There's now a way for Rhode Islanders statewide to get their heating oil at a discount from People’s Power & Light (PP&L), and at the same time support this great nonprofit group which has been a powerful supporter of alternative energy projects for our state. Customers in every city and town - except Block Island - benefit from the power of numbers -- PP&L can negotiate better prices for its customers than any of us can get on our own.

“Every day the wholesale price goes down, our retail price goes down,” promises Karina Lutz, PP&L deputy director. The PP&L average price today dropped to $2.592. (The last statewide average reported by the Office of Energy Resources was taken on Oct. 27, at $2.809.) The statewide average was $3.249 on Oct. 14, while the PP&L rate was at $2.899. Click here to sign up online.

For more info, click on "More...".

Check out the cool 30-second videos about the upcoming Bay Bash, Save The Bay's celebration of the opening of our three-mile CSO tunnel. This project ensures we'll have a cleaner Bay in the future!

Click here to check out the videos.

Click here for more info about the event. 

Although GreenStart has been around for a few years now, lots of Rhode Islanders still don't realize they have the power to choose green energy for their homes right now, and it couldn't be simpler. So even if you have already gone green, tell a friend!

All National Grid residential electricity customers are receiving an invitation to choose green power in their utility bills this month, so it's a good time to reinforce the message with your friends. The utility’s “GreenUp” program gives these customers the choice to switch to green power right on their utility bill by choosing People's Power & Light’s New England GreenStart, a local, nonprofit energy company.

For more details, click on "More..."

That question will be the topic for a panel discussion at Bryant University in Smithfield, following a screening of the documentary film, FLOW, about the world water crisis. Check it out, Monday, November 10, 5 to 8 pm at the Janikies Auditorium.

The panel will discuss, "Can Rhode Island Run Out Of Water?" with Cynthia Giles of the Conservation Law Foundation, Bryant economics prof Joseph Ilacqua, Jan Reitsma, director of the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor; Kathleen Crawley of the RI Water Resources Board, Kenneth Ayars of DEM's agriculture division, Gaytha Langlois, Professor of Science and Technology at Bryant, and Eugenia Marks, Senior Director of Policy, Audubon Society of Rhode Island.

Click here to watch the trailer for FLOW. Click here for more info about the event, including maps, and to register.

For many of us here in the Bluest State, it's a challenge to think about anything right now other than next Tuesday. One way or another, this election is sure to bring swift and profound change to our country. If you can spare any time to get out and work for your cause, in any way you can, it is time well spent that you will never regret.

But meanwhile, here in our local green world, there is lots going on. Tonight, the new and growing chapter of the RI Green Building Council meets at New England Tech, all are welcome. The program starts at 4, tonight's speaker will talk about energy. Click here for info. Ladd Observatory offers a Halloween Open House from 7 to 10. At 9:30, RI PBS will air a program about our local water infrastructure. 

Friday night, join the folks at The Steelyard and Recycle-A-Bike for an awesome Halloween celebration. Over the weekend, you can check out a free kayak clinic, and you'll find listings for lots of hikes, book clubs, farmers markets, and other events at our NNN Community Calendar.

While everyone's attention is focused on the national race coming up next Tuesday, let's not forget there is also an important local issue on the ballot. If you want to see our state continue to be green, with woods and fields and open space for wildlife, clean rivers, and local farms, then VOTE YES ON QUESTION 2. This modest bond issue, just $2.5 million, will help to provide permanent protection for the open spaces that we treasure.

Vote to APPROVE QUESTION 2:  OPEN SPACE AND RECREATIONAL DEVELOPMENT BOND! Click on "More..." for much more detail about the issues and the bond, from the RI Land Trust Council and the Environment Council of RI.

For more info about why you should vote YES, check out this Peter Lord story from the Oct. 31 projo, and this recent post on Chip Young's blog.

For more info about our local races, check out these recent NNN posts:

RI Senators Get "A" Grade on the Environment

ECRI Gives General Assembly a "B"

Clean Water Action Endorses Local Candidates

Everyone knows this is an important election, and there is just no excuse for not voting. Our future depends on it!

And to encourage you a bit, some of our favorite local coffee shops will offer you a reward. At Little Falls Cafe in Pawtuxet Village, stop in with your "I Voted!" sticker on next Tuesday and Jeff will gladly you offer you a free cup of coffee from his wide selection of flavors. Or up on Thayer Street, stop in at Blue State Coffee with your sticker on, and Alex will fill your cup for free all day long. Blue State will also be showing the latest election news all day on their projection screen.

So be a part of your community and your country, and get out and VOTE!

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.

If you aren't registered yet, you can still vote in the presidential election. Rhode Island offers same-day registration for the presidential race. Click here for a list of same-day registration sites. In Providence this option is offered at the Dunkin' Donuts Center. In most other localities it takes place at the town hall.

2. How to vote. We aren't going to tell you. But we do recommend you make full use of the many election guides available online. FairVote's 2008 candidate survey should be particularly useful for General Assembly candidates. Common Cause of Rhode Island has a legislative scorecard. Project Vote Smart has information for both local and national candidates.

3. What to do if you run into problems. You can call the Secretary of State's help line at 401.222.2340. You may also call your local Board of Canvassers (here's the statewide list)--just don't be surprised if you're greeted with a busy signal.

If you run into irregularities at the polling place, you can call 1-866-OUR-VOTE (1-866-687-8683). This number, run by the nonpartisan coalition Election Protection, is good nationwide. Election Protection has signed up thousands of lawyers to assist voters with urgent legal questions.

4. How to stay informed. Voting isn't just a one-day event--it's part of a complicated tangle of local and federal election laws and practices that have evolved over decades, and have continued to mutate after the 2002 Help America Vote Act.

The national FairVote is, of course, an indispensable resource for people looking to become more informed about elections. Our director, Rob Richie, has just written a great editorial in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution summarizing the proposals we're making for elections administration. Also take a look at our presidential campaign tracker, which shows just how seriously the current Electoral College system distorts the presidential campaigns. (Maybe you've heard about our suggestion for changing this).

The Brennan Center and Demos are two prominent think-tanks, both of which do well-respected work on registration and election practices.

Rick Hasen, a professor at Loyola Law School, is on fire with his Election Law blog. For another legal perspective, visit OSU's Moritz College of Law Election website. Want to watch the cases in front of courts right now? Visit Moritz's pending litigation tracker.

Wired magazine online's Threat Level blog is focusing almost entirely on elections these days, with a special technological perspective. And I'd also recommend dropping by FiveThirtyEight.com for Electoral College projections. It's run by an Obama supporter, but political junkies of all stripes should take a look at its detailed and often provocative analysis of the way the campaigns respond to the current Electoral College system.

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