3 Good Health and Well-Being (64)
Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
Editorial: Clean energy jobs under attack and imperiled in Southeast
Written by Stephen Smith
Macon-based Blue Bird is among Southeastern manufacturers that invested heavily in electric vehicle development thanks in large part to parts of the Inflation Reduction Act. The Biden-era IRA is facing blowback from the Trump administration, and the GOP-led Congress is trying to claw back billions already committed by the law. Blue Bird
After DOGE, thousands of jobs still threatened and climate action under assault by GOP-led Congress
Stephen Smith is the executive director of the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy and chairs the Board of Directors of the Foundation for Global Sustainability, of which Hellbender Press is a project.
KNOXVILLE — As we navigate the complex landscape of America's energy transition, the Southeast finds itself at a critical juncture where federal policy decisions are attempting to block and reverse our region's clean energy future—and push up your monthly utility bills. This is not hyperbole; it is a sad reality that needs a strong response from those of us who want a clean, safe, vibrant future in which we all thrive.
The GOP-backed bill that moved from the House to the Senate threatens to undermine $73 billion in clean energy investments across our region by abruptly blocking federal policy support that has unleashed America’s clean energy economy, grown manufacturing and investments in the Southeast, and given citizens across our region ways to save money on energy while protecting human and environmental health.
If passed, this legislation could trigger utility rate increases nationwide, hitting households already struggling with rising costs. The timing couldn't be worse, as utility companies across the Southeast are rushing headlong into expensive and risky ventures—from nuclear plant construction to powering energy-hungry data centers—without adequate planning, regulation, or public input. Georgia Power's latest Integrated Resource Plan process and TVA’s rush to build new small nuclear reactors exemplify this troubling trend, proposing changes virtually guaranteed to increase customer bills while maintaining heavy reliance on polluting fossil fuels.
Editorial: I’m from Oak Ridge. Federal cuts threaten my career as a scientist.
Written by Sarah Nelson
Sarah Nelson stands with a copy of The Journal of Undergraduate Research, which ran her first scientific publication in 2003. It was researched during her time as an intern at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Nelson is now a senior research scientist. Derek Armstrong via BlueSky
Federal science cuts, in Oak Ridge and beyond, threaten American health and innovation
Sarah Nelson, MPH, PhD, is a senior research scientist in Seattle studying the genetic causes of complex health conditions. Hellbender Press has previously reported on changes to Oak Ridge federal facilities since the start of the second Trump Administration. This op-ed was originally published by KnoxNews.
OAK RIDGE — My mother has been cleaning out the attic in her Oak Ridge house and very reasonably decided my sisters and I should become the stewards of the memorabilia from our childhoods and early adulthoods. The box she recently mailed me included my first scientific publication, from my undergraduate summer internship at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory Mammalian Genetics Section (the “Mouse House”) in 2002.
Over 20 years later, I am a senior research scientist and author on 60+ scientific publications mostly related to understanding how genetic variation contributes to different human diseases.
Even before I received that box in the mail, I had been reflecting on why I chose a career in scientific research — mainly because, since January, I am no longer sure if and how I will be able to continue pursuing it. Federally funded scientific research is being attacked and dismantled by the administration of President Donald Trump, threatening the entire scientific enterprise. The situation is dire, and I urge you to join me in staying informed and speaking out against these existential threats to science.
Play Knoxville: Put an idea pin in public recreation assets, greenways and parks
Written by City of Knoxville
Those with ideas they want to contribute to the Knoxville Parks and Rec master plan can do so by way of an interactive map. Shown here are many of the center city’s public recreation assets. Note the size of the Urban Wilderness, a valuable natural and recreational resource accessible to the visitors and the city’s 200,000 residents. Hellbender Press
The city invites the public to share input on the future of Knoxville parks, including greenways and the urban wilderness; citizens can put a pin in a park with their ideas
KNOXVILLE — The public engagement phase for Play Knoxville, the City’s Parks & Recreation Master Plan, is now underway. The master plan will help guide investments in parks, greenways, community centers and programming over the next decade.
