The Urban and Community Forest program from the U.S. Department of Agriculture has allocated billions in grant funding across the U.S. — including Georgia — to increase urban tree canopies and the workforce in this area equitably. Grant funding was made possible through the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) funds. The Urban and Community Forest program […]
Author Archives: Mark Lannaman
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Puente para la Gente survey reveals glimpse into Latino community’s priority on environmentalism, climate change
Georgia-based Latino organization GALEO and BSP Research recently released the results of their survey Puente para la Gente, which covered a range of issues — one of them being climate and environment. Approximately 500 people were surveyed across Georgia from Aug. 19 through Sept. 18, 2023. The survey had 29 questions total with some questions […]
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11-year-old Atlanta native competes on national game show
Selah Thompson, an 11-year-old from Atlanta, represented herself and the city well when she competed in the show “Innovators of Awesome,” hosted by KiwiCo. The show launched last month and its grand finale aired early this month. It saw three kids competing in a series of challenges and engineering KiwiCo projects towards a $25,000 scholarship […]
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Georgia coalition wins $250 million grant for energy grid upgrades
The Georgia Environmental Finance Authority (GEFA), along with a coalition of partners, announced a grant on Oct. 18 from the Department of Energy for $250 million for the Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships (GRIP) program, which is aimed at enhancing resiliency and flexibility of the electric grid. GRIP is a product of the Bipartisan Infrastructure […]
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Microgrid trailer debuts at sustainability event and exemplifies what future disaster resilience could look like
A traveling microgrid on a trailer debuted at Ray Day earlier this month, and looks to shift disaster response towards reliable renewables. Microgrids are what they sound like — a miniature version of an electric grid. The electricity grid the vast majority of us use is a centralized one, and microgrids are an alternative that […]
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Southface hosts annual Visionary Dinner at Agnes Scott
Southface Energy Institute, known colloquially as Southface, hosted its annual visionary dinner earlier this month on Tuesday, Oct.10 and raised nearly $165,000. The dinner celebrated the work from the past year while also acting as a fundraising event for the future. The night was filled with people, food and music at a venue in Agnes […]
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ATL Trains project launches its website and makes its argument for a regional commuter train network
ATL Trains, a proposed mass transportation overhaul for the city, is more than a passion project — it’s Atlanta’s potential. Now, it has an official website to go with it. In early September, ATL Trains officially launched its website, and with it, a central point to direct advocates and skeptics alike to the idea. The […]
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Lenox Square and Phipps Plaza partner with Susan G. Komen for Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Lenox Mall and Phipps Plaza are all in for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. On Saturday, Oct. 21, Lenox Square will host the annual Susan G. Komen Georgia MORE THAN PINK Walk, which is complemented by Shop with a Purpose campaign happening at the two shopping centers all month. Susan G. Komen is a national breast cancer organization […]
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A new Georgia Tech exhibition explores the intersection of sustainability and art, hosts artist talk
A new art exhibit at Georgia Tech titled “Extension of Community: What it Means To Be Sustainable in a Digital World” opened last month on Georgia Tech’s campus. The exhibit examines “what it means to exist in today’s technology-enabled world while ensuring our planet can thrive,” according to the website, adding that it looks to […]
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Black-led nonprofit legal bootcamp kicks off last week
Pro Bono Partnership Atlanta kicked off a bootcamp for Black-led nonprofits last week at the Georgia Center for Nonprofits, who provided the space free of charge. Justine Cowan, senior corporate counsel for Pro Bono Partnership of Atlanta heading the program, said Black-led nonprofits often face issues of funding and being short-staffed — particularly during the […]
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Georgia Rivers Gala celebrates 25 years of river protection with a clear message: Protect the Okefenokee
The Georgia Rivers Gala brought together dozens of stewards for Georgia’s rivers, with a clear position on one of Georgia’s most precious natural resources. On Friday Sept. 8 The Georgia River Network celebrated a quarter-century of protecting the state’s rivers and waterways. The event saw guests from Sen. Jon Ossoff to Muscogee (Creek) Nation Chief […]
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Run up a check for education: Atlanta nonprofit hosts annual 5K for charity
Kaleidoscope Child Foundation ran it back with their annual 5K Walk/Run for Education this past weekend. On Sunday Sept. 10, hundreds completed a 5K in Virginia Highlands, with all proceeds going towards the foundation for education. Kaleidoscope began in 2004 after the founder David Ault took a trip to the city of Siem Reap in […]
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Something’s in the air: two Atlanta organizations to initiate air pollution monitoring in underserved communities
The Center for Sustainable Communities (CSC) announced a grant of $498,401 from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for the study Monitoring Air Pollution in Underserved South Atlanta (MAP-USA). Similarly, AQEarth just announced it would be hosting an environmental justice tour, in conjunction with local groups West Atlanta Watershed Alliance (WAWA) and Community Health Aligning Revitalization, […]
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Inaugural Youth Sustainability Development Conference highlights youth role in a clean energy transition
The inaugural Youth Sustainability Development Conference was held in Atlanta this past weekend. The theme of the conference was energy justice. As the world shifts away from fossil fuels and towards a clean energy future, the conference sought to emphasize a just — fair and equitable — transition, and why it’s important the youth of […]
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The College Football Hall of Fame offers free admission to kick off the college football season
The College Football Hall of Fame is kicking off football season with a treat — free admission. On Saturday Aug. 26 the venue will be open to all, free of charge, for Football Fest & Free Day to celebrate the new football season. Kimberly Beaudin, president and CEO of the Hall of Fame, is excited […]
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The annual AgLanta Eats returns to the Atlanta Botanical Gardens
See Kelly Jordan’s photos from AgLanta Eats below this article. AgLanta, the City of Atlanta’s urban agricultural department, was joined with Groundwork Atlanta to bring the popular AgLanta Eats festival back to Atlanta on Aug. 21 for the second year in a row. It was previously paused in 2020 and 2021 due to COVID-19, but […]
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New study shows Atlanta has the 46th-lowest homelessness rate in the U.S. and the 25th-lowest home values out of the 50 largest metros in the country
Metro Atlanta has the 46th lowest rate of homelessness of the 50 largest metro areas in the country, according to a recent study from Clever Real Estate published on Home Bay that looked at home values vs homelessness rates. Metro Atlanta has a homelessness rate of 52.7 per 100,000 people. That’s a relatively low number […]
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Atlanta hosts the Black Men’s Mental Health Conference, highlights importance of access to care in Black community
As an emphasis on mental health continues to take shape in the country, one conference aims to provide resources and make care more accessible to an often-neglected group. On Saturday, July 15, Atlanta welcomed the Black Men’s Mental Health Conference (BMMHC) with hopes of reaching the titular demographic. Camillia Harris, founder of justUS — focused […]
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Historic 395 Edgewood Ave building sees groundbreaking ceremony for its redevelopment
On Tuesday, July 11, a groundbreaking ceremony was held at a neglected building on historic Edgewood Avenue in Downtown Atlanta which will become the site of BE on Edgewood. Fulton County Commission Chairman Rob Pitts attended the ceremony, along with dozens of other community leaders. The redevelopment is being headed by Navmar, LLC. Marjan Yavari […]
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‘How I’d Fix Atlanta’ gives an outlet to say what we’re all thinking
The newsletter How I’d Fix Atlanta (HIFA) has made a name for itself as a collective journal of grievances — and solutions — for Atlanta, by Atlantans. Since 2022, the newsletter has published 14 essays (and counting), the first 10 of which comprise “season one.” The essays each dive into a problem and solution for […]
