Policies and Perceptions Surrounding Issues of Climate Change in Southern Appalachia: Air Pollution and Global Warming

Scope: 

Southern Appalachia, a subregion of Appalachia, is an environmental victim of industrial forces. The region, once rich in natural resources that fulfill basic human needs, faces problems of scarcity, environmental degradation, and resource loss. If current industrial trends continue, the future of Southern Appalachia looks even more barren. One of the greatest challenges facing human kind today is rapid climate change. The Southern Appalachian Region is a major contributor to two factors that influence climate change: air pollution and global warming. Due to the US government’s treatment of Appalachia as a colonial state, the exploitation of resources and people have left many dependent on an exploitive industrial sector, rather than on environmentally and economically sustainable resources. While some people in the region are conscious of the exploitive nature of the industrial sector, many in the region are unconscious or, rather, mislead. This project is designed to explore Southern Appalachian perspectives and politics in relationship to current environmental policy associated with climate change.

Introductory Text: 

Caudill, Harry. Appalachia: The Dismal Land. [s.1: sn, 1967] “ Reprinted from Dissent .” 8 pages. ASU APP COLL STACK HC 107. A37 C19.

Bagby, Jane W. Environment in Appalachia: Proceedings from the 1989 Conference on Appalachia . Lexington, Kentucky: The Center. 140 pages. ASU APP COLL STACK HCI 10. E489 1989.

Governors’ Summit on Mountain Air Quality (1st: 1999: Asheville, NC). Governors’ Summit Mountain Air Quality: Asheville, North Carolina, April 6-7, 1999/NC Division of Air Quality, NC Department of Environment and Natural Resources. Raleigh: The Division, 2000. Pages 1-23, appendices C & D. ASU GOV Microfilm: NC C28 9:G72.

Landy, Marc Kaarnis. The Politics of Environmental Reform. Washington DC: Resources for the Future. Intro and Conclusion.

Library of Congress Subject Headings: 

Highly Relevant:

  • Acid rain--Appalachian Region
  • Air--Pollution--Environmental Aspects--Appalachian Mountains
  • Air Quality Management--Appalachian Region, Southern
  • Appalachian Regional Commission
  • Appalachian Region, Southern
  • Climatic Changes
  • Environmental Policy--Appalachian Region
  • Global Warming-- Appalachian Region
  • Pollution--Appalachian Region

Also Relevant:

  • Appalachian Region--Economic Conditions
  • Coal Mines and Mining--Appalachian Region
  • Community Development--Appalachian Region--Citizen Participation
  • Energy Conservation--Appalachian Region
  • Environmental Health
  • Forest Declines--Appalachian Mountains
  • Forest Declines--Appalachian Region
Clipping Files Subject Headings – W. L. Eury Appalachian Collection: 
  • Appalshop
  • Environment
    -air
    -acid rain
    -power plants
  • Highlander Research Center
  • Pollution
Library of Congress Call Numbers: 
  • TD191
  • HC107
  • F21
  • Z1251
  • SB745
  • TD173
Books: 

Norris-Hall, Lachelle. Pollution Industries in the South and Appalachia: Economy, Environment, and Politics. New Market, TN: Highlander Research and Education Center, 1990. 14 pages. ASU APP COLL STACK TD191.5 .N670 1990.

Ayers, Harvard; Hager, Jenny, and Little, Charles E. An Appalachian Tragedy: Tree
Death in the Eastern Forest of North America. San Francisco: Sierra Club
Books, 1998. 216 pages. ASU APP STACK OVSZ SB745 .A67 1998.

Fisher, Steven, ed. Fighting Back in Appalachia: Traditions of Resistance and Change. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 1993. 365 pages. ASU APP COLL STACK HN79.A127 F54 1993.

Lewis, Helen M.; Johnson, Linda; and Askins, Donald, eds. Colonialism in Modern America: The Appalachian Case. Boone, NC: Appalachian Consortium
Press, 1978. 370 pages. ASU APP STACKS: HC107 .A13 C68.

