Oct
09
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Thursday, 09 October 2008 |
 Bicyclists often take to the streets in Providence to promote their chosen means of transport -- which is healthy, emissions-free, quiet, and better in just about every way to city cars. This Sunday, they are riding eight miles not only to promote biking, but to show support for Barack Obama. “His environmental policies just sound a little bit better than what McCain’s offering -- Drill, baby, drill," organizer Sarah Sandman told the Phoenix this week. For more details about the event, click here for the Phoenix story.
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Oct
08
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Wednesday, 08 October 2008 |
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Was Columbus a hero explorer or a brute invader? History, as they say, is never really past -- that we find ourselves where we are today, and that we are who we are, and that we live in this particular place, is all tangled up in what happened hundreds and thousands of years ago. But while we struggle to untangle the misty past, it's the future that remains for us to choose. Will we make a newer, greener, more hopeful world? A holiday weekend seems as good a time as any to start.  Among our neighbors who make that choice every day -- to make a newer, greener world -- are RI's hardworking local farmers. Fall is a crucial time for them to generate the income they need to survive, and we all can help... and have some fun and get outside, too. Visit a farm, take your kids to a corn maze, go buy a pumpkin or two, or tag your Christmas tree. The folks at RI Farmways have all the info, you'll find hay rides and winery tours listed too. Also, many local farmers markets are still open, Farm Fresh has all the details. And on Saturday, Frerichs Farm in Warren hosts the Giant Pumpkin Weigh-Off, click here for details.
CoastWeeks events continue with lighthouse tours and cruises in Newport Harbor. Saturday, Audubon leads a bike ride on Prudence Island, a great opportunity to explore this unique place at a perfect time of year. The trip leaders are careful to protect you from ticks -- which in any case, you should be careful of anywhere in RI -- so get out there and enjoy! Go to the CoastWeeks site for details on these events.  Also coming up starting Saturday is the Restore America's Estuaries conference, a national gathering right here in Providence through the 15th. Click here for all the info. Lots of options not only for eco-professionals but for citizen scientists, educators, and volunteers too. Next Tuesday evening, URI continues its awesome global-change speakers series, click here for info.
Check out NNN's Community Calendar for lots more listings, kid events, art exhibits, workshops, and lots more. Pumpkin photo courtesy of Frerichs Farm.
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Sep
30
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Tuesday, 30 September 2008 |
Providence photographer Kathie Florsheim has been working for several years on a project to document the state of our shoreline -- with the aim of exploring how we value and use the coast, and the hope of communicating an appreciation for its value. Here is a sample of her work and her discussion of it, for more, visit her Web site.
My photographic project, On the Edge, documents land use along the coast, and brings me to the shore often. I have seen a lot of beaches in the last five years and realized there are a number of issues common to most of them. Take, for instance, the inevitable public-private debate about who can walk, where, along the beach. In one waterfront town in Massachusetts, I have seen fencing that cordons off a private beach from the public. That property abuts a small road that is marked with PRIVATE signs, enough of them to fill a Volkswagon. While the property may, in fact, be private, my hunch is that the road is public, but the signage adjacent to the road is meant to deter unwanted traffic. So much the better if one misunderstands that the road as well as the property, is private. That kind of deliberate misunderstanding is widespread, all along the coast. I have been thrown off a beach, also in Massachusetts, that belonged to a motel, because I was told I was trespassing. I knew the motel owner, and had photographed on his property, with permission, numerous times. But I was apparently setting a bad precedent, even though there was no one is sight who might have gotten the idea I was setting a precedent. It is true that Massachusetts is a low-water state, so in fact, according to the letter of the law, I was trespassing. So is everyone who walks along the sand in Massachusetts. But that would not be true in a high-water state, like Rhode Island.
Confused? It is confusing, but the rights, at least from a legal perspective were established in the 17th century, according to British law. Depending upon whether a state is a declared high or low water state, one is allowed to stroll on the sand or, legally at least, only in the water. In Massachusetts, you are permitted to walk only below the mean low water mark, which means you will always be walking in the water. But in Rhode Island you can walk the beaches below the mean high water mark, which means you can meander along the sand anywhere along the coast, legally.
The letter of the law is rarely enforced the way it was the day I was ejected. People usually stroll along the sand without a thought, and much of that access has to do with good will. I have heard egregious stories of misbehavior from both property holders and those who would use the coastal rights of way. What is clear is that each perspective represents valid concerns and that a lot of the issues would be less so, were all parties to use common courtesy and good judgment, which is what I trust, Dear Reader, you will do.
