Don’t allow fracking in Western North Carolina. That was the clear message from the nearly 90 people who spoke to members of the state Mining and Energy Commission on Sept. 12 in Cullowhee. They were voicing their concerns at the last of four public hearings on proposed rules for hydraulic fracturing, a drilling method that […]
On Tuesday, Aug. 12, the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals released a statement, video and photo gallery (link below) claiming a Western North Carolina dairy farm mistreats its animals. The video showed cows on the farm knee-deep in their own manure, trudging through the sludge while feeding, sleeping and before milking. PETA reported many of […]
After passage of the Energy Modernization Act in June opened the door to fracking in North Carolina, the state’s Mining and Energy Commission is accepting public comment through Sept. 15 on the draft rules for regulating the controversial practice.
No leaks have been discovered at Duke Energy’s Asheville plant, which runs on coal — like the one on the Dan River where a broken pipe released thousands of gallons of coal ash. But the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources has ordered the company to provide its engineer’s assessment, saying that “portions of […]
A proposed limit on the total volume of biofuels that must be added to conventional fuels each year has prompted Woody Eaton of Blue Ridge Biofuels to ask President Obama for help. More than 50 businesses and individuals signed Eaton’s letter to Obama in a grassroots effort to highlight the potential impact of the U.S. […]
By Rachel Ingram, Volunteer Intern, U.S. Forest Service National Forests in North Carolina I thought I knew it all. Only 22 years old, I had done more than my fair share of backpacking, kayaking, hiking and fishing. So when I, as a junior in the Mass Communications department at UNC Asheville, saw the posting on […]
Members of the Western North Carolina Alliance showed overwhelming support for a proposed merger with the Environmental and Conservation Organization and the Jackson-Macon Conservation Alliance on Monday, May 12, in an overwhelming 177-to-2-vote.
Quietly, day after day, the dedicated staff at CMLC works to protect special open space lands for the public to enjoy. In 2013, the nonprofit had its biggest year ever, conserving about 4,000 acres, including Bearwallow Mountain (pictured above).
The mission of Xpress’ first annual Get It! Guide is to provide locals and visitors with an introduction to the many ways we can engage and have a stake in creating a vibrant, sustainable community.
Hundreds of locals perused the booths at Mother Earth News Fair this weekend, purchasing local seeds, soaps, gardening supplies and other wares on the grounds of the Western North Carolina Agricultural Center.
Mother Earth News will make a return to Western North Carolina with the Mother Earth News Fair, an event that will feature 200 hands-on workshops focused on self-sufficiency and sustainability. The fair began in 2010 at the Seven Springs Mountain Resort in Pennsylvania as a means to provide hands-on demonstrations of the concepts discussed in […]
As spring weather returns to Asheville, so does the risk of dangerous levels of ozone pollution. To raise awareness and help notify the public when ozone levels become hazardous, environmental agencies will start issuing daily air quality forecasts Tuesday, April 1, for Asheville and other metropolitan areas across the state.
The Environmental Quality Institute’s Stream Monitoring Information Exchange program is currently seeking volunteers to attend a volunteer training on Saturday, March 29th, from 9 a.m.-4 p.m., at UNC Asheville. Once trained, volunteers work in small groups to sample a couple sites, two times per year (about 10 hours of annual service). Volunteer opportunities are open to anyone (11th grade and up) with any level of experience or identification skills.
About 100 people gathered tonight for a forum updating locals on the dispute over the fate of the city’s water system from local government and activists. Asheville Mayor Esther Manheimer said the public has given city leaders a clear mandate to continue its lawsuit and fight to preserve local control of the water system against state legislation seeking to seize it and turn it over to a regional authority.
It wasn’t quite a toxic argument, but Buncombe County Commissioners fiercely debated a resolution extolling the virtues of green cleaning Feb. 18.
Asheville on Bikes is on a roll. Since its birth in 2006, the organization has been a key advocate for a more bicycle-friendly city. And it seems poised for growth as it prepares to celebrate Bike Love — a fundraiser and membership drive featuring a range of speakers and musical acts.
Yesterday, Feb. 14, thousands of gallons of oil spilled into Hominy Creek. Since then, local individuals and organizations have posted videos investigating the impact of the spill, including questioning if the measures erected to stop the spill from spreading are effective and showing oil entering the French Broad River.
The League of Conservation Voters released its National Environmental Scorecard Feb. 11, giving local congressmen Patrick McHenry and Mark Meadows some of the lowest scores in the country.
This new video by Lloyd Hammarlund takes viewers on a bicycle tour of Asheville, from West Asheville neighborhoods to downtown and the surrounding hills along the Blue Ridge Parkway.
At the Jan. 13 WNC Regional Air Quality meeting, the agency approved a permit modification for Day International, Inc. dba Flint Group, a fabricated rubber and urethane manufacturer that makes products for the printing industry.
It was a historic year for Buncombe County government, as the first Board of Commissioners to be elected by districts took the reins.
