As head of the Army Corps of Engineers research center in Duck, this soft-spoken, jazz-loving engineer changed the way we think about the natural forces that shape our ocean beaches. He’s retired after 32 years.
Archives
Bay Scallops: Hold the Applause, Please
Bay scallop season will open later this month in some N.C. waters for the first time in years. While a harvest is good news and might in part be the result of improved water quality and seagrass beds, all is still not well for the tasty bivalve.
Why the Federation Is Opposed to Drilling Off N.C.
Producing and refining oil and natural gas is a dirty, smelly business that pollutes the water and air, mars the landscape and, when an accident occurs, can have life-changing effects. And all for what? A few months supply of gasoline?
Living Shoreline Permitting Still a Hassle
Though research increasingly supports the value of living shorelines over bulkheads and other types of manmade erosion-control methods, state and federal officials still struggle with streamlining the permitting system for them.
Fishing for Art Off N.C. Piers
Courtney Johnson drops her homemade pinhole camera off N.C. fishing piers and catches shadowy, abstract images of the ocean deep.
A Christian Response to Global Warming
Interfaith Power & Light, a coalition of churches, believes that promoting energy conservation and renewable energy is good stewardship of the Earth’s resources.
Swimming Standards May Be Tightened
North Carolina will likely tighten its recreational swimming standards this year at some places along the coast in response to new federal water-quality guidelines.
Global Warming’s ‘Evil Twin’
Rising acid levels in the oceans is one of the more alarming consequences of global warming. Corals, oysters, clams, starfish and sand dollars are just a few of the sea creatures that can be affected. “The oceans will become hot, sour and breathless,” says one scientist.
A New Way to Control Stormwater
It took a couple of years of busting up concrete, moving dirt around and digging holes for plants, but the first saltwater wetland in the state that’s designed to treat polluted runoff is now open in Manteo as a town park.
Cleaning Up the Mess Left by Sandy
Dare County officials say property owners are responsible for removing the remains of houses scattered up and down the beach near Rodanthe on the Outer Banks.
Pellet Plans Draw Mixed Reviews in Morehead
Plans to build a wood pellet facility at the state port in Morehead City raise questions about how such a facility may change the face of a town that relies so heavily on tourism. Some are skeptical, others cautiously optimistic.
McCrory Should Step Lightly
A new poll found that a sizable majority of voters thinks it’s prudent for Gov. Pat McCrory to balance economic development with environmental protection.
Some Want More Study of Wood Pellet Plans
The N.C. Coastal Federation has asked for an environmental study of state plans for a wood pellet shipping facility at the port in Morehead City. Others think more safeguards are needed to protect the state’s forests.
Can Our Forests Safely Power Europe?
The rapid growth of the wood pellet industry in North Carolina has raised questions about how the surge to meet the demand of European power companies will affect the state’s 18 million acres of woodlands.
Sam’s Field Notes: The ‘Spectacled Goose’
The largest seabirds in the North Atlantic, the northern gannets have long been tied to maritime culture.
Are Wood Pellets Really Green?
Wood pellets made from N.C. coastal forests will soon be powering utility plants in Europe because of policies there that encourage replacing coal with wood. In this the first of four parts on wood pellets and the N.C. coast, we ask if wood is really better than coal.