The planning process started in January with the formation of a steering committee of community leaders. Since then, city staff and consultants from Perez Planning + Design have conducted dozens of focus groups, one-on-one meetings with City Council and cabinet members, and site visits to nearly 70 parks across Knoxville.
Over the coming weeks, community members will have multiple opportunities to provide input through neighborhood and community meetings; public events; direct outreach and social media engagement; an interactive mapping tool and an online survey.
The Play Knoxville website is now live.
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Industry-backed legislation would bar the science behind hundreds of environmental protections
Written by Sharon Lerner
Trichloroethylene is among the chemicals deemed a serious public health risk by way of the Environmental Protection Agency’s IRIS database. Legislation in Congress could bar the use of IRIS and its associated scientific methods from being used to calculate the environmental and human health risks of chemicals such as TCE, a proven carcinogen. ChemLibrarian/Wikipedia Commons
Two bills in Congress would prohibit the Environmental Protection Agency from using hundreds of chemical assessments completed by its IRIS program in environmental regulations or enforcement.
This story was originally published by ProPublica.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — For decades, Republican lawmakers and industry lobbyists have tried to chip away at the small program in the Environmental Protection Agency that measures the threat of toxic chemicals.
Most people don’t know IRIS, as the program is called, but it is the scientific engine of the agency that protects human health and the environment. Its scientists assess the toxicity of chemicals, estimating the amount of each that triggers cancer and other health effects. And these values serve as the independent, nonpartisan basis for the rules, regulations and permits that limit our exposure to toxic chemicals.
Now IRIS faces the gravest threat to its existence since it was created under President Ronald Reagan four decades ago.
Legislation introduced in Congress would prohibit the EPA from using any of IRIS’ hundreds of chemical assessments in environmental rules, regulations, enforcement actions and permits that limit the amount of pollution allowed into air and water. The EPA would also be forbidden from using them to map the health risks from toxic chemicals. The bills, filed in both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives earlier this year, are championed by companies that make and use chemicals, along with industry groups that have long opposed environmental rules. If it becomes law, the “No IRIS Act,” as it’s called, would essentially bar the agency from carrying out its mission, experts told ProPublica.
“They’re trying to undermine the foundations for doing any kind of regulation,” said William Boyd, a professor at UCLA School of Law who specializes in environmental law. Boyd noted that IRIS reports on chemicals’ toxicity are the first step in the long process of creating legal protections from toxic pollutants in air and water.
“If you get rid of step one, you’re totally in the dark,” he said.
If the act passes, companies could even use the law to fight the enforcement of environmental rules that have long been on the books or permits that limit their toxic emissions, environmental lawyers said.
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Stand in the Middle at McClung Museum
Clint Carroll, a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, will talk Feb. 27 at McClung Museum about the Cherokee philosophy of the ‘Middle Way.’
KNOXVILLE — A central aspect of Cherokee worldview is ᎠᏰᎵ ᎦᏙᎬ (ayehli gadogv), or “Standing in the Middle,” a philosophy that humans occupy a role in a web of complex interactions between mutually dependent organisms. Standing in the Middle emphasizes the importance of balance and reciprocity in persisting relationships.
A lecture at 4:30 p.m. Feb. 27 at McClung Museum, 1327 Circle Park, Knoxville, will feature Dr. Clint Carroll, who will explore how Standing in the Middle informs ecology, conservation, management practices, epistemology and science communication in the face of unprecedented anthropogenic (human-caused) change.
Light refreshments will be available before the lecture.
Clint Carroll is associate professor of Ethnic Studies at the University of Colorado Boulder. A citizen of the Cherokee Nation, he works closely with Cherokee people in Oklahoma on issues of land conservation and the perpetuation of land-based knowledge and ways of life.
