Jeff Hughes is a Director of the School of Government’s Environmental Finance Center and a School of Government Faculty Member What would you say to an economic development initiative that brings together a diverse set of partners; effectively advances local, state, and global environmental goals; r … Read more

Jeff Hughes is a Director of the School of Government’s Environmental Finance Center and a School of Government Faculty Member Jake Wicker, a long time faculty member at the School of Government, used to like to say that Governments don’t pay for anything and that it’s the people who pay – Governmen … Read more

There are quite a few energy efficiency projects that pay themselves back in energy savings in a matter of years, sometimes months.  According to my freshman college environmental studies professor, these projects are better than a free lunch;  they’re “a lunch that you’re paid to eat.” Yet, if a pr … Read more

John Stephens is a School of Government faculty member. The following is taken from James Svara’s introduction to an International City/County Management Association (ICMA) survey regarding local government efforts to promote sustainability. The 2010 survey, the first of its kind, undertaken by ICMA … Read more

John Stephens is a School of Government faculty member. How economic development and community well-being relate to environmental and human health is the focus of the state-level group Healthy Environments Collaborative (HEC).  Local community and economic development advocates and program managers … Read more

The typical U.S. household spends about $2,300 in annual energy costs, more than the average cost of property taxes or homeowners insurance.  Energy costs are the largest ongoing cost for the average home owner, and many projects will ultimately pay for themselves from the avoided costs of energy.  … Read more

Across the country, organizations are looking inside to identify ways that they can improve their impact on the environment. Some are taking a formal approach: conducting inventories, hiring sustainability coordinators and adopting green building policies. Others are just trying to do the right thin … Read more

Paul Winn is a Masters Student of City and Regional Planning and a graduate student assistant working with Lenoir County. A conceptual plan for the Mountains-to-Sea Trail (MST) of Eastern North Carolina was produced in 2004 by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in partnership with G … Read more

Notes from the fourth conversation – – There are not really any community wealth building or individual asset building strategies that are not anti-poverty strategies – Stay in regular contact with the Rural Center – UNC-TV produced a documentary called “NC Rising” and they are doing town hall meeti … Read more