The Environmental Journal of Southern Appalachia
1 No Poverty

1 No Poverty (5)

End poverty in all its forms everywhere

Wednesday, 22 January 2025 12:24

Play real simcity with Knoxville plan for housing

61441676 2534604046552233 8039343196519530496 nA 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.

Last modified on Wednesday, 29 January 2025 23:41

KUB and SACE provide a guide to a home efficiency uplift

KNOXVILLE — Are you looking to take control of your utility bills to not only save money but also breathe easier knowing your home is healthier and more comfortable? Join us this Wednesday, May 17, from 6-8 PM for a free workshop to learn about newly available, once-in-a-generation funding, resources, and rebates that everyone can benefit from, regardless of if you own or rent your home, or if you have high or low income, through local and federal funds.  

KUB is providing free (yes, free) home energy improvements for income-eligible customers through the Home Uplift program. New or repaired HVAC units, attic and wall insulation, appliances, and electric water heaters are just a few of the home energy upgrades that you may receive. Plus, professional crews are ready and waiting to do the work so you don’t have to. 

— Southern Alliance for Clean Energy

Canopy Nexus Hotel after floodingFlooding is seen outside a popular hotel in Pakistan following historic and devastating flooding linked largely to the melting of highland glaciers.  Wikipedia Commons

Global population growth promises a drastic spike in public health emergencies

This story was originally published by The Conversation. Maureen Lichtveld is dean of the School of Public Health at the University of Pittsburgh. 

There are questions that worry me profoundly as an environmental health and population scientist.

Will we have enough food for a growing global population? How will we take care of more people in the next pandemic? What will heat do to millions with hypertension? Will countries wage water wars because of increasing droughts?

These risks all have three things in common: health, climate change and a growing population that the United Nations determined passed 8 billion people in November 2022, which is double the population of just 48 years ago.

Last modified on Thursday, 22 December 2022 00:47

Food myths hurt Mother Earth

 Save money and our planet with tips from  Cheddar News

The average American family of four annually spends more than $2,000 on food they never eat!

Nearly one in nine people suffer from hunger worldwide.

Agriculture contributes to global greenhouse gas emissions, deforestation and soil degradation.

Climate change increases crop losses.

One third of all food produced in the world is lost or wasted.

It’s not just the food that’s wasted.

Consider the energy wasted to grow, process and transport it.

That all contributes to climate change, food shortages and to the rising costs of food, energy and health care.

Food waste stresses our environment, humanity and the economy.

— EarthSolidarity™

reames1The inordinate burden of energy costs is shown in this slide presented by Tony Reames during a discussion of energy injustice at the University of Tennessee Howard Baker Center.  U.S. Department of Energy

Department of Energy official pushes goals for energy equity in midst of power turmoil

KNOXVILLE — Energy injustice seems abstract until you run extension cords to your neighbor’s house and store their food in your fridge because their power got cut off.

What else are you supposed to do? Maybe start raising hell about the utility inequities faced by poor people that are clearer every day in an energy marketplace scarred by war and inflation and manipulated by global petroleum cartels?

“We’re at a critical moment in our society. Across the globe, we are hearing about energy insecurity, energy, affordability issues, a lack of resources,” said Tony Reames, Department of Energy deputy director of energy justice, a newly created position at DOE.

Last modified on Tuesday, 11 October 2022 23:07