Columns Archives - Page 261 of 328

Duke Energy Squashing Solar Power

Posted by The Commentators | Jul 30, 2014 | The Commentators

Are you angry at Duke Energy executives for polluting North Carolina with coal ash?

Well, now they’re trying to kill our growing solar power industry.

Duke Energy is already severely harming North Carolina’s large-scale solar developers.

Read Others’ Views, Then Decide For Yourself

Posted by D.G. Martin | Jul 30, 2014 | D.G. Martin

“I don’t read the Washington Post. That is not where I get my ideas.” Many years ago, when there were still lots of conservatives voting in Democratic primaries, a congressional candidate pandered to conservatives by trashing a...

Soil Part I: Seaweed Fertilizer

Posted by Jeff Danner | Jul 27, 2014 | Common Science

I am frequently drawn to write columns about soil, due to its vital importance as a national resource as well as the fact that we treat it so poorly. In this column, I will weave together some of the points I have made in the past and also explain why we should consider using seaweed-based fertilizers.

First, let’s talk about soil. An ideal soil has approximately 50% of its volume filled with solids and the other 50% with water and air. Ninety percent of the solids should be minerals, basically eroded rocks, and 10% should be organic matter such as decaying leaves. The spaces between the solids accommodate water and allow air to reach plant roots, a vital step in plant growth. Healthy soil is the most biologically productive environment on Earth. A single gram of soil can contain up to a billion organisms, representing over a thousand species.

An Affordable Housing Crisis

Posted by The Commentators | Jul 25, 2014 | The Commentators

Last year a Virginia investment firm bought seventeen apartment complexes in Durham and Chapel Hill. The units were old, and the company is renovating them and raising the rent significantly as a result. The higher rents already have affected many middle class folks who are having a hard time paying the increased rent.

Lumps Of Coal From The General Assembly

Posted by The Commentators | Jul 24, 2014 | The Commentators

This is Laurin Easthom. While some members of the NC General Assembly have passed around lumps of coal, surreptitiously placed Christmas wreaths in their legislative chamber, and walked out of negotiations holding their breath,...

Where Did All The New Voters Come From?

Posted by D.G. Martin | Jul 23, 2014 | D.G. Martin

“Voters born elsewhere make up nearly half of N.C. electorate.” So begins the latest DataNet report from the UNC Program on Public Life, directed by former journalist Ferrel Guillory. So what? What difference does it make to us...

Expand Voting Access

Posted by The Commentators | Jul 21, 2014 | The Commentators

Tomorrow the Orange County Board of Elections will adopt a plan for early voting for the fall election. The Board will consider both the locations and hours for early voting. When it comes to locations, the board should keep the same voting locations used during the spring primary to maintain consistency. After considering a number of options, the plan adopted for the primary included five early voting sites, including a location in rural Orange County at Master’s Garden Preschool, and a location adjacent to UNC’s campus at North Carolina Hillel. I’ve been a strong advocate for securing a site that is accessible to the faculty, staff, and students who attend UNC, and while NC Hillel might not be the perfect site, it is accessible to pedestrians from UNC and we should maintain stability from the primary.

Chikungunya Is Coming Part II

Posted by Jeff Danner | Jul 20, 2014 | Common Science

Despite the fact that it has been clear for a long time that chikungunya would eventually reach the U.S., we have not been preparing in a meaningful way. In particular, we have not created a vaccine nor have we been trying very hard to do so. A vaccine for chikungunya would come from either government labs or the pharmaceutical industry. Government health research has been hampered for the last several decades due to funding cuts, and developing new vaccines is not viewed as sufficiently profitable by the shareholder-value driven pharmaceutical industry. As a result, we are about to be caught with our pants down.

Why Orange County Needs Sunday Voting

Posted by The Commentators | Jul 18, 2014 | The Commentators

This is Alyssa Davis. I am a student. I am an organizer. And I am concerned. After the initial Board of Elections meeting to discuss early voting plans for Orange County, I am concerned about the Board’s process for making...

The Lawmakers Are Restless

Posted by The Commentators | Jul 17, 2014 | The Commentators

This is Walt Mack. Lawmakers are growing restless in Raleigh. I’m speaking about the State Legislators who are wrangling over proposed teacher salary hikes and how to pay for them. Oddly, the dispute rages between the House and...

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