Gade, Ole; Stillwell, Daniel; Rex, Art, cartographer. North Carolina: People and Environment. Boone, NC: GEO-APP Publishing Company, 1986. 284 pages. ASU APP COLL STACK OVSZ: GF504.N8.G3 1986.

Gaventa, John; Smith, Barbara E.; and Willingham, Alex, eds. Communities in Economic Crisis: Appalachia and the South. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 1990. 301 pages. ASU APP COLL STACKS: HC107 .A127 C65 1990.

Appalachia into the 80’s: A Conference on Energy and Health Care Cost Containment. An Appalachian Regional Commission Conference, October 22-29, 1979. Binghamton, NY: Czerenda’s Court Reporting Service, 1979. ASU APP COLL STACK TJ163.25.U6 A69 v.1-8.

Guides, Encyclopedias, and Dictionaries: 

A Guide to Appalachian Studies. Stephen L. Fisher, J. W. Williamson, Juanita Lewis, eds. Boone, NC: Appalachian State University, 1977. 192 pages. vol. 5, no 1. ASU APP COLL STACKS: F106 .A137 G6. (See pp. 23, 116, 156)

We’re Tired of Being Guinea Pigs!: a handbook for citizens on environmental health in Appalachia. Merrifield, Juliet, compiler; Kenny, Maxine, ed. New Market, TN: Highlander Research and Education Center, 1980. ASU APP COLL STACK
TD1.3.A137 W4.

Challenges for Appalachia: energy, environment and natural resources: a handbook of reference materials/ prepared by the staff of the Appalachian Regional Commission. Moore, Elizabeth C. (Coordinator). Washington: Appalachian Regional Commission, 1976. Pages 1-105, 511- 543. ASU GOVT US Y 3.AP 4/2:8/EN 2.

Bibliographies: 

Appalachian Bibliography. Morgantown: West Virginia University Library. 2 vols. in one. ASU APP COLL STACKS: Z1251 .A7 A6 1980. See vol. 1, pp. 427-430, 24-37, 784, 785, and 784.

Bibliography of the Southern Appalachians. Charlotte T. Ross, ed. Boone: Appalachian Consortium Press, 1976. Page 96 ASU APP COLL OVERSIZE: Z1251 .A7 B5x.

Fighting Back in Appalachia. Stephen L. Fisher, ed. Philadelphia: Temple Univ. Press, 1993. Pages 239-269. ASU APP COLL STACKS: HN79 .A127 F54 1993.

Fisher, Stephen L. “Selective Bibliography for Appalachian Studies.” Appalachian Journal: A Regional Studies Review. Boone, NC: Appalachian State University. v. 1, 1972 to present. ASU APP COLL STACKS: F216.2 .A66. See v. 9: Winter-Spring 1982 issue, pp. 209-242.

Appalachian Studies Bibliography 1994-1998. WVA University Library Appalachian Collection. WVA libraries Appalachian Collection [comp.file]. Morgantown WV: WVU Libraries. www.libraries.wvu.edu/appalachian/bibliography.htm.

World Cat. Access to over 36 million records of any type (books, journals, CDs, videos, etc.) cataloged by OCLC member libraries. Includes manuscripts written as early as the 11th century. Updated daily.

Abstracts and Indices: 

Applied Science and Technology Full Text. 1983-present (updated monthly)
Available on & off campus | Applied Science & Technology Abstracts covers more than 400 English language scholarly and trade journals in the general fields of engineering, computers, chemistry, applied mathematics, energy, and a wide variety of applied sciences. Abstracts begin with 1993. Bound: 1958-1995 (1983-1995 IN 1st FLOOR STORAGE). ASU REFERENCE: T1.A68.

