Common Appalachian

Common Appalachian

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The Environment

What We Lose When Everything Gets Sold
From church attendance and homemade goods to poetry readings and local activism, many things only flourish when beyond the reach of market forces that…
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Jeffrey Howard
3
Multiple Wildfires Devastate Hurricane-Ravaged Polk County
Polk County's wildfire response has been severely complicated by Hurricane Helene's aftermath, with emergency officials battling three fires across…
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Jeffrey Howard
13
As Appalachia Rebuilds from Hurricane Helene, Trump Administration Guts the Forest Service
The Trump administration's termination of over 3,000 Forest Service employees, including 17 in western North Carolina, undercuts southern Appalachia's…
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Jeffrey Howard
1
These Local Farmers Have an Answer for Western NC's Agricultural Crisis
A Hmong farming family in the NC foothills leverages traditional agricultural practices to fight local farmland loss while mentoring new farmers through…
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Jeffrey Howard
2
Remembering the 104 North Carolinians Lost to Hurricane Helene
North Carolina officials finally release the names of the 104 Hurricane Helene victims.
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Jeffrey Howard
5
Where Are All the Appalachians of Color in News Coverage of Hurricane Helene?
While Appalachia is home to a disproportionately high white population, the lack of media outlets covering Hurricane Helene's impact on Appalachians of…
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Jeffrey Howard
1
Hurricane Helene: When Things Fall Apart
Some things can’t be fixed. Some things lost, are lost forever.
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Jeffrey Howard
3
'There's Not Enough Water': Foothills Residents Sound Off Against the Catawba River Basin Water Transfer
During a public forum regarding Charlotte's request for an additional 30 million gallons per day from the Catawba River Basin, residents decried its…
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Jeffrey Howard
1
Conservation Groups Propose Environmental Guidelines for Controversial Great Meadows Megasite
Potentially up to 1,300 acres of rural land directly south of Lake James could be developed for industrial use. If the project moves forward, several…
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Jeffrey Howard
2
Speaking of a Sense of Place
Drawing inspiration from writer Robert Macfarlane and philosopher David Abram, we consider what it means to take the name Appalachia upon oneself.
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Jeffrey Howard
8
This Is Common Appalachian
Common Appalachian envisions Southern Appalachia as a distinct cultural area and bioregion devoted to communitarian values.
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Jeffrey Howard
© 2025 Jeffrey Howard
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