News

Brad Wyche took up the mantel as The Lorax of the Upstate 15 Years ago in a quest to stem the sprawl that creeps along the spokes that extend from Greenville, the city he’s always called home. Wyche doesn’t speak with the “bossy” demands of the character coined in the Dr. Seuss children’s book. His tone is measured, his manner more that of cooperative negotiator, but like the Lorax, Wyche strives to preserve the forests and waterways for future generations.

A team of state scientists has outlined serious concerns about the damage South Carolina will suffer from climate change – threats that include invading eels, dying salt marshes, flooded homes and increased diseases in the state's wildlife. But few people have seen the team's study. The findings are outlined in a report on global warming that has been kept secret by the S.C. Department of Natural Resources for more than a Year because agency officials say their "priorities have changed."

It is time South Carolinians revisit why “home rule” makes sense: people tend to know what’s best for themselves and their communities. When it comes to determining what to do with our trash, most people expect local government to pick it up at the curb and carry it away. What to do with all that trash once it’s in the truck is now a battleground at the Statehouse.

There are lots of good reasons to consider solar power. Lower energy bills. A smaller carbon footprint. Free sunshine. Financial incentives. And new ways for people of ordinary means to afford it.

Creation care is not an option. It is the moral issue of our time. As a minister, a father, a son and a member of my community, I also see climate change as an issue with immense health implications, especially for African-Americans.