A retreat for faith leaders and people interested in inspiring their congregations and communities to care for the planet will be held Feb. 2-3 at the Montreat Conference Center in Montreat. 

To the Editor:

The world as we know it is changing dramatically. We have entered the era of the polycrisis in which a cluster of related global and local risks with compounding effects are having unprecedented effect — greater than the sum of the individual risks.  

After months of dry weather, drought is translating into wildfires and burn bans.

Drought has re-entered the western region, with the most recent drought conditions map labeling Transylvania and Henderson counties as experiencing moderate drought.

Following two months of cooler-than-average temperatures, July came in hot in North Carolina. According to the N.C. State Climate Office, it was the state’s 20th warmest July since 1896.

On the heels of an unseasonably cool May, based on the average statewide temperature of 71.1F, June finished up as North Carolina’s 13th coolest in 129 years.

By Sandi Sox • Guest Columnist

I have been haunted this week by words Kathryn Stripling Byer wrote in a piece about changes around her home near Cullowhee. “We are losing our homes,” she wrote. 

Denuding paradise to erect strip malls and apartment complexes is certainly heartrending, especially when ugliness slouches ever closer while you watch from your front yard. 

Last Friday, as I watched the U.S. women’s soccer team defeat France at the Parc des Princes stadium, I kept thinking how hot everyone looked. I enjoyed watching the game, but couldn’t help noticing the profuse sweating from players and spectators. 

Those radical environmentalists and their aiding and abetting scientists are finally called out. 

After the deadliest wildfire in history — the Camp Fire in California, which killed at least 85 people — our climate-denier-in-chief’s Interior Secretary, Ryan Zinke, after declaring that this was not the time for finger pointing went on to tell Brietbart News, “I will lay this on the foot of those environmental radicals that have prevented us from managing the forests for years. And you know what? This is on them.”

The town of Franklin is considering how to become more environmentally friendly after being presented with a climate solutions resolution from The Canary Coalition.