New report suggests shifting money to diversify coalfield economies Contact: Rory McIlmoil, Downstream Strategies, 304-445-7200, mcilmoil@downstreamstrategies.com Cat McCue, Appalachian Voices, 434-293-6373, cat@appvoices.org Glen Besa, Virginia Chapter of the Sierra Club, 804-225-9113 x 104, glen.besa@sierraclub.org Resources Full Report Executive Summary Blog…
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Welcome to Virginia’s Energy Conference, with your host King Coal
Last week, Appalachian Voices and members of the Wise Energy for Virginia Coalition attended the Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell’s Energy Conference. Looking at the agenda, we were prepared for what would surely be a biased conference. But we didn’t know…
TAGS: appalachia Coal Electric Utilities Energy Efficiency Environment EPA Health Mountaintop Removal Politics Renewable Energy Virginia
Report Exposes How Big Coal, Electric Utility Money Dominates Virginia Politics and Policy
In advance of the Governor’s Energy Conference that is sponsored by Dominion Virginia Power, Alpha Natural Resources and Appalachian Power Company, Appalachian Voices and our allies released a white paper highlighting the influence that coal companies and utilities wield over…
Update: House Passes Dirty Coal Package
UPDATE: Last Friday, the House passed the Dirty Coal package, H.R. 3409, by a vote of 233-175. Thirteen Republicans, led by Rep. Mike Fitzpatrick (PA-8), crossed party lines to oppose the bill and stand up for Appalachian communities and public…
TAGS: Clean Water Act Coal Coal Ash Congress Environment EPA Mountaintop Removal Politics Water Pollution
Looking Beyond November
Last week, Appalachian Voices was on the front lines of our democracy at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte. Our “bourbon and bluegrass” reception for our friends and allies was a smashing success, with impassioned calls to end mountaintop removal…
DNC Dispatch: Key political players attend App Voices party
Greetings from the DNC! We had an absolutely fantastic evening at our “Bourbon, Bluegrass and a Better Future for Appalachia” reception in the heart of the convention area in uptown Charlotte yesterday. A full house joined us to celebrate our…
Ten Years In, the Clean Smokestacks Act Continues to Benefit Us All
Right now, members of Congress are at home hearing from their constituents about the issues they most care about. In this spirit, we joined residents of North Carolina working on water issues to visit the Charlotte office Sen. Kay Hagan.…
TAGS: Appalachian Voices Coal Coal Ash dnc Economy Electric Utilities Energy Efficiency Environment EPA Health Politics Renewable Energy Water Water Pollution
A Summer of Resistance: Civil Disobedience and the Barriers to Progress
Photos of RAMPS’ “Mountain Mobilization” courtesy of documentary photographer Mark Schmerling. On July 28, an action planned and carried out by RAMPS — or Radical Action for Mountain Peoples’ Survival, a group based in West Virginia — led a large…
Half-Baked Coal Ash Bill: A Dangerous Proposition for Our Air and Water
Air and Water Protections are as American As Apple Pie — and they are under attack. Most people talk about creating legislation in terms of sausage-making. It can be downright dirty work. But I prefer to think of it as…
Polls, Politics, and the Power of Your Voice
With the elections coming up in only a few months, public opinion polls are starting to become more common. There are bound to be thousands of horse race polls (Obama vs. Romney), but politicians are often more interested in issue…