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Apr
28
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Monday, 28 April 2008 |
 Looking for an update on wind energy in Rhode Island? Lefteris Pavlides, a professor at Roger Williams University, has been at the forefront of the alt-energy movement here, and he's giving a talk tonight at Rochambeau Library, on Hope Street in Providence, at 7 p.m. He'll talk about where things are now, and what the future holds.
This event is sponsored by the Appalachian Mountain Club, it's free and all are welcome.
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Apr
28
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Monday, 28 April 2008 |
Looking for something special to do with your Mom to celebrate her day? You can get a jump start and spend this Saturday with Save The Bay aboard the Aletta Morris, visiting 20 lighthouses all around Narragansett Bay, from Providence to Newport, on the Ultimate Lighthouse Tour. Each lighthouse has its own character and personality (just like your Mom!) -- from the stately Beavertail Light compound in Jamestown, to the just-the-basics Hog Island Shoal light off Portsmouth.
Click here for a preview of our local lights (note, not all of these are on the tour, but most are -- click here for a list of those on the STB tour).
 There's no better way to see these unique sites than from the water, and this Saturday's trip includes a special guest, Jeremy D'Entremont, author of several books, including Lighthouses of Rhode Island. Jeremy is a well-known local expert, author and lecturer on lighthouses of New England, and editor of Lighthouse.cc, a virtual guide to New England lighthouses. His books will be for sale on board, and he'll be happy to autograph your copy.
Bring your sunscreen and a jacket, grab your Mom and a camera, and head for the Bay. You'll depart from the STB dock in Providence at 9 a.m., travel down the West Passage to Newport, and return up the East Passage, arriving back about 4 p.m. Lunch is included and there are plenty of binoculars on board. Last year's lighthouse tours sold out, so call soon to reserve your space. 401-272-3540, x133.
If you miss this trip, there will be six more through the summer, but this is the only one with D'Entremont scheduled to host. Cost is $85 for STB members, $100 for non-members.
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Apr
24
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Thursday, 24 April 2008 |
2008 Earth Day Breakfast of Champions Awardees Unveiled!
Honorees selected for their work to build a green economy.
Clean Water Action, Environment Rhode Island and Ocean State Action have unveiled their 2008 Earth Day Breakfast of Champions Awardees. The theme of this year?s sixth annual Breakfast of Champions event is Rhode Islanders working for a greener economy. The event, which is open to the public with a suggested $40 donation, will be held Friday 24, 2008 at 9:00 a.m. at the Aspray Boathouse in Pawtuxet Village.
The winners of the 2008 Champions awards are:
House Majority Leader Gordon Fox
 Gordon Fox was first elected to the Rhode Island House of Representatives in 1992 and was first elected Majority Leader in 2002. During his tenure as House Majority Leader the Rhode Island General Assembly has passed several landmark pieces of legislation that Majority Leader Fox has sponsored or championed on issues ranging from renewable energy and energy efficiency, to mercury and electronic waste, to global warming and power plant emissions. Throughout his tenure as Majority Leader, Representative Fox has always made time for Rhode Island?s environmental community and he has helped our state become a national leader in environmental policy.
Senator Josh Miller
 Senator Miller is completing the second year of his first term as a Rhode Island State Senator. In his two years at the State House, Senator Miller has quickly become a leading voice for Rhode Island?s environment because of his passion, persistence and willingness to stand on principal for what he believes is right. In particular, Senator Miller has become a champion for small-scale renewable energy projects that will benefit homeowners, small businesses and municipalities throughout the state.
Attorney General Patrick Lynch
 Attorney General Lynch has been a leading Advocate for Rhode Island?s environment during his entire tenure as Rhode Island?s Attorney General. On legal issues ranging from lead poisoning, to clean air rollbacks initiated by the Bush Administration, to the hazards of liquefied natural gas, Attorney General Lynch has worked diligently to protect Rhode Island?s environment and our environmental interests. In addition, Attorney General Lynch has been one of our nation?s leading champions in defending the rights of states to adopt the Clean Cars Program. In 2007 Attorney General Lynch was one of a small handful of Attorneys General who traveled into the bowels of the Environmental Protection Agency complex in suburban Virginia to stand up for Rhode Island?s Clean Cars Program.
