Environment Archives - Page 5 of 6

Is Resiliency an Economic Priority?

Posted by Staff | Aug 20, 2012 | Uncategorized

A few weeks ago, I was in Iowa and South Dakota and saw first-hand the fields of stunted, parched corn that are the result of the worst U.S. drought in 56 years. Sioux Falls had .01 inches of rain in July. It was on everyone’s...

The County Needs an Alternative Energy Task Force

Posted by Staff | Aug 6, 2012 | Uncategorized

The growth of alternative energy is accelerating. Here and there across Orange County, photovoltaic systems are being installed, solar water heaters are appearing on rooftops, and geothermal systems are on the rise. A large...

Emotion vs Science in the Fracking Debate

Posted by Staff | Mar 31, 2012 | Uncategorized

There was a very revealing moment at last week’s public hearing on fracking in North Carolina. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) had heard from a couple of dozen people – a mix of scientists,...

Industry for a Sustainable Future

Posted by Staff | Mar 2, 2012 | Uncategorized

It’s time to shift gears on our economic development plans. County leadership seems to be embracing a new openness to encouraging business. Presentations and discussions almost always include vague statements to the effect that...

Biggest Policy Failure in County History

Posted by Staff | Feb 24, 2012 | Uncategorized

At every nearly every fork in the solid waste policy road, Orange County has taken the wrong path. Now we are paying a heavy price for the political cage we built to trap ourselves. Starting with the doomed landfill search in...

Creeks Need Your Help

Posted by The Commentators | Feb 10, 2012 | The Commentators

Piedmont Creeks need your help! Rain water is running off roofs, roads, lawns – flowing too quickly into our creeks! Hard surfaces have replaced forest and dramatically reduced the amount of rain water that sinks into the...

Recycling, The Official Religion

Posted by The Commentators | Feb 9, 2012 | The Commentators

The recycling movement has finally become an official religion. Have you ever felt guilty for throwing that glass bottle into the trashcan, instead of the recycling bin? I believe the emotion of guilt should be reserved for...

Ode to a Lenten Rose

Posted by Staff | Jan 25, 2012 | Uncategorized

In January there is not much for a gardener to do, but at the very least you can admire one of my favorite plants, the Lenten rose, or Hellebores. Named for the time that it normally blooms, it has begun its show early this...

Light rail for chapel hill is still a long way off

Posted by The Commentators | Jan 18, 2012 | The Commentators

The long awaited $1.4 Billion light rail transit line project that will span Chapel Hill and Durham is finally getting underway. But it could be another decade before the first rail is laid. That’s what came out of the...

December Gardening

Posted by Staff | Dec 22, 2011 | Uncategorized

You may think there is nothing to do in the garden in December as the weather is bleak and the plants are dormant. But this time of year is wonderful for buying bushes, planting bulbs and keeping poinsettias in your home. First...

Environment

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