Beloved writer, teacher and photographer James Baker Hall died June 25 at his home near Sadieville, Kentucky. Hall, 74, was prolific as both a writer… »
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Memorial for James Baker Hall
Beloved writer, teacher and photographer James Baker Hall died June 25 at his home near Sadieville, Kentucky. Hall, 74, was prolific as both a writer and a visual artist, publishing widely in both arenas. He graduated from the University of Kentucky in 1957, earned a master of arts at Stanford, and taught at several universities… »
Lettuce From the Garden, With Worms
By NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF
The New York Times
Growing up on a farm near Yamhill, Ore., I quickly learned to appreciate the difference between fresh, home-grown foods and the commercial versions in the supermarket.
Store-bought lettuce was always lush, green and pristine, and thus vastly preferable to lettuce from my Mom’s vegetable garden (organic before we called it… »
Obama walks a fine line over mining
Environmentalists feel betrayed by the EPA’s decision not to block new mountaintop mining projects
By TOM HAMBURGER and PETER WALLSTEN
Los Angeles Times
WASHINGTON — With the election of President Obama, environmentalists had expected to see the end of the “Appalachian apocalypse,” their name for exposing coal deposits by blowing the tops off whole mountains.
But in recent… »
Bull shit
A new USDA program could put small farmers out of business
By STEPHEN GEORGE
LEO Weekly
Ralph Packard walks into his barn carrying a five-gallon bucket filled with small, yellowish pellets of feed. The swine—young, inexperienced and craving anything to eat—swarm him, trampling the plastic feed trays. They’re losing themselves in the pursuit, all squeals and snorts. At this stage, everything is food. They’ll chew on your shoes… »
Honeybee colonies still declining
By GARANCE BURKE
Associated Press
The decline of honeybee colonies has slowed slightly since last fall, but a mysterious combination of ailments is still decimating the insect’s population, federal researchers say.
U.S. Department of Agriculture researchers found that honeybee colonies declined by 29 percent between September 2008 and early April. That’s an improvement over the last two years,… »
EPA failed to disclose coal ash-related health risks
Newly-released report shows increased risk of cancer for those living near coal ash disposal sites
By JASON HANCOCK
The Iowa Independent
People who live near near sites used to store ash or sludge from coal-fired power plants have a one in 50 chance of developing cancer, according to a just released government report kept from the public for… »
Obama seeks reversal of mountaintop mining rule
By DINA CAPPIELLO
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Obama administration is taking steps to reverse a last-minute Bush-era rule that allows mountaintop mining waste to be dumped near streams.
Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said Monday the administration will ask a federal court to abandon the rule that made it easier for coal mining companies to dump waste… »
Offshore wind power could meet United States’ electricity demand
From Mother Earth News
Excellent wind resources off the coast of the lower 48 states could generate enough power to exceed the electricity demand in the United States, according to U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).
The NREL findings are included in a report released April 2 by the U.S. Department of the Interior, which… »
Final Judges for Literary Contest
We are pleased to announce the final judges of poetry, fiction and nonfiction for our 2009 Literary Contest (listed below). New Southerner’s editorial advisory board and staff members will determine finalists in each category. Final judges will select winners and runners-up. The deadline for submissions is October 1, 2009. Click here for Contest Guidelines. We… »