UT vet school declines to treat wild birds, including raptors, songbirds and waterfowl, in deference to bird flu threat
Written by Sandra Harbison
Veterinary college takes precautionary measures due to bird flu resurgence
Sandra Harbison is a media relations specialist with the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine.
KNOXVILLE — High Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), a very contagious and often deadly disease of poultry, can result in the deaths of entire flocks within a matter of days. Also known as bird flu, HPAI has recently been detected in wildlife and poultry in Tennessee. This virus can spread quickly between birds, including birds that do not have any signs of disease. It has been reported to impact certain mammalian species, including humans, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There is no treatment for HPAI, and the best prevention is to avoid sources of exposure.
Out of an abundance of caution, the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine (UTCVM) has made the difficult decision to temporarily halt the acceptance and treatment of injured or abandoned wild birds including raptors, songbirds or waterfowl (including owned waterfowl). This precautionary measure will help protect patients, faculty, staff and students from potential exposure to HPAI.
(The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency on Dec. 18 warned hunters, birdwatchers and poultry owners of increased bird flu risk. The CDCP as of Jan. 24 considers bird flu “widespread” in wild bird populations and reports limited outbreaks in poultry and livestock workers.)
Play real simcity with Knoxville plan for housing
A streetscape of downtown Knoxville. City leaders want input into how the city will spend federal housing dollars. Thomas Fraser/Hellbender Press
KNOXVILLE — The City of Knoxville will host a public meeting at 6 p.m. Jan. 28 at the City’s Public Works Service Center, 3131 Morris Ave., to present information and data gathered about the city’s housing and neighborhood development needs that will be used to draft the 2025-2029 Consolidated Plan.
All attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions and provide feedback.
Every five years, the city’s Housing and Neighborhood Development department creates a Five-Year Consolidated Plan to outline how the city plans to allocate federal funds to meet local priorities in the categories of affordable housing, homelessness, economic development and other community development activities that serve low- and moderate-income households. Those annual funds come from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)’s Community Development Block Grant, HOME Investment Partnerships, and Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) funding sources.
This meeting continues a community engagement process that began in 2024 with public meetings and consultations with service providers and community groups. More than 600 residents have been involved thus far.
Residents will be able to review the draft Consolidated Plan in April and provide additional feedback before the plan is submitted to HUD by May 15, 2025.
In addition to commenting in person, residents may provide feedback via email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or in writing to Linda Rust, City of Knoxville Housing and Neighborhood Development Department, P.O. Box 1631, Knoxville, TN 37901.
Conservation starters: Some of the best science papers of 2024
Sukakpak Mountain lies in the Brooks Range of Alaska. Mountain environments were the subject of a conservation paper that found more protections are needed for the many differing types of montaine environments. “Mountains are super-important for biodiversity, ecosystem function, and the benefits people get from nature. We ignore them at our peril,” said a Society for Conservation Biology researcher. Bob Wick/Bureau of Land Management
Scientists churned out studies on life, the planet and the roles people play in the natural world
This story was originally published by The Revelator.
Every month scientific journals publish hundreds of new papers about endangered species and wildlife conservation. It’s a firehose of information in a world that feels increasingly in flames.
We asked researchers to send us their best or favorite papers of the past year. We received submissions that offer hope, guidance, analysis, and insight into emerging threats.
Aerin Jacob, director of science and research at Nature Conservancy of Canada, sent a coauthored paper from Conservation Biology about mountains — a habitat type that deserves more attention. “People often think that mountain ecosystems are so rugged and inaccessible that they don’t need habitat protection, but that’s not true,” she wrote. “We studied six major mountain regions around the world and found that on average half of them are as modified as the rest of the world; two-thirds of them don’t (yet) meet the 30×30 global protection target; and existing protected areas don’t include the vast majority of mountain ecosystem types. Mountains are super-important for biodiversity, ecosystem function, and the benefits people get from nature. We ignore them at our peril.”
