Our relationship with water varies with our circumstances. Communities often want more clean drinking water to catalyze economic development and serve new residents and businesses. At the same time, they want less polluted runoff and flooding from the growing number of rooftops and extreme weather events. As a warming climate generates more violent storms, flooding is damaging more lives and property. In many communities, the 100-year storm is becoming a regular occurrence.

While North Carolina’s renewable energy leaders tend to be larger cities and communities in the Research Triangle region, there are many examples of rural areas and smaller cities benefiting from solar and other forms of clean energy investment.

Washouts of NC 12 on the Outer Banks. Wildfires in Western North Carolina. Rising urban heat in the Piedmont. Sound familiar? North Carolina has seen all these events in recent years. What do they have in common? They are all intensified by a changing climate.

Increasingly, once is not enough. The goal of a circular economy is to move from linear flows to circular flows of raw materials and finished products, extending the productive life of finished goods, reusing and recycling their components, and reducing or eliminating waste. Examples of this concept, like curbside recycling, are already part of daily life for many North Carolinians.[1] But opportunities abound for improving these systems, since only about a third of recyclable materials are currently being recovered from municipal solid waste in the state, and less than 20% of construction and demolition debris is currently being recycled.[2] Entrepreneurs in the state are also developing new ways to save resources and money by implementing zero-waste solutions.

People are increasingly choosing where they live based on the quality of life they can experience, and green spaces are seen as essential components of that quality of life. Collaboration between communities is also emphasized to align with a master plan and connect with each other.

North Carolina might one day support the east coast with offshore wind energy. The economic impact could be in the billions, with tens of thousands of related jobs.

North Carolina is one of the fastest-growing states in the nation. Population growth can be good for a state’s economy, but it can also cause a burden on natural resources. Learn how community leaders in Jones and Lincoln counties are … Read more

  There are currently three offshore wind areas in North Carolina, two of which have been leased for development. These projects are expected to require thousands of workers to support wind turbine construction and maintenance. Learn how our state is … Read more

The agriculture industry is at risk as farmers experience issues related to increased rates of rainfall and droughts, and increased frequency of extreme weather events, such as hurricanes, which cause flooding and other hazards. All of these weather-related issues threaten to decrease crop yields, thus increasing economic losses and hardships for farmers. Many farmers find benefits of incorporating resilient agriculture techniques to mitigate these risks.

Chatham & Stanly Counties Small farms have problems dealing with crop loss and other issues related to extreme weather events such as flooding and droughts. A recent report predicts that increases in extreme precipitation are likely to increase inland flooding, … Read more