The event is sponsored in part by Waste Management, US Bank, McCarty Holsaple McCarty, First Neighborhoods Realty, Fox & Fogarty, East Tennessee Community Design Center, and KBrew.
11 Sustainable Cities and Communities (162)
Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
Monday, 20 February 2023 15:26
Harbingers of spring emerge. Keep faith in the wildflowers.
Written by Shelby Lyn Sanders
Virginia beauty (Claytonia virginica) blooming in the woods reminds us winter is spinning away. Shelby Lyn Sanders
First probing plants and flowers are a sign that winter always ends
There are few who would count winter as their favored time of year, and it is true that one must look harder to find the beauty in a landscape that by all accounts appears forlorn and void of life. But with about a month until the calendar tells us that it is officially spring, winter’s grip is yielding to renewal. It is a time of year that quickens the heartbeat of every naturalist.
The calls of golden-crowned kinglets begin to intermingle with those of the spring peepers, a frog so tiny that it is hard to imagine them capable of such emphatic emissions of sound, and last year’s marcescent American beech leaves preside over persistent, unfurling green lives that would be missed were it not for a careful eye and a curious heart.
The wait has been long, but worth it. With the first sighting of a blooming Virginia spring beauty, the ephemeral wildflower season begins, marking the start of another growing season, another months-long love story spent in awe of nature until the last asters of fall have gone to seed.
For every thing there is a season, and for lovers of the wild, that season is all of them.
A bloodroot (Sangiuinaria canadensis) bloom is seen here in Norris Dam State Park on Feb. 19. John Johnson
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Thursday, 16 February 2023 12:04
Infamous South Knoxville Superfund site will soon take first steps on long road to recovery
Written by Ben Pounds
A sign warns against entry to the Smokey Mountain Smelters Superfund site off Maryville Pike in the Vestal community of Knoxville. Heather Duncan Nelson/Hellbender Press
EPA plans to contain toxic waste and restore waterways; community group will offer guidance
KNOXVILLE — A crowd gathered in the South Knoxville Community Center to hear the Environmental Protection Agency’s long-awaited remediation plan for Smoky Mountain Smelting and its hazardous waste. Others tuned in via the Internet.
The meeting called by Vestal Community Organization took place Feb. 13. The EPA’s presentation and many questions focused on the former Smoky Mountain Smelting site at 1508 Maryville Pike near Montgomery Village Apartments.
Heather Duncan Nelson reported last year for Hellbender Press on the initial cleanup plans.
But citizens this week raised concerns about other contaminated former industrial properties along the same road. Vestal Community Organization plans to hold another meeting at 6 p.m. Feb. 22 to discuss and decide its position on these Maryville Pike properties.
“I was just thrilled and enamored by the way people were listening to the questions and answers,” said Eric Johnson with Vestal Community Organization, adding that he was referring both to the EPA and the citizens.
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- superfund sites in knoxville
- smoky mountain smelters
- south knoxville superfund site
- ben pounds
- montgomery village apartments
- heather duncan superfund site
- smoky mountain smelting
- epa and knoxville superfund sites
- vestal community organization
- vestal knoxville
- south knoxville
- amelia parker
- witherspoon property knoxville
- maryville pike
Thursday, 02 February 2023 15:24
Obsolescence meets absurdity in parking-garage design debates
Written by Kevin J. Krizek and John Hersey
The Pryor Brown Transfer Company and garage is shown in 1936 on West Church Avenue in downtown Knoxville. Established in 1929, it is reputedly the first full-service parking garage in the U.S., and now faces demolition after years of neglect and disuse. Thompson Photograph Collection, McClung Historical Collection
Wasted space or community asset? As urban space dwindles, debate gears up over utility of parking garages
This story was originally published by The Conversation. Kevin J. Krizek is professor of environmental design at University of Colorado Boulder. John Hersey is a teaching assistant professor of environmental design at University of Colorado Boulder.
For the past century, the public and private sectors appear to have agreed on one thing: the more parking, the better.
As a result, cities were built up in ways that devoted valuable space to storing cars, did little to accommodate people who don’t own cars and forced developers to build expensive parking structures that increased the cost of living.
Two assumptions undergird urban parking policy: Without convenient parking, car owners would be reluctant to patronize businesses; and absent a dedicated parking spot for their vehicle, they’d be less likely to rent and buy homes. Because parcels of urban land are usually small and pricey, developers will build multistory garages. And so today, a glut of these bulky concrete boxes clutter America’s densely populated cities.
We have been studying urban development and parking for decades. The car’s grip over city planning has been difficult to dislodge, despite a host of costs to the environment and to the quality of life for many city dwellers.
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Thursday, 05 January 2023 12:06
Hellbent Profile: Amber Parker brings nature to the people
Written by JJ Stambaugh
Ijams Nature Center Executive Director Amber Parker poses with opossum Opal. She was an Ijams animal ambassador for more than three years. “She came to us after her mother was hit by a car and Opal would fit in the palm of your hand. Sadly, Opal passed away earlier this year. Opossums live short lives, usually about three years, so Opal had a nice long one by opossum standards. She was beloved by all and we miss her.” Courtesy Ijams Nature Center
Each year more than 600,000 people visit Ijams Nature Center
This is the second installment of an occasional series, Hellbent, profiling citizens who work to preserve and improve the Southern Appalachian environment.
KNOXVILLE — On any given day, the parking lot at Ijams Nature Center in South Knoxville is packed with cars, trucks, and buses as folks of all ages flock to hike, climb, swim and paddle its 300-plus acres of protected wildlands.
Making sure the center’s 620,000 or so annual visitors have a positive experience interacting with Mother Nature requires dozens of full-time employees plus a generous contingent of volunteers. Ensuring the complex operation stays on course and within its $1.8 million operating budget is a tough job, but Ijams Executive Director Amber Parker has been doing it for six years now and has no desire to be doing anything else.
When Amber talks about Ijams she fairly bursts with giddy, infectious energy. This is a woman who has clearly found her place in the world, and even a brief walk along any of the center’s 21 trails makes one wonder if the land itself hasn’t responded in like fashion to her devotion.
Published in News, Earth, Hellbent Profile, STEAM, 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities, Sports & Recreation
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Tuesday, 20 December 2022 16:13
Knoxville Urban Wilderness will be love at first sight
Written by JJ Stambaugh
Trails at Baker Creek Preserve. Visit Knoxville
City cultivation of urban nature amenities proceeds apace
KNOXVILLE — The latest phase in a multimillion dollar plan to turn the southern end of the James White Parkway into an integral part of the city’s Urban Wilderness officially kicked off Monday afternoon (Dec. 19).
Numerous officials, including Mayor Indya Kincannon, showed up for the groundbreaking of the Baker Creek Pavilion, a key component of the ambitious project.
The city is pouring $2.7 million into the Baker Creek area of the Urban Wilderness Gateway Park, which will offer public restrooms, a picnic area and plenty of parking.
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Thursday, 15 December 2022 17:35
You can help Knoxville become a wood-powered tree city
Written by JJ Stambaugh
This is a basic breakdown on the social benefits associated with robust tree canopy in cities, including the city center of Knoxville, shown here. Knoxville City Government
City kicks off ambitious project to expand the tree canopy that benefits us all
KNOXVILLE — The people in this city sure seem to love their trees.
There is at least one tree for every two people who live within the city limits, but officials say they want to add even more over the next 20 years.
How many should be planted is currently up in the air, as is the right mix of species and where they should go.
Those are just some of the questions that will be answered in coming months as the Knoxville Urban Forest Master Plan is developed by officials from the city and the non-profit group Trees Knoxville in conjunction with several other agencies and interested citizens.
Published in News, Event Archive, ES! Initiatives, Earth, 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities, 13 Climate Action
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- urban canopy works
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- indya kincannon
- madeline rogero
- kasey krause
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- island home
- fountain city
- are there lots of trees in knoxville
This mighty oak is but one of many growing for decades in South Knoxville. Thomas Fraser/Hellbender Press
Contribute to the master plan to grow tree canopy in Knoxville
KNOXVILLE — No matter where you are in the city, you’re not far from a patch or two of trees.
These copses range from small groupings of oaks or dogwoods that are commonly used to mark property boundaries to lush belts of temperate mixed-hardwood forest that sprawl across hundreds of acres.
While Knoxville may be blessed with an abundance of these urban forests, many local residents and leaders believe it’s nowhere near enough.
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- knoxville
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- kasey krause
- urban forester
- tennessee division of forestry
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Monday, 07 November 2022 11:00
Don’t Let Factory Farms Undermine the Organic Label
Written by The Cornucopia InstituteTell the USDA to implement the Organic Livestock and Poultry Standards rule soon — your voice is needed by midnight ET on November 10, 2022
The proposed Organic Livestock and Poultry Standards (OLPS) rule requires that all poultry receive legitimate outdoor access. This move comes after successive USDA delays and in spite of massive public comment urging the implementation of the previous organic livestock update — withdrawn despite over 40,000 comments in favor of better organic livestock standards. Read the Cornucopia Institute’s complete analysis of how we got to this moment.
Yes, It’s little and it’s late! — But neither too little nor too late to make an important difference
Cornucopia has called out factory-organic poultry operations for over a decade. Instead of dustbathing and cavorting in the sunlight, industrial organic hens are crammed into massive barns with screened porches.
The OLPS specifies the amount of outdoor space required for poultry production and improves some management practices for all organic livestock. Questions remain: How soon must existing operations comply?
How long will factory-organic producers be allowed to deceive you by labeling their eggs as organic?
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Monday, 07 November 2022 11:06
Three ways to stir it up this week in Knoxville
Written by Thomas Fraser
“Paying poll tax in a cafeteria.” University of North Texas
Vote. Learn. Participate. Now.
KNOXVILLE — There’s some good vibration in the city this week. Get involved. Get things done.
Vote
Tuesday, Nov. 8 offers you a chance to select candidates for elected offices that might jibe with your thoughts about ways to ensure a healthy future for you and your children.
The ballot in Knox County includes races for state representatives and governor of Tennessee, a local Congressional district race and a proposed state Constitution amendment to reduce union strength. Polls are open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Here’s a Knoxville sample ballot. City public bus lines will offer free transportation to Knoxville voting sites on Nov. 8, according to a release from Knoxville Transit Authority.
Learn
Mayor Indya Kincannon plans to address the Tuesday, Nov. 8 opening session of an expansive alternative fuels conference centered at the University of Tennessee.
The Tennessee Sustainable Transportation Forum and Exposition runs through Wednesday, Nov. 9.
“The research, technology, planning, and policy developments shared at the Forum & Expo aim to improve transportation efficiency, reduce vehicle emissions, and address the mobility needs of all,” per a release from UT.
“The Forum & Expo speakers and panelists will address topics such as alternative fuels and advanced vehicle technologies; mobility and transportation justice, which includes issues of access to transportation, community displacement, and gentrification in sustainable transportation projects; and the intersections of transportation with public health and emergency response.”
Come kick some knowledge about your inevitable electric whip.
Participate
Keep Knoxville Beautiful leans into some hard issues Thursday at its annual summit, slugged this year as an “Urban Reconnection to Nature.”
Knoxville is a leader in connecting its urban heart to green arteries. This year’s KKB summit will focus on sustainable developments in three states.
“We will hear firsthand from experts in the field about equitable and sustainable parks, tree equity, urban canopy, and the renewal of communities. A local panel will bring these topics home to our city and region,” according to organizers. Doors open at 10:30 a.m. at the East Tennessee History Center on Gay Street and presentations begin at 11 a.m.; attendees should register for the event.
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Help control invasive exotic plants Saturday at Oak Ridge cedar barrens
OAK RIDGE — The Oak Ridge Cedar Barren will again be the site of exotic invasive plant removal on Saturday, Nov. 5 as we conduct our fall cleanup, our third and final cleanup of the year. Located next to Jefferson Middle School in Oak Ridge, the Barren is a joint project of the City of Oak Ridge, State Natural Areas Division, and Tennessee Citizens for Wilderness Planning. The area is one of just a few cedar barrens in East Tennessee, and is subject to invasion by bushy lespedeza, leatherleaf viburnum, privet, autumn olive, mimosa, Nepal grass, multiflora rose, and woody plants that threaten the system’s prairie grasses. Our efforts help to eliminate invasives and other shade-producing plants that prevent the prairie grasses from getting needed sunlight.
Volunteers should meet in the Jefferson Middle School Parking lot at 9 a.m., with sturdy shoes, loppers, gloves, and water. The work session will conclude at noon with a pizza lunch. For more information, contact Tim Bigelow at 865-607-6781 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Hellbender Press reported in detail on last year’s Cedar Barren spring cleanup.
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Wednesday, 02 November 2022 12:59
Forward momentum: Growing mountain bike festival features Knoxville trails and ales this weekend
Written by Thomas Fraser
The Whip Contest, set for 3 p.m. Saturday at Drop Inn, is a perennial crowd favorite at the annual Appalachian Mountain Bike Club Fall Festival. Courtesy AMBC
With food trucks, demos and contests, this year’s family-friendly bike festival is ready to roll. And they haven’t forgotten about the Vols.
KNOXVILLE — There’s a different kind of homecoming set for this weekend. It doesn’t feature football, but it still involves wheel routes. It’s a celebration of the city’s unique outdoor recreational offerings in an urban center.
The Appalachian Mountain Bike Club, a 650-member posse devoted to the acquisition, maintenance and marketing of regional mountain bike trails for multiple uses, hosts its 13th FREE annual fall festival Nov. 4-6, centered around Baker Creek Preserve and the rest of the Urban Wilderness.
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Friday, 21 October 2022 17:31
Advance Knox envisions three trajectories for development in Knox County, wants your opinion by Oct. 31
Written by Wolf Naegeli
Advance Knox proposes three growth scenarios for the future of the unincorporated areas of Knox County.
If you missed the community meetings and the Zoom event during Advance Knox’s “Choices Week,” you can still take the survey online!
If you are unfamiliar with the Advance Knox project, you may find it helpful to watch the first 19 minutes of the Choices Week webinar recording before taking the survey.
“Advance Knox is a process to prepare a land use and transportation plan for Knox County that is informed by research and community input,” according to its website.
In March 2022, Advance Knox offered a first round of public input opportunities during its “Ideas Week.” As reported in Hellbender Press, community meetings were held all over the county. Participation opportunities at special group presentations, a Zoom webinar, and individual commenting on the website were similar to those of Choices Week.
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Tuesday, 11 October 2022 16:24
DOE energy justice official: New power paradigms must protect the poor
Written by Thomas Fraser
The inordinate burden of energy costs is shown in this slide presented by Tony Reames during a discussion of energy injustice at the University of Tennessee Howard Baker Center. U.S. Department of Energy
Department of Energy official pushes goals for energy equity in midst of power turmoil
KNOXVILLE — Energy injustice seems abstract until you run extension cords to your neighbor’s house and store their food in your fridge because their power got cut off.
What else are you supposed to do? Maybe start raising hell about the utility inequities faced by poor people that are clearer every day in an energy marketplace scarred by war and inflation and manipulated by global petroleum cartels?
“We’re at a critical moment in our society. Across the globe, we are hearing about energy insecurity, energy, affordability issues, a lack of resources,” said Tony Reames, Department of Energy deputy director of energy justice, a newly created position at DOE.
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- howard h baker jr center for public policy
- tony reames
- energy injustice
- energy conservation
- minority energy use
- doe energy justice
- inflation reduction act
- inflation reduction act clean energy
- energy injustice black americans
- poverty
- utility disconnection
- energy insecurity
- make home more energy efficient
- social justice
- lowincome household
- minority household
Thursday, 29 September 2022 12:16
APIEL, the 13th Appalachian Public Interest and Environmental Law conference is set for Saturday, October 1
Written by Wolf Naegeli
ELO is a student-run organization at the University of Tennessee College of Law. It is not directly affiliated with the University of Tennesse or any particular non-profit organization. It is dedicated to providing students and attorneys with learning opportunities and leadership experiences.
Networking environmental leaders across Appalachia and the State of Tennessee
Knoxville — APIEL is a relative newcomer to the small circle of inclusive U.S. public interest environmental law conferences. Because it is organized by law school student volunteers, APIEL is affordable to attend for students as well as citizens from all walks of life.
APIEL is much loved and considered essential by regional nonprofit leaders and activists. It is also highly acclaimed by seasoned environmental lawyers. With just 12 conferences under its belt, APIEL has risen to rank among leading peer conferences with a much longer track record, such as the Public Interest Environmental Law Conference (PIELC) at the University of Oregon School of Law (39 events), the Red Clay Conference at the University of Georgia School of Law (34) and the Public Interest Environmental Conference (PIEC) at the University of Florida’s Levin College of Law (28).
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- public interest
- environmental law
- university of tennessee college of law
- environmental issue
- tva
- pipeline controversy
- natural gas
- climate change
- dean rivkin
- john m rosenberg
- public interest lawyering in appalachia
- continuing legal education tennessee
- appalachian public interest and environmental law conference