One noteworthy study of 2024 was the role public information consumption plays in the perception of sharks, such as this endangered Caribbean Reef Shark. A researcher warns misinformation is polluting science. Brian Gratwicke via Revelator.
TWRA warns of bird flu spikes throughout Tennessee; urges caution from hunters, farmers and bird watchers
Written by Lee Wilmot
Even small backyard flocks, such as the one seen here in South Knox County, are susceptible to fatal avian influenza. The state of Tennessee issued guidelines and warnings as the number of bird flu outbreaks soars. Thomas Fraser/Hellbender Press
If you have birdfeeders at home, remove any dead birds you may encounter and stop feeding; minimize any poultry/wildlife interactions
Lee Wilmot is a TWRA information specialist. This story will be updated.
NASHVILLE — The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency is reminding hunters to remain vigilant and take appropriate precautions as reported cases of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) increase among wild birds, backyard domestic flocks and commercial poultry flocks in the Southeast. HPAI is highly contagious among bird populations and is known to be deadly for domestic fowl.
(California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Dec. 18 declared a state of emergency in California as cases in that state jump dramatically).
“Numerous states in the Mississippi Flyway are reporting HPAI detections that are leading to dead and dying birds, mainly snow geese,” said Jamie Feddersen, TWRA Migratory Gamebird Coordinator. “Tennessee is also finding ducks and geese with HPAI. Hunters should follow safety precautions when handling these birds.”
“Since March 2022, Tennessee has confirmed numerous cases of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in wild birds, including ducks, Canada geese, vultures and a Bald Eagle,” said TWRA Wildlife and Forestry Chief Joe Benedict. “We urge homeowners and hunters to take precautions to prevent the spread of the disease in Tennessee and to protect wildlife and poultry populations.”
A long, sad tale of when coal ash filled a valley so low
Written by Ray Zimmerman
In the early morning hours of Dec. 22, 2008, the earthen wall of a containment pond at Tennessee’s Kingston Fossil Plant gave way. The breach released 1.3 million cubic meters (1.7 cubic yards) of sludge, infiltrating a nearby river and damaging dozens of homes. NASA Earth Observatory
Journalist’s book offers deep sweep of 2008 coal-ash disaster at TVA’s Kingston coal plant
CHATTANOOGA — Jared Sullivan’s book, Valley So Low, is “A courtroom drama about the victims of one of the largest environmental disasters in US history — and the country lawyer who challenged the notion that, in America, justice can be bought.” Those words from the publisher’s dust jacket sum up the story, but the pathos of workers, certain that they got sick on the job, and the lawyer’s struggle against a well-funded corporate defense, is in the details.
Most residents of the Tennessee Valley remember the 2008 disaster when a wall of a coal ash slurry rushed out of the Kingston Steam Plant, flooding the Emory River and inundating 300 acres of the surrounding countryside.
Sullivan offered insight into the story to an audience in Chattanooga in October. When workers fell ill after the cleanup, local personal injury lawyer Jim Scott challenged Jacob’s Engineering, a private company the Tennessee Valley Authority contracted to manage the cleanup. Scott was the only lawyer willing to take their case, according to Sullivan.
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State your case in local quest to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
KNOXVILLE — The Knoxville Regional Transportation Planning Organization seeks the public’s feedback on greenhouse gas emissions in East Tennessee. Take this brief survey and make your voice heard:
- The survey takes about 10 minutes to complete and covers topics like climate change, energy efficiency and transportation to shape ongoing efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the region. The survey is open through Sept. 30 at www.knoxbreathesurvey.com
- Residents of all nine counties within the Knoxville Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) — Knox, Anderson, Blount, Campbell, Grainger, Loudon, Morgan, Roane and Union — are encouraged to take the survey and make their voices heard.
