Environment

November 20, 2015 - Dirty-energy interests including Duke Energy and Koch Industries' owners are spending aggressively to kill policies that aim to speed the transition to a more environmentally sustainable energy future in states including North Carolina and Florida.

November 13, 2015 - President Obama rejected the Keystone XL Pipeline last week, citing climate concerns. But Canadian tar sands oil is already flowing to refineries in the South, putting vulnerable communities at even greater risk for pollution-related health problems.

November 10, 2015 - Despite new data suggesting increased risks to whales, dolphins and porpoises, Govs. Pat McCrory and Terry McAuliffe are urging federal regulators to allow seismic testing from Delaware to Central Florida.

November 5, 2015 - With opposition to offshore drilling surging in Southeastern coastal communities, the oil and gas industry has begun running print and radio ads touting the supposed economic benefits. But the ads' claims are based on an industry report that economists and scientists warn is misleading.

November 2, 2015 - The nation's largest electric utility is going after a nonprofit energy watchdog for installing a solar system on the roof of a North Carolina church and selling it clean power in violation of state laws granting utilities monopoly status.

October 29, 2015 - Dolphins, porpoises and whales are present in much greater numbers than previously thought in the area along the Southeast coast where seismic surveys to locate offshore oil and gas reserves are planned, according to a federal government working group. Environmentalists are calling for a halt to survey permitting and a new risk analysis.

October 28, 2015 - North Carolina-based Duke Energy, already the nation's largest electric utility, has announced plans to buy Piedmont Natural Gas for $4.9 billion in cash. The merger would expand Duke's natural gas operations — and boost its already outsized political might.

October 22, 2015 - This week another South Carolina town came out against offshore oil and gas exploration and drilling, making opposition unanimous in the state's coastal communities. Will politicians get the message?

October 20, 2015 - Dubbed the "Polluter Protection Act," the controversial legislation that passed the General Assembly with minimal public input offers immunity to companies that self-report pollution while weakening rules designed to protect air and water quality. Environmentalists say it may be the most anti-environmental bill of Gov. Pat McCrory's tenure.

October 15, 2015 - The Georgia-based Federation of Southern Cooperatives is the domestic winner of this year's Food Sovereignty Prize, which honors grassroots activists working for a more democratic food system.