At WFAE, we expanded our climate coverage in 2021. That meant launching a new climate newsletter and taking a more focused approach to reporting on this all-important topic. From sea-level rise on the South Carolina coast to the lingering effects of a gas spill in Huntersville to debate over a lithium mine west of Charlotte, these are some of the most important climate and environment stories we told this year.
The impact of COVID-19 on Charlotte’s Black and Latino communities and a local elementary school. A legacy of asbestos contamination in Davidson. Stories of resilience in the face of the pandemic. A deep dive into the cost of the U.S. health care system and a look at the climate cost of North Carolina’s growing wood pellet industry. These were the topics of WFAE’s special series this year.
Is there anything more precious than our natural resources and the world around us? This year, we expanded our reporting on energy, the environment and
Wood from the Carolinas is increasingly being used overseas for energy. While the industry creates jobs, communities are also paying a price. WFAE's climate reporter David Boraks and WUNC's Celeste Gracia talk about their series "The Wood Energy Dilemma with Morning Edition host Marshall Terry.
The U.S. wood pellet industry has grown almost 60% since 2016. Companies are cutting trees and making pellets, mainly to feed power plants in Europe and