Understand the issues facing Appalachia

Discover what's happening in Appalachian communities and why it matters. We aim to make complex issues understandable, empowering you to ask better questions, follow the money, and decide what action truly makes a difference. Your journey to informed stewardship begins here.

AI data centers and their impact

AI data centers are already being built across Appalachia. They require enormous amounts of electricity, water, and land, while communities are often asked to weigh promises of jobs and growth against long-term costs.

Here we look at what is being built, who benefits, who pays, and what questions Appalachian communities should be asking.

When Development Threatens What We Carry

Appalachia holds more than scenery. Burial grounds, battle sites, old roads, family cemeteries, historic communities, waterways, and places of cultural memory are written into this land.

Development can erase those places before communities even know what is at risk.

Here we look at what may be lost, how development decisions are made, and why knowing the history beneath our feet matters.

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Economic promises and community costs

Data centers are often sold to communities with promises of jobs and economic growth. At the same time, companies may receive substantial tax incentives to build.

Appalachian communities have heard promises from extractive industries before. We deserve to know how many permanent local jobs are created, what public resources are committed, and who benefits from the deal.

Follow the money. Ask who profits. Ask who pays.

Your next step matters

You do not have to take on every issue.

Learn about the one that matters to you. Share reliable information. Ask a local official a question. Write a letter. Support preservation work. Or sit down with a neighbor and explain what you have learned.

Pick one thing.

Then do the next right thing you can do.

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