Basic BIOSIS [computerfile]. FirstSearch, 1994-present (updated monthly)
Available on & off campus |
BasicBiosis contains citations, with abstracts, from 375 core life science journals. Subjects covered include biology, botany, ecology, environment, genetics, microbiology, biochemistry, and public health. ASU WEB ACCESS.

GEOBASE [computer file]. 1980-present (updated monthly) Available on & off campus GEOBASE contains citations, with abstracts from more than 2,100 international journals, books, theses, conference proceedings and reports in geography, geology, ecology, and related disciplines. ASU WEB ACCESS.
Science Direct [computer file]. Elsevier Science, Full Text, 1996-present.
A database of over 800 electronic journals covering Elsevier Science journals in the life, physical, medical, technical, and to a lesser extent social sciences. ASU WEB ACCESS

Journals: 

Appalachia: Journal of the Appalachian Region Commission. Washington, DC: Appalachian Regional Commission. Vol. 1, 1967 to present. Last received, April 2001. Published three times a year Jan- April 1996, Bimonthly September 1967-1986, Quarterly summer 1987-1995. ASU APP COLL STACKS: HC107 .A137 A3. Microfiche vol. 31 no.1, ASU PERIODICALS Y3.AP4 12:9-21.

Appalachian Journal: A Regional Studies Review. Boone, NC: Appalachian State University. v. 1, 1972 to present. ASU APP COLL STACKS: F216.2 .A66. Indexed in vols. 25:2, p 239; 25:4, p452; 24:3, p270-271, 350; 24:1 p106-9; 27:2, p216; 28:2, 265; 28:3, p398.

Journal of the Appalachian Studies Association. Johnson City, TN: Center for Appalachian Studies and Services. Lib has vols. 1- 7. ASU APP COLL STACKS: F217 .A65 J68.

Rural Sociology. Baton Rouge: Rural Sociology Section, American Sociological Society. Library has Microfilm: v.1-5, 1936-1940; v.13-31, 1948-1966. Bound: v.5-18, 1940-1953; v.25, 1960; v.31, 1966 to present. ASU PERIODICALS.

Websites: 

APPALNET: (a LISTSERV hosted by the University of Kentucky and operated by volunteers. Postings are restricted to LIST members but are un-moderated and unrestricted by editors. APPALNET subscribers offer and receive news about current issues gleaned from major newspapers in the region as well as information of interest to scholars, activists, and Appalachia-lovers both in and outside the region).

Center for Appalachian Studies and Service. http://www.cass.etsu.edu (East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN: “A hub of scholarly, educational and public service, and artistic projects addressing the needs and interests of the Appalachian region.”

Highlander Research and Education Center . http://www.hrec.org (Since its founding in 1932 as the Highlander Folk School, the Center “has been dedicated to eliminating poverty and winning the right to genuine and meaningful democratic participation for all people ... by providing support to grassroots individuals and organizations working to address the profound inequities that are so deeply rooted in the political and economic structures and culture of Southern communities”).

Samab (Southern Appalachian Man and the Biosphere) News. http://sunsite.utk.edu/samab/
SAMAB is public/private partnership that describes itself as a program to “promote the achievement of a sustainable balance between the conservation of biological diversity, compatible economic uses and cultural values across the Southern Appalachians.” ASU APP COLL STACK.

Audio and Video Sources: 

Public forum (sound recording): Appalachia citizen action to preserve the environment. Lexington: Appalachian Center, 1989?. ASU APP COLL REC TAPE.

Science and Public Policy [videorecording]/ produced and directed by Linda Coutan t. Appalachian State University: Boone, NC, 2000. ASU APP COLL VIDEO VC 114.

Our Choices [videorecording]: lifestyles and environmental consequences/ produced by Linda Coutant; directed by John Watkins. Appalachian State University: Boone, NC, 2001. ASU DVD/FILM/VIDEO VC 10795.

Compiled by: 

Compiler: Vanessa G. Hill, 7 November 2001

Subject: