second-largest barrier island on the East Coast, Hilton Head has some of the most beautiful beaches on the Eastern seaboard and […]

Buzzworm news briefs

Extreme home makeover The city of Asheville will be forced to evict and relocate 41 families from a failed affordable-housing development near McCormick Field to make room for potential new development city staffers hope will be a success. McCormick Heights currently operates as an affordable-apartment complex owned by Asheville Mountainside, LLC, a corporation that includes […]

Buzzworm news briefs

You have a right not to remain silent Doing your thing: Members of Asheville Theatre turn audience stories into drama. photo by Jonathan Welch International Human Rights Day is observed each Dec. 10 to focus attention on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The celebration dates back to 1950, when the United Nations General Assembly […]

Right on target

Political activism is alive and well among Asheville/Buncombe’s substantial cohort of conservatives and libertarians. Organized by groups such as the Buncombe County Republican Action Club, given voice by outlets such as The Asheville Tribune and conservative blogs, and energized by the efforts of individual activists, these folks tend to oppose what many see as the […]

The Green Scene

Adventures in Megawatt Valley collage courtesy Rising Tide North America “The Battle of Drax,” one headline reads. “The Green Revolution,” proclaims another. Abigail Singer, a member of Asheville-based Katuah Earth First! and climate-change activist, seems an unlikely revolutionary as she calmly rattles off facts about carbon trading, greenhouse gases and tons of carbon-dioxide emitted by […]

Buzzworm news briefs

The other 9/11 A half-decade after hijacked planes plowed into the World Trade Center towers, the Pentagon and the Pennsylvania countryside, the mention of Sept. 11 still has the power to evoke strong feelings. It spurs recollections of images seared into the mind: plumes of smoke from the collapsed towers or news clips of victims’ […]

All together now

If you think cruising around in a gas-guzzling Hummer represents real American values, then you might be surprised by the motto for the sixth annual Southern Energy & Environment Expo: “The Power of Patriotism — Sustainable Living for a Strong America.” But to Ned Ryan Doyle, the S.E.E. Expo’s jovial and energetic father, there’s an […]

S.E.E. Expo special presentati­ons

Here’s a complete list of the workshops and other special programs at the expo. One-hour presentations are included in the ticket price; intensive half-day workshops have a separate admission charge (see below). For times and locations, consult the S.E.E. scheduled presentations at: www.seeexpo.com/schedule.html. One-hour presentations “ALL PERSPECTIVES”: FAIR AND BALANCEDJoin the Energy at the Crossroads […]