All that rain over the last few days was just what we needed to see if our new CSO tunnel can do the job. The project was built to divert stormwaters out of our combined sewer systems in Providence, so we don't get raw sewage overflowing into the Bay every time it rains. And it worked! We're hopeful that the water quality improvements in the upper bay and the urban rivers will soon start to create healthier habitats for fish, shellfish, and other wildlife.

Click here to read about the CSO's first real-world test, in the Projo. Click here for a recent Prov Business News story about the project. And click here for info about Save The Bay's Bay Bash fundraiser, next Saturday, which will celebrate the completion of the project.

by NNN Contributor Jerry Noel

Last week, the owners of Local 121, Trinity Brewhouse, the Hot Club, Benders Caffe, and The Garden Grille all announced their commitment to stop selling bottled water. They have signed on to a national campaign called "Think Outside the Bottle." 

Also, Mayor Cicilline introduced city plans to stop spending taxpayer dollars on bottled water. "Bottled water sends the wrong message about our public water systems," he said. "Our tap water is among the best in the world and to keep it that way we need to continue to invest in it, not in generating mountains of plastic bottle waste."

“Restaurants like ours have always showcased the highest standards of cuisine and new culinary innovations,” said Josh Miller, a State Senator who has been a champion for the environment. He owns three of the bottled-water-free restaurants, Local 121, Trinity, and the Hot Club.  “By not serving bottled water, we are also modeling best practices when it comes to protecting the natural environment and resources that we rely on for our business.”

What you can do -- patronize these restaurants, and thank them for their efforts! And do what you can at home to cut down on plastic waste.

We're hearing lots about a future green economy as we count down to Election Day, and today Providence Mayor David Cicilline presented Providence’s first-ever, strategic plan for creating a more sustainable city government and accelerating the green economy with Greenprint Providence.  "The wide-ranging plan contains a number of initiatives designed to help position Providence at the leading edge of a green economy poised for explosive growth," according to a news release from the mayor's office.

“The challenges presented by climate change and by the cost of our dependence on foreign energy mean that we have to make radical changes, but it also means an incredible opportunity is there for the taking,” said the Mayor. “Greenprint Providence is an effort to help push our city to the front edge of the energy revolution.”

Click on "More..." for the full text of the news release and links to lots more info on this new initiative.

NNN editor Mary Grady is out in the field on assignment today, and there just wasn't a chance to get out today's newsletter. We will get back to our regular schedule next Thursday!

For today, if you are looking for ideas for things to do this weekend, check out our NNN Community Calendar, which is always updated every day by a slew of contributors. You can find more listings at the Projo Green page, and at the Save The Bay Web site.

We'll be back on our normal schedule next week! Meanwhile, take some time to explore our archives and all our content, via the navigation links across the top of the page and the categories in the left sidebar. Happy weekending! 

Maybe you've caught Patrick Kennedy's TV spot about green jobs for R.I. (you can view it online). And here is another local candidate from Aquidneck Island, promoting a green economy as the key to our economic future, over at RI Future. Could this be an idea whose time has finally arrived?

This might weigh in under the "duh, no kidding!" category, but interesting nonetheless to see a study showing that spending time outdoors has a postiive impact on kids.

Click here for the story.

The League of Conservation Voters released its annual "report card" on the national legislature today, and Rhode Island Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse both scored a perfect 100 percent. In the House, Rep. Patrick Kennedy scored 77 percent, while Rep. James Langevin earned a 92.

"The majority of the 11 Senate and 13 House votes in the 2008 Scorecard are energy votes that presented Congress with a real choice," says the LCV. " [Either] chart a bold new course that puts Americans back to work, saves families money at the gas pump and on home heating bills, improves our national security, and protects the planet for future generations; or, continue the disastrous energy policies of the last eight years that have benefited only the oil industry."

For more details, go to the LCV Web site.

The Environment Council of Rhode Island (ECRI) gave the Rhode Island General Assembly a “B” for the 2007-2008 legislative session in their biannual Green Report Card released last Friday. The report card also graded legislators individually on their environmental voting record and leadership. The grades are based on a variety of environmental bills regarding clean air, clean water, protecting open space lands, clean and renewable energy, wildlife habitat, sustainable land use, transportation, toxic chemicals, recycling or resource recovery/landfill and open accountable governance.

“The environment won on several key issues this session, with bills promoting renewable energy as well as bills protecting Rhode Islanders from toxic diesel pollution from school buses, electronic waste, and water pollution resulting from unsafe cesspools.  We are encouraged that our state legislators are taking action on important environmental issues,” said ECRI President Denise Parrillo.

The Green Report Card also provides an analysis of Governor Carcieri’s performance as well, finding his environmental record is inconsistent, leaving room for improvement in some key areas.

Click on "More..." for the full news release with details of the group's analysis and priorities.