August 17, 2022

From Coal Ash to Pipelines: How an Activist Continues to Fight Climate Change

From coal ash to pipelines: here is how one activist continues to fight climate change. She is passionate about protecting Virginia’s waterways, and what started in the fight against coal ash dumping, a known carcinogenic waste made by coal-burning power plants, led to a journey in fighting fossil fuel infrastructure like the Atlantic Coast and… Read more


August 10, 2022

How Pipelines are Hurting Wildlife

A pipeline undoubtedly has a significant effect on the areas which they cover, affecting the landscape as well as the people, animals, and natural environment around them. The Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) construction over the past several years has raised a variety of unique and salient questions about its impacts, which have included river and… Read more


August 2, 2022

Biden and Manchin Make Deal to Advance Mountain Valley Pipeline

The White House has agreed to advance the Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) as part of a permitting reform plan in Congress, Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) said yesterday. Nancy Pelosi and President Joe Biden agreed to pursue permitting reform legislation so Manchin would support a budget reconciliation package on climate change. Legislation would require federal agencies to… Read more


camera lens canva
July 20, 2022

Outdoor Photographer Talks About Getting Closer to Nature

In her words, being in nature has helped Alison Thomas “look at the big picture”… An apt expression, since Thomas spends her days outside taking pictures of some of the most beautiful outdoor vistas and getting closer to nature through this work. Thomas is an outdoor photographer, and her photography, which includes black and white… Read more


Eastern tiger swallowtail butterfly (Papilio glaucus) feeding on a purple coneflower after a rainy morning at the Norfolk Botanical Garden in Norfolk, Virginia.
July 11, 2022

Native Plants and Why Local Genotype Matters for Ecosystems

Tune in to this episode of Wild Virginia Coffee Talk to learn more about native plants and why local genotype matters. A plant is considered native if it has grown naturally in a particular region, ecosystem, or habitat without human interference. Exotic plants that evolved in other parts of the world or were cultivated by humans… Read more


construction
July 5, 2022

MVP Opposition Continues Amid New Permits: A Chance for Public Action

***July 12 Update: The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has added 15 days to a public comment period for the proposal to allow four more years to complete the Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP). The new deadline is July 29, 2022. Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) is again asking federal regulators for a slew of new permits… Read more


June 28, 2022

PFAS and Other Pollutants in YOUR Water

The world’s freshwater resources are constantly threatened by a host of different pollutants. These pollutants enter our streams and drinking water from a plethora of sources. As we have produced more and more new materials and products, the numbers and types of contaminants in water have multiplied exponentially. In many cases the effects of particular pollutants and… Read more


June 13, 2022

Climate Investor Who Challenged Warren Buffet Shares Call to Action on Pipelines

Freeda Cathcart is a climate investor who challenged Warren Buffet, and for decades, was a passive owner of utility company stocks, content with dividend checks and confident that regulators had her and the environment’s best interest. In 2017, Trump rolled back federal oversight of the industry and changed everything. Cathcart believes pipelines and gas won’t be economically… Read more


plastic bottles
June 8, 2022

Toxic Chemicals You May Have in Your Home and Why You Need to Quit Plastic

Alex, owner at Dogwood Refillery, joins the Wild Virginia Coffee Talk podcast to chat about the toxic chemicals associated with plastic, why you need to quit them, and simple (realistic) ways to weed plastic out of your life. Dogwood Refillery is a conscious market offering low-waste and bulk refill goods for you and your family… Read more


Photo of lake with trees around it. An example of a water body in Virginia that could be protected by the Clean water act
May 25, 2022

CWA50: Water Quality Standards and Remedying Unhealthy Waters

Water quality is a primary focus of the Clean Water Act (CWA). The CWA protects water quality by regulating pollutant discharges into surface waters so as to maintain and restore unhealthy water. But how do you know whether a lake, stream, river, estuary, or other water body is healthy? And what happens when it is… Read more