The history of air and the science of air pollution is part of the history of Western North Carolina. We will take a brief look into the past, present, and future through the lens of combustion and air pollution. We will discuss how science was used to help clean North Carolina’s air, and to continue to study the air and keep it clean for both individual and environmental health.

Join George Ivy, Director of Blue Ridge Rising, the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation’s initiative to unite and serve the gateway communities of the Parkway’s 29 counties in Virginia and North Carolina. While the Blue Ridge Rising Action Plan includes dozens of community-led strategies to enhance tourism and economic development, natural resource protection emerged as a key component of this work. Join us to learn more about Blue Ridge Rising, with a particular emphasis on viewshed protection, dark skies, and related strategies, and how they can benefit our local environment, economy, and communities.