- The Knoxville MSA was one of 82 metropolitan areas in the U.S. selected by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to receive a planning grant to create a regional emission reduction plan as part of the agency’s Climate Pollution Reduction Grants (CPRG) program. “BREATHE” is the name for the Knoxville region’s CPRG initiative.
- More information on “BREATHE” can be found at knoxbreathe.org
CANCELED Rural Resources 2024 Incredible Farm Dinner Downtown
The annual Incredible Farm Dinner Downtown is a Greeneville tradition celebrating local farms and community. Hosted by Rural Resources Farm & Food Education Center, many local sponsors, business, farms, churches and the Town of Greeneville make this grand event possible. This dinner sells out every year — a testament to its success and the value of the Rural Resources programming it supports. Rural Resources
With the devastation across Greene County, we have decided to cancel this evening’s Incredible Farm Dinner Downtown.
Thanks to your support, we will donate the meals to those displaced, as well as first responders.
Please join us in praying for Greene County as we all help each other get through this difficult time.
Our Sincerest thanks for your continued support of the Rural Resources Farm Education Center.
Warmest Regards,
The Rural Resources Staff & Board of Directors
GREENEVILLE — This year the superlative annual fundraiser for the Farm & Food Education Center of Rural Resources will benefit Rural Resources’ Teen Training Program. The event will start at 6 p.m. on Saturday Sept. 28 at 615 West Main St. and feature Chef Elise Clair. She is creating a colorful seasonal menu sourced by our Greene County and East Tennessee neighbors.
Hailing from Richmond, Virginia, and a graduate of East Tennessee State University, Clair has a solid 25 years of experience in the culinary industry and scratch kitchens. Now with 15 years as vice president of JDD Enterprises, Clair maintains operations for The Main Street Pizza Company locations in Johnson City and Kingsport, River Creek Farm based in Limestone, River Creek Catering, and County Line Pie in Chuckey.
Claire focuses her menus and garden on seasonal Appalachian standards, highlighting local products from other Central Appalachian region growers and producers. On the farm, Clair and her partner maintain a non-certified organic practice fruit and veggie garden across multiple acres.
We invite you to desire, smell, taste and experience the quality of the freshly harvested meal prepared for you at The Rural Resources Incredible Farm Dinner. Hurry to secure your seats at the table!
Nov. 2: Talk about the weather with NOAA scientists
This event was rescheduled from a previous date.
MORRISTOWN — The regional office of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is hosting a free open house featuring tours, scientific discussions and chats with area forecasters intimate with the intricacies of Southern Appalachian weather.
Stop by the regional office, 5974 Commerce Blvd. in Morristown, any time between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 2 to learn about the National Weather Service as a whole, tour operations and learn what a typical work day looks like at the weather-service office.
Highlights include chances to meet meteorologists and weather-service partner agencies; explanations of when and how severe weather alerts are issued; an introduction to weather radar and radio; hydrology discussions; and hands-on science activities for children.
Growing a Food Forest
Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, 5:30 p.m. at Barrelhouse by Gypsy Circus (621 Lamar Street). RSVP on Facebook
Green Drinks Knoxville will host an in-depth discussion with Dave Maasberg on how he maintains his food forest including some rare heirloom apple varieties, figs, pears, blackberries and more. He will bring samples to try and fruits for purchase to savor at home.
Raised around agriculture and the vanishing small-scale, midwestern family farm, Dave has always held a special place for fruit trees and perennial plants. After a Foraging and Wild Edible Plants class at Indiana University, his desire to create a food forest and sustainable homestead quickly turned into a reality. After over 20 years of planting and maintaining various fruiting plants on a reclaimed hillside, he is excited to share his journey with us. He currently helps others with plantings, from small scale to larger projects.
Green Drinks Knoxville is a social and professional organization that convenes open-minded folks to encourage education and conversation about the environment, green technologies, sustainable lifestyles and more.
Our events are free and open to the public. We welcome all and support racial diversity, gender equality, and LGBTQ inclusivity.