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We read news reports that Gov. Tim Kaine appointed Arlington State Del. David Englin to yet another commission to study poverty in Virginia. While we certainly welcome that the governor’s and the General Assembly’s desire to measure the extent of poverty in Arlington and Virginia, we’re puzzled by the call to “study” what census data…
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Dear EarthTalk: Has the recent violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo threatened the populations of lowland gorillas? How many are left? – Glenn Hammond, San Francisco, Calif. The short answer is yes, dramatically. Not to be confused with Western Lowland Gorillas, which are thriving in significant numbers in neighboring Congo (a recent census counted…
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We are often faced with “you have reached your insurance limit” or “we believe you have reached your possible learning rehabilitation.” When faced with this, you just want to give up and vegetate. Any brain injury denial can take a perilous turn in our lives especially if it is garnished by people that surround us…
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Dear EarthTalk: Is there any truth to the rumor about high levels of birth-control chemicals being found in some cities’ drinking water? If so can these be filtered out? – Elizabeth Yerkes, via e-mail It is true that trace amounts of birth control and other medications—as well as household and industrial chemicals of every stripe—are…
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Today, we are nearing an auspicious occasion in all of our lives. Just as our college seniors around the country line up, preparing to walk across the stage to accept their diplomas, filled with pride, excitement, and perhaps a wee bit of trepidation, we all line up too – virtually, digitally. For we, America, are…
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In the past few decades, a term called Parental Alienation Syndrome (PAS) or Parental Alienation (PA) has been used in family courts to describe a situation where one parent poisons the mind of the child against the other parent. While it is true that some mothers (and fathers) intentionally bad-mouth their spouses or partners, several…
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Eastern Mennonite University is offering two new undergraduate majors, “peacebuilding and development” and “environmental sustainability,” that draw on EMU’s core values in these areas. Both programs will provide hands-on opportunities for students to be agents of change in their local communities and around the world, combining a concern for the earth and its people and…
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From every corner of the Fifth District, I hear about how folks are struggling with the lack of broadband Internet access. Two weeks ago, I hosted a roundtable discussion on rural broadband, this time in Altavista after the last one in Rocky Mount. At the roundtable, the need for better broadband access was made abundantly…
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Freelance photography pays the bills, and it offers some free time to go exploring the world that 2008 James Madison University grad Evan Dyson put to good use. “You get an evolving eye every time you have a camera in your hand. It all builds upon itself. You can never really be at the top…
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A near-$50 million project would transform the South River Complex into The Mill at South River. And perhaps help transform Downtown Waynesboro into a jewel on the riverfront. “This can be such a neat project for Waynesboro,” said Beverly Shoemaker of Winchester, the owner of the 40-acre property with a history as an economic engine…
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