Displaying items by tag: environmental activism

UNC Asheville seems poised to develop a 45-acre forested tract in North Asheville into university amenities and housing. A grassroots movement has emerged to fight the proposal, such as Save the Woods, which has 3,000 members on Facebook.  Save the Woods via social media

The university indicates development of 45-acre wooded property is pending as community rallies 

Noah Poulos is a farmer, writer, educator and UNC Asheville graduate who lives in Western North Carolina.

ASHEVILLE — Many have come to know a small forest in North Asheville as an extension of their home.

In these humble woods of the Experimental Forest, near a botanical park and U.S. Forest Service research station, pileated woodpeckers peck vigorously in the canopy. Towering pines dapple the light on the forest floor as day turns to dusk.

It is a place that has become a mainstay of this community and people are deeply connected to it — through stories, memories, relationships and a deep appreciation for what a small woodland can offer.

This forest, while open to the public, is owned by UNC Asheville, which recently shared plans to develop it for additional campus amenities. 

Opposition has arisen to the university’s development plans, especially since a statement from the institution that strongly implies development will proceed as part of an overall expansion and revenue plan. 

Photo courtesy of Third Act via The Revelator

As their twilight approaches, elders supercharge climate action on behalf of future generations 

This story was originally published by The Revelator. Eduardo Garcia is a New York-based climate journalist. A native of Spain, he has written about climate solutions for Thomson Reuters, The New York Times, Treehugger and Slate. He is the author of Things You Can Do: How to Fight Climate Change and Reduce Waste, an illustrated book about reducing personal carbon footprints.

Thousands of senior Americans took to the streets in March in 30 states to demand that the country’s major banks divest from fossil fuels.

This “rocking chair rebellion” — organized by Third Act, a fast-growing climate action group focused on older Americans — shows that Baby Boomers are becoming a new force in the climate movement.

Third Act cofounder Bill McKibben, who joined a Washington, D.C., protest, says it’s unfair to put all the weight of climate activism on the shoulders of young people. It’s time for older Americans to take a central role.

“Young people don’t have the structural power necessary to make changes,” McKibben tells The Revelator. “But old people do. There are 70 million Americans over the age of 60. Many of us vote, we’re politically engaged, and have a lot of financial resources. So if you want to press either the political system or the financial system, older people are a useful group to have.”