David Boraks News Today

CMS approved a controversial school boundary plan during a 5-hour board meeting. The Mecklenburg County Commission passed its $2.36 billion budget for next year. And the Charlotte Area Transit System fired its general manager of rail operations after criticism from NCDOT. Guest host David Boraks details these stories and more.

North Carolina's home builders are winning a political battle to block modernization of the state's outdated energy efficiency standards. The industry argues stricter energy codes would make houses too expensive. But not all builders see it that way. We talk to one builder whose business is based on energy efficiency.

WFAE climate reporter David Boraks fills us in on wood pellets, harvested in North Carolina and shipped to Europe for use as fuel. Is that an environmental double whammy?

Putting more electric vehicles on the roads is a critical strategy in the fight against climate change. And at least for now, that means more cars powered by lithium-ion batteries. With demand for lithium already skyrocketing, the question is: Where will it come from?

Driver shortages continue to be a problem for the Charlotte Area Transit System even after a new contract raises pay and benefits. CATS is now talking about cutting service, even as the City Council votes to spend $30 million on LYNX repairs. Mecklenburg County Commissioners working on the budget worry about being able to meet community needs. And Cornelius police observe Madalina Cojocari’s 12th birthday. She’s been missing since last Thanksgiving. Those stories and more.

WFAE climate reporter David Boraks will take part in NPR’s first climate summit in June in Washington, D.C.

The push to replace gas-guzzling vehicles with electric-powered alternatives is hitting significant speed bumps. The existing supply of lithium for batteries can’t keep up with demand, and new mining proposals often face opposition from area residents worried about local impacts. Radio reporter David Boraks has been covering one such conflict in North Carolina. He shares his

Dismantling a century-old barrier would reopen a river, restore species and benefit Indian land. But will it be funded?

The latest U.N. report says if climate goals aren't met over the next couple of decades, there will be a severe impact on humanity. Guest host David Boraks and our panel of guests discuss the gravity of this report, the impact on climate plans in North Carolina and Charlotte, and what the average person should focus on to make a change.

What if you came up with a way to help save the planet, but you were barred from using it? That's how a Boone inventor describes his 25-year fight to use the patented industrial composting system he devised in the 1970s.