1989 Law Says Nips Are Illegal in RI The law has gone unenforced for three decades. In fact, few people walking the halls of the Statehouse or working inside the state Department of Environmental Management headquarters on the other side of I-95 even know it exists. In 1989, the Legislature passed the Beverage Container Recyclability […]
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 […]
For Motif’s new environmental podcast, Earth, Wind and Water: We Will Be Ancestors, Sam Zimmer sat down with Mel Thibeault, founder of RI Queer Hikes to talk about hiking around the Ocean State. Here’s an excerpt with advice for the beginning or casual hiker. You can follow Thibeault at @ri.queer.hikes and catch the podcast at […]
It is gearing up to be another crazy summer in the Ocean State. The millionaires are fighting for free parking spots on Ocean Road, and $50,000 houses are selling for a couple mil. If you don’t own a place by the shore, you certainly won’t be able to get one now, unless you are very […]
Resurrection of Environmental Bills Held for Further Study in 2021 RI legislators returned to the General Assembly chambers in January, and environmental advocates are hoping to pass an ambitious agenda. The legislature is expected to consider several environmental and climate-related bills that fell by the wayside last session. At the top of the list of […]
From Superfund Site to Solar Farm Nestled between Pontiac Avenue and the Pawtuxet River in Cranston, the Beacon Solar Project hosts 9,000 ground-mounted solar panels that can power 509 households. Subscribers to the community solar project are expected to save about 10 percent on their electric bills. The 3.5-megawatt project is a joint venture between […]
Zoning Board Kicks Asphalt Operation to the Curb Providence’s Zoning Board of Review unanimously denied a variance request Oct. 13 from a pavement manufacturing company that sought to continue the use of a leased portside Allens Avenue site for the storage and processing of concrete, stone, aggregate, and asphalt. The Narragansett Improvement Co. applied for […]
The Sunrise Movement, a youth-led organization set on stopping the climate crisis while creating millions of fair-paying and sustainable jobs in the process, recently launched a Green New Careers website. The site invites users to imagine not only a better future that tackles the climate crisis head on, but what role they would play in […]
An Unenforced Emissions Law Means Diesel Trucks Can Pollute at Will Your personal vehicle has to undergo an emissions check every two years, but Rhode Island doesn’t inspect long-haul trucks and heavy-duty vehicles for emissions at all, in spite of a 21-year-old law mandating such checks. In mid-July, 21 years ago, a law was passed […]
“I often think back, even to this day, what was the big fuss about this bill? It just made common sense, it was time to do it. Our constituents in Newport and Rhode Islanders all around the state want action on climate, that’s pretty much the bottom line,” shares Representative Lauren Carson. Last week, Rhode […]