HOUSE COMMISSION TO STUDY FEASIBILITY OF SOLAR ARRAYS ON HIGHWAY MEDIANS PROVIDENCE — Rhode Island could be sitting on hundreds of acres of unused land for new solar installations, and thousands of drivers whiz past these spots every day. A new study commission is meeting this fall to investigate the idea of building ground-mounted solar […]
Henry in the leaves. Photo: Meg Coss Fall is a time for hoodies, pumpkin everything, and fewer hours of daylight. The air gets cooler and a brisk scent fills the air, signifying the changing of the season. The leaves turn beautiful colors before falling off the trees, covering lawns everywhere. This, along with a final […]
Climate change and habitat loss are making things difficult for our local feathered friends, as revealed in a 2023 report from the Audubon Society of Rhode Island. On January 28, 2023, the first Audubon State of Our Birds Report was presented to a sold-out “Birds Across New England: The Audubon Regional Conservation Symposium” at the Audubon Nature […]
Jessie Jewels is Miss Mermaid Rhode Island 2022. Hers is a tale of advocating for cleaner water, educating the young about environmental issues, and generally making a splash in local entertainment. For year’s end we asked Jewels what a year as our head mermaid was like and how the work of ocean preservation is going […]
Over the course of the last decade, RI has experienced more destructive flooding than ever before. This is an issue for businesses that are forced to either shut down or close altogether, and takes a huge toll on our environment when the waste on the streets flows into our waterways. Stormwater runoff is caused by […]
State to examine natural gas’s role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions WARWICK — State utility officials will start the new year with a special resolution: studying how the natural gas distribution system will play a part in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The Public Utilities Commission (PUC) has signed off on a three-part work plan that […]
R.I. Transportation Committee Hears Pleas to Revamp Transit System RI’s failure to meet its transportation goals and promises made in recent years will have a deep impact on public health and whether or not the state meets its climate goals. That was the message almost two dozen speakers brought to this month’s meeting of the […]
R.I. Supreme Court Ends Years-Long Battle Over Block Island Marina Expansion The RI Supreme Court has rejected a controversial agreement between the Coastal Resources Management Council (CRMC) and Champlin’s Marina & Resort that would have allowed the Block Island marina to expand, ending a nearly 20-year-old legal battle. In its 54-page decision, the court affirmed […]
“I didn’t get into this for money. I got into this for love.” It was the end of a long and rainy primary day here in Rhode Island, and renowned environmental advocate and indigenous organizer Winona Laduke was the first speaker to be featured at URI’s Honors Colloquium. The theme for this fall is ‘Just […]
At Zero Waste PVD, volunteers collaborate to reduce excess waste by focusing on activism, policy development, and legislative work. They host reusable bag giveaways, and recruit handy volunteers to sew reusable bags, and advocated for PVD’s plastic bag ban. Deborah Schimberg, chairperson of the organization, explained that the group strives to minimize the problems of […]