Environment
-
Georgia Landowners Work To Protect The Land They Love
For some Georgia landowners, the trees on their property are more than trees. These green spaces are the places where people grew up, the farms where they spent summers, or the land where families went hunting in dense forest together. As development continues to expand across Georgia, landowners are looking…
-
Athens’ Tree Canopy: A Community Rooted in Shade
Inside the Athens loop is a street lined with mature oaks and maples, where the canopy stretches overhead like a living roof. In neighborhoods such as Forest Heights, trees are more than aesthetic scenery. They are a legacy of resilience and community care. In 2005, Athens-Clarke County adopted the Community…
-
Is Athens on Track to Meet its Clean-Energy Goal for 2035?
Seven solar trackers move with the sun in the parking lot of the Athens-Clarke County Library, providing shade for patrons while generating electricity for the building. For library manager Niké Shimobi-Obijuru, the trackers are also a visible example of how the county is implementing renewable energy in its public facilities. “They’re…
-
Rural Oconee County Residents Concerned About Frequent Power Outages
Repeated power outages in the town of North High Shoals and nearby communities in western Oconee County have left residents questioning the reliability of their electricity provider and seeking answers about when the outages will be addressed. “Sometimes it is seven, eight times in a month,” said Joy Sizemore, a…
-
How Local Debates Over Data Centers Leak into Water Scarcity Concerns
For most people in Georgia, water is a convenience accessible with just a simple twist of the faucet. Few would consider it a scarce commodity unless it was no longer a convenience. Yet water resources fluctuate throughout the year, and deplete fastest during warmer months due to the increased usage…
-
Electric Vehicles: Experts, Consumers Weigh the Costs, Benefits
Electric vehicles (EV) have been around for decades, but with the growing concerns emissions have on our environment, the question has become, are electric vehicles worth the investment despite the hassles of charging and planning? At the core of the EV movement is a goal for lower carbon emissions. According…
-
Why Composting Is Accessible, but Not Widely Practiced
As spring gardening season begins in Athens-Clarke County, some residents are rethinking what happens to their food scraps. Food waste makes up a large portion of what ends up in landfills, where it breaks down without oxygen and produces methane, a powerful greenhouse gas. While composting offers an alternative, it…
-
Into the Wild: UGA Students Head Outdoors for Summer Internships
For students at the University of Georgia in wildlife-based majors, internships can provide for unique adventures. However, encountering these kinds of opportunities is challenging due to the specialization of their studies, and with decreased funding in recent years, many students have struggled to secure internships in their chosen field. Hamilton…
-
A Strawberry Legacy is Replanted at Merk Farm
Early summer Saturday mornings at the Merk Farm in Commerce, Georgia, have taken on a whole new meaning after Ali Merk introduced strawberry season. After waking up before the sun and fueling with coffee, Ali doesn’t have a moment to sit. She handles the full load of daily labor: watering…
-
Athens-Clarke Sees Unexpected Tradeoff from Solar Garden Project
When you think of a garden, you likely envision a lot of green. The Athens Regional Library unveiled its own garden in April of 2024; however, it wasn’t the traditional green but a solar garden. As Athens-Clarke County moves toward its 100% clean energy goal for the year 2035, it…