IBEW Local 99
 IBEW Local 99 recently installed Rhode Island?s largest solar installation at their union hall on Amflex Drive in Cranston. The installation?s capacity is 50 kilo-watts and includes close to two hundred panels located in banks around the facility. In addition to demonstrating their commitment to clean renewable energy by building green, Local 99 is a champion for renewable energy at the State House, working to enact new policies that would prioritize solar and wind power and would start a green economy revolution in Rhode Island. The union has expanded its apprenticeship program to train electricians on the installation and maintenance of renewable energy alternatives.
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Apr
24
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Thursday, 24 April 2008 |
It's tough to be indoors at the computer this time of year, so if you get a chance, get outdoors today and tomorrow! It doesn't get much better than this. The weather forecast for the weekend is iffy -- there could be some rain around.
 Earth Day has been a huge event this year. A lot went on already this week, but there is more still to come. Brown's "Brown is Green" events continue through the weekend. Friday morning, join the Earth Day Breakfast of Champions, 9 a.m., at the Aspray Boathouse on the shore of lovely Pawtuxet Cove, in honor of Rhode Islanders working for a green energy economy. To RSVP or for more information, call Clean Water Action at (401) 331-6972. Tickets for this fundraiser are $40, students or low income: $15.
Friday evening, the Green Cafe at Kettle Pond Visitor Center in Charlestown hosts "Poetry of the Wild." Writers, poets, songwriters and composers will share their work inspired by the natural world. For more info, call 364-9124 ext. 48.
Saturday, you can help scoop the herring. The folks at the Ten Mile River Watershed Council invite helpers to boost the herring over the Omega Dam in East Providence... a site where they hope to install a fish ladder soon. Join the paddlers or be part of the human fish ladder.
Saturday is also Save The Bay's free green landscaping workshop, at their center off Allens Ave in Providence. You can learn about rain gardens, composting, organic pest control, and more. 9:30 to 12:30. You can also take part in a special opportunity to explore the 88 acres of woods found at Neutaconkanut Hill, the highest point in Providence. A guided walk takes place Saturday at 11 a.m. (Rain date is Sunday.) Meet at the Rec Center parking lot, 675 Plainfield St. Call 946-6594 for info.
 Sunday, you can enjoy Daffodil Days at Blithewold, in Bristol. "You?ll see the gardens come to life as tens of thousands of daffodils and other early-blooming bulbs and shrubs are coaxed from their winter slumber to delight you with their quiet beauty and subtle scents," the gardeners promise.
For more green events around the state, check the What Grows On in RI calendar.
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Apr
22
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Tuesday, 22 April 2008 |
Ladd Observatory will open this evening, beginning about 8 p.m. Featured in the 12-inch refractor will be Saturn. With the Moon now in its waning gibbous phase, it won't even be in our sky, so Saturn should be a truly beautiful sight against the dark night.
On the deck, Craig will take a last look at the winter sky with the Astroscan. He'll concentrate on Orion, Canis Major, and the often forgotten Puppis. Join him as he takes one of our last views of this cold-weather part of the night sky.
Remember: As beautiful as today is, the night, especially on the deck, does get much colder than you might expect. Even though it may be tempting to come dressed for a warm spring evening, have another layer handy. You'll be surprised how chilly it can be on our roof.
via: Francine Jackson, Staff Astronomer, Ladd Observatory
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Apr
21
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Monday, 21 April 2008 |
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The students, faculty, staff, and administration of Brown University extend a cordial invitation to all Rhode Islanders to participate in the "Brown is Green 2008: Strategies for Shaping a Sustainable Future" conference, Thursday through Saturday, this week.? The conference aims to highlight the increasing intersection of disciplines around sustainability and climate change, and to look at new politics and ways of thinking that are arising with this issue.
Local policymakers taking part in the conference include Governor Carcieri, Gen. Treasurer Frank Caprio, Providence Mayor David Cicilline, and Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse. Other guests include Ira Magaziner of the Clinton Foundation, green architect John Picard, and Stephen Schneider, a leading climate scientist of the UN climate panel that won the Nobel prize. Events include panel discussions, seminars, lectures, films, and a local-food dinner on Saturday night.
Registration is free and open to the public. For more info, click on the links.
Conference agenda
Registration page
Brown is Green homepage
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Apr
21
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Monday, 21 April 2008 |
While there are Earth events going on all month (see the What Grows On calendar for listings), one key event is this Tuesday, April 22, the actual Day itself.
If you can, do your part -- join the Environment Council in the State House lobby at 3 p.m. to show your support for a greener Rhode Island. ECRI and its member organizations are a crucial lobbying force, and the more of us who show we're on their side, the more clout they will have.
And afterward, join the party -- your fellow Earthlings will gather at Local 121 downtown, for an Earth Day celebration!
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