sustainability
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Sustainability
Georgia Farmers Face Mental Health Crisis as Suicide Rates Increase
“Growing up on a farm, you know, we were kind of taught to mind our own business … We might talk about somebody who’s got cancer down the road, but they wouldn’t talk about somebody that’s had mental health issues. You just didn’t talk about that,” said the Georgia Agricultural…
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Sustainability
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…
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Sustainability
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…
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Athens-Clarke County
Athens Leaders Weigh High-Performance Construction Against Housing Shortage
In Athens-Clarke County, the push toward a 100% clean energy by 2035 is colliding with a stubborn housing shortage. For the people working to solve both problems, the tension is constant. Melinda Lord, director of Housing and Community Development for Athens-Clarke County, doesn’t hesitate when asked whether affordable housing and…
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Environment
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…
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Athens-Clarke County
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…
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Sustainability
Life Without a Car: Is Walkability What We Miss Most About College?
As spring approaches, graduates leave behind the city and campus alumni often reminisce about: Is the reason Americans miss college so much its walkability and built-in sense of community? It is common in other countries or large cities like New York or D.C., where public transportation is prevalent, to live…
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Athens-Clarke County
Community-Owned, Community-Saved: Daily Groceries Co-op Stands Resilient
Daily Groceries Co-op has been an Athens institution since 1992, but earlier this year, the community nearly lost it for good. Unlike a chain grocery store, a co-op is owned by the people who shop there. Members buy in, have a say in how the store is run, and any…
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Athens-Clarke County
Teaching Conservation: How Athens-Clarke County is Protecting Water
Clean water is essential for any community to thrive. From the necessity of having clean drinking water to fostering a healthy ecosystem, water conservation is not a practice that should fly under the radar, especially in a large, diverse community such as Athens-Clarke County. The average American home uses about…
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In-Depth
Denied Jackson County Rock Quarry Underscores Growth Vs. Groundwater Concerns
The fight over a proposed rock quarry in Jackson County has grown from a local zoning dispute into a broader debate over groundwater protection and drinking water, something far more personal to residents in affected communities. In May 2025, a Jackson County Superior Court judge upheld the county’s denial of…