Environment
-
Park Planned for Large Tract Along Lake Wylie Shoreline
Gaston County has purchased one of the largest undeveloped tracts along Lake Wylie to build a massive park with trails for hiking and mountain biking, public access to Lake Wylie and a connection to the Carolina Thread Trail. The culmination of a years-long effort between Catawba Lands Conservancy (CLC), The…
Read More » -
Why Pollinator Gardens Are Important (and Now Legal) in Charlotte
Perfectly manicured turf grass lawns have not only become the norm in America but, in many cases, the law. A vast majority of cities across the country have some form of overgrown vegetation ordinance incorporated in its municipal health and sanitation codes, and Charlotte is no exception. The issue with…
Read More » -
The Ultimate Charlotte Outdoor Adventure Guide, From Whitewater to Greenways
This mix of outdoor adventures presented by NOVEL River District by Crescent Communities At NOVEL River District, luxury and nature come together to create a lifestyle that feels both vibrant and effortlessly connected. Nestled within Charlotte’s expansive River District community, NOVEL invites residents to embrace a more adventurous way of…
Read More » -
How to Transform Your Charlotte Backyard with Three Weekend DIY Projects
Charlotte summers make you want to live outside, but a lot of backyards just aren’t there yet. Maybe your “patio” is a grill on a patch of grass, your garden lives in randomly collected pots, or you’re hopping through mud every time you take the dog out at night. The…
Read More » -
How a Charlotte Program Connects Formerly Incarcerated People to Green Jobs
Getting reestablished is an uphill struggle for people who are coming home from prison or were otherwise involved in the criminal justice system. That was the experience of Candace Beverly, who was involved in the criminal justice system 20 years ago. “My crime was not one that warranted me serving…
Read More » -
Utility Profits Rise as Household Bills Soar, New Analysis Finds
Investor-owned utility profits have soared as consumer utility bills have skyrocketed in recent years, according to a new analysis of dozens of electricity providers. The Energy and Policy Institute, a watchdog group tracking fossil fuel and utility industries, analyzed financial disclosures from 110 investor-owned electric utilities between 2021 and 2024,…
Read More » -
CleanAIRE NC Among Orgs Suing EPA Over Pollutant Exemption
Charlotte-based nonprofit CleanAIRE NC is one of three Southern environmental organizations that has filed a lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s move to grant a “free pass” to companies that could be putting their neighbors at risk through the use of cancerous pollutants, including one in Charlotte. The two-year renewable exemptions,…
Read More » -
OPINION: North Carolinians Want Cleaner Energy, Not Dirty, Dangerous Pipelines
The cost of solar and wind power has dropped so much that it is now cheaper than electricity from gas and coal, and solar and wind power is far more reliable. In fact, during recent winter storms, when many gas and coal plants failed, solar and wind kept working. With…
Read More » -
‘Smart Surfaces’ Report Highlights Effects of Infrastructure on Local Climate
In July 2024, a coalition of community scientists, UNC Charlotte researchers and community organizations dubbed the Charlotte Heat Mappers released an interactive heat map showing that the city’s highest heat indexes were concentrated within a long and narrow urban corridor stretching along South Boulevard, through Uptown and into NoDa along North…
Read More » -
OPINION: NC Does Not Need Massive, Expensive Duke Energy Pipelines
As a single mother of three and cancer survivor, I work hard to lower my bills however I can. After undergoing radiation treatment, I was playing catch-up with many of my expenses. My energy bill was one of the most burdensome, reaching nearly $450 per month for my house in…
Read More » -
Solarize Charlotte-Mecklenburg Campaign Aims to Make Renewable Energy Affordable
A new community-based clean energy campaign called Solarize Charlotte-Mecklenburg is set to launch locally next week with a goal to make solar energy and battery power more affordable and accessible to Mecklenburg County residents. Organizers will celebrate the launch of the time-limited campaign on June 25 with a free introductory…
Read More » -
Badin Lake’s Forgotten History Includes a Missing WWII Bomber
On June 8, 1944, Mary Elizabeth McDaniel rushed out of her home in Palmerville, near Badin Lake’s southern shore, and searched the sky. It was two days after the historic D-Day invasion of Normandy and Mary Elizabeth was looking for her husband, Second Lt. Charles McDaniel, US Marine Corps, whom…
Read More » -
Sustain Charlotte Returns Duke Energy Funding, Citing Role in Regulatory Rollbacks
Local environmental advocacy organization Sustain Charlotte announced Wednesday that it is returning a $10,000 sponsorship fee to Duke Energy after the Charlotte-based energy and natural gas provider called on the Trump administration to roll back certain environmental regulations related to coal ash cleanup, greenhouse gas emissions and other pollutants. Duke…
Read More » -
Hurricane Helene Clean-Up Efforts Continue in Piedmont Lakes
When September 2024 ended with a full week of rainy days in the Piedmont area, Kaity D’Angelo, a volunteer and community science manager with the Catawba Riverkeeper Foundation (CRF), knew waters would be high for the organization’s annual Catawba Riversweep. The one day a year in which citizens from all…
Read More » -
Discovery Place Announces Name, Branding for New Nature Museum
Discovery Place has a name for its newly reimagined nature museum coming to south Charlotte: the Charlotte Museum of Nature. The new museum, slated to open in 2026, is currently under construction on the site of the original Discovery Place Nature facility at 1658 Sterling Road in the southeastern corner…
Read More » -
Historic West End Green District Initiative Continues with New EV Charging Station
Local sustainability nonprofit CleanAIRE NC announced the coming installation of a new electric vehicle (EV) charging station along Beatties Ford Road on Thursday, the fourth such station to be installed along the Historic West End corridor since the Green District initiative launched in 2021. The station will be located at…
Read More »
