Author Archives: Mark Lannaman

Last week, Commissioner Ted Terry (DeKalb District 6) introduced a resolution to create a resident-led environmental justice commission that would enable citizens to more directly influence environmental policy in their communities. The reason behind the introduced legislation and an increased focus on environmental justice is a simple matter of due diligence, Commissioner Terry said. “DeKalb […]

Goodwill of North Georgia is using April, recognized as Second Chance Month by the U.S. Bureau of Justice Assistance, to look back on the last four years of its workforce return programs in which nearly 5,000 people were assisted back on their feet across various industries. Goodwill of North Georgia is the regional extension of the larger […]

Indian Creek Station, which currently stands as an isolated station amidst a sea of parking at the end of MARTA’s Blue Line, is set to get a makeover that reflects changing ideas towards urbanism and transit. MARTA continues to make waves, with one of the latest being the unveiling of their design for development of […]

In March, the Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) filed a lawsuit on behalf of the Coosa River Basin Initiative (CRBI), a nonprofit aiming to protect the Coosa River Basin, over the presence of PFAS found in drinking water. PFAS — short for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances — are a group of thousands of synthetic compounds […]

The Institute for Georgia Environmental Leadership (IGEL) has its new environmental leadership class for 2024 — a cohort of 30 environmental leaders from across the state in a number of sectors, all working with a common interest: being good stewards for the environment. The program has been around for over 20 years, with now more […]

Austell got a little greener on Saturday, March 23 with the planting of a food forest at South Cobb Recreation Center. The event also doubled as the Roots of Resilience Program kickoff, which is being facilitated through RCE Greater Atlanta — a functional network of United Nations University that seeks to advance the sustainable development […]

Last Thursday, researchers from Georgia Tech released a report titled “Energy Burdens of Black Households in Georgia” that analyzed the disproportionate effects of energy burdens on Black households in the state and its ramifications.    The report, more than 40 pages, is divided into seven sections that look at the problem of energy burden in Black […]

Atlanta and Savannah are two of 25 cities selected for the Bloomberg American Sustainable Cities initiative.  The three-year, $200 million initiative launched this month and aims to “turbocharge 25 U.S. cities’ efforts to leverage historic levels of federal funding to proactively build low-carbon, resilient, and economically thriving communities” according to the program’s website.  With the […]

On Monday, March 4, the Atlanta City Council passed a resolution (24-R-3186) to bolster the Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) by adding a natural areas team and a director of natural resources. The resolution is seen as a step in the right direction for parks and natural areas advocates. Since 2020, 80 percent of […]

The first section of the Silver Comet Trail Connector is coming to fruition. The Woodall Rail Trail broke ground in late February and when completed early next year, it will connect the future Northwest BeltLine trail to an area near The Works on Atlanta’s Westside. It’s the first section of a larger connector that looks […]

SIGNIFY, a Black-led online streaming platform that started the night as HUeMAN TV, held SIGNIFest last Thursday at the Gathering Spot, where they announced the name change along with a new focus of the platform: uplifting Black women creatives. The night featured a number of short films that celebrated independent filmmakers, with a focus on […]

On Friday Feb. 16 a coalition of environmental organizations gathered at the Georgia state capitol to hold an environmental justice day. The gathering was in support of HB 1263, which would mark Georgia’s premier environmental justice law, which now awaits a committee assignment.  The bill includes creating an environmental justice commission appointed by state lawmakers […]

The College Football Hall of Fame is celebrating a story of one of the most powerful combinations in American history — sports and civil rights. The Wyoming Black 14 were honored with their own display for Black History Month. The Wyoming Black 14 dates back to October of 1969. John Griffin was a starting slot […]

In addition to celebrating its 35th anniversary, the park-advocating nonprofit Park Pride is also celebrating the largest investment in local parks in its history. This week, Park Pride announced $3.9 million in funding across 37 parks in the City of Atlanta and DeKalb County.  Michael Halicki, executive director of Park Pride, said he’s excited about […]

The City of Atlanta hosted its inaugural “Affordable Housing Week”, which started on Monday Feb. 12 and ran until Friday Feb. 16. It comes at a time when affordable housing is a quickly rising concern for many residents. Affordable Housing Week also began the Welcome H.O.M.E. (Housing Opportunity Moves for Everyone) process, a new initiative […]

Whether you’re for the environment or the economy — or both — the data is clear: clean energy is a great investment. A report released at the Georgia Clean Energy Summit on Thursday in Atlanta highlights the high return on investment for Georgia in the clean energy industry. Much of the advancement of the clean […]

On Thurs. Feb 8, Mercedes Benz Stadium hosted the joint Atlanta Veterans Job Fair in partnership with  RecruitMilitary and Disabled American Veterans (DAV).  The event had 640 veteran registrants and featured nearly 50 exhibitors. The mission, according to RecruitMilitary, was to empower veterans and help them find meaningful work in their next stage of life. […]