Whataburger, the fast food chain headquartered in San Antonio, can officially call Atlanta home of its 1000th franchise in the nation thanks to the location that just opened in Vinings. The celebration was met with dozens of Whataburger executive leadership, along with representatives from Coca-Cola and Cobb County Chamber of Commerce. Other partners included the […]
Category: Mark Lannaman
Mark Lannaman is a current graduate student at the Georgia Institute of Technology. He holds a B.A. from Georgia State University and an M.S. from Georgia Tech. He has previously worked with WABE as an intern for the Atlanta Press Club. Mark was a 2021 National Association of Hispanic Journalists mentee, 2021 Every Learner Everywhere fellow, & 2022 Society of Environmental Journalists fellow. He enjoys reporting on topics including sustainability, environment, education and urban development. Born and raised in Metro Atlanta, his family comes from Jamaica and Colombia. One of his favorite quotes is, “You cannot discover new oceans unless you have the courage to lose sight of the shore” -André Gide.
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Energy efficiency and housing justice walk scheduled on Martin Luther King Jr. Day postponed, but the mission moves forward
Street Teams for Energy Efficiency and Climate Resilience, a coalition born out of Atlanta advocating for energy efficiency, scheduled their annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service walk around energy efficiency in Virginia. Street Teams has grown to have coalitions marching in places as far as Hawaii, Michigan, Virginia and of course, Georgia. Due […]
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Nonprofit looks to increase rooftop solar accessibility for low income households
A nonprofit is seeking to increase access to rooftop solar for lower and moderate-income households in Georgia through a program called Georgia BRIGHT, which stands for Building Renewables & Investing for Green, Healthy, Thriving Communities. Capital Good Fund, the nonprofit running Georgia BRIGHT, is looking to install between 150 and 200 rooftop solar systems as part […]
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Georgia Energy Exchange 2024 in review: Georgia keeps its foot on the gas for electric vehicles
The Georgia Energy Exchange was held in Buckhead on Friday and featured Public Service Commissioner (PSC) Tim Echols, who is seeking reelection. Echols has been a PSC commissioner since 2011. The Public Service Commission is the regulatory body for the state of Georgia which oversees utility providers in the state including Atlanta’s Georgia Power. The […]
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Rivian EV manufacturing project moves forward in Morgan County after judge dismisses challenge
Supporters of the proposed $5 billion Rivian electric vehicle manufacturing plant in Morgan County, Ga., got a big win this week after a judge dismissed a zoning challenge that would have paused the project. The project was first announced in December 2021. Rivian, founded in 2009, has become a major player in the electric vehicle […]
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First Mercedes-Benz charging hub in North America opens in Atlanta
Mercedes-Benz opened its first charging hub in North America in Metro Atlanta. The opening took place at Mercedes-Benz headquarters in Sandy Springs on Nov. 15. It marks the beginning of a $1 billion investment from Mercedes-Benz in partnership with MN8 Energy to build out “North America’s fastest electric vehicle (EV) charging network by the end […]
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Atlanta-Charlotte high speed rail one of several projects to receive federal funding for studies
The dreams of high-speed rail (HSR) enthusiasts just came one step closer to reality. On Friday, Dec. 8, the White House announced $8.2 billion in funding for HSR projects and HSR corridor studies around the country — one of the largest investments of its kind. One of the HSR corridors to be studied would connect […]
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‘City in the Forest’ gets a little greener: Multiple Georgia entities win Urban and Community Forestry Grants
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 […]
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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, […]
