Apr
22
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Tuesday, 22 April 2008 |
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When: April 22 2008, from 3-4:30 PM. (Speaking portion begins at 3:30 PM.)
Where: State House.? Smith Street, Providence, RI.
What: A lobby training session and tour of the State House will start at 3 pm in the Bell Room, in preparation for talking with legislators about ECRI?s legislative priorities.? Next, speakers will discuss environmental initiatives.? Then, citizens will lobby elected officials about bills introduced to protect human health and the environment.
Who: Presented by the Environment Council of Rhode Island (ECRI), a coalition of over 60 organizations and individuals whose mission is to serve as an effective voice for developing and advocating policies and laws that protect and enhance the environment.
Speakers will include Senate Majority Leader Teresa Paiva-Weed, Senator Sosnowski, Representative Art Handy, Matt Auten, President of ECRI, and a representative from the RI Student Climate Coalition.
Why:? Elected officials need to hear from their constituents about environmental legislation. Matt Auten, president of the Environment Council, strongly encourages Rhode Islanders to celebrate Earth Day by telling the General Assembly that we need them to pass strong environmental legislation, particularly in order to tackle global warming pollution. ?This is a great opportunity for everyone who cares about the environment to take action and tell our elected officials what is important to us,? Auten said.
ECRI Legislative priorities include:
?ECRI supports the Global Warming Solutions Act, legislation to cut global warming pollution 80% by the year 2050.? (S2629, H7884) RI needs a mandatory program that will achieve the pollution reductions scientists say we need to avert the worst impacts of global warming. Global warming puts our environment and health at risk through impacts ranging from increased beach erosion and rising temperatures in Narragansett Bay, to more frequent and intense hurricanes, and an increase in the rates of asthma and variety of insect-borne illnesses.
?ECRI Supports the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act.? (S2633, H7524) which will protect Rhode Islanders from diesel pollution, which leads to adverse health risks. This year?s legislation calls for the cleanup of trash trucks and state vehicles.
?ECRI Supports the Rhode Island Shared Water Resources Act.? (S2637, H7787)? Rhode Island?s water use is outgrowing our reserves. Since water is a public good, the public sector must manage supply and demand and protect the land surrounding water sources.
?ECRI Supports the Electronic Waste Producer Responsibility Act.? (S2631, H7880)? This legislation requires manufacturers to pay for collecting and safely recycling discarded electronic equipment, which contain lead, mercury, and other toxins.
Afterward, all are invited to Local 121 downtown for Trivia Night and Celebration, click here for details.
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Apr
22
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Tuesday, 22 April 2008 |
Today is Earth Day, and if you can make it to the State House to show your support for your planet, that would be a fitting way to celebrate. Otherwise, just get outside, check out our trees about to burst into leafiness, listen to the birds, look up into the spring-blue sky, and be happy to live on Earth.
Projo environmental reporter Peter Lord has an Earth Day story on Page One in today's paper, an interesting look back on the history of the day and its meaning here in R.I. Click here for the full text.
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Apr
22
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Tuesday, 22 April 2008 |
Our local aquaculture industry is thriving, and a new federal grant will support research that will help the industry to grow while ensuring the environment is protected. Click here for today's report in Providence Business News. Click on "Read more" for the full news release from Sen. Jack Reed's office.
Senator Reed also joined a rally in Washington this week in support of The No Child Left Inside Act, a new federal initiative that aims to strengthen environmental education programs and reconnect more kids with nature. About $100 million a year in funding is at stake. Click on "Read more" for the news release, pictures, and info about what you can do to support this effort.
- News Releases from Senator Reed's office -
Monday, April 21, 2008
Reed 'Nets' Over $400,000 in Federal Funding to Bolster RI's Shellfish Aquaculture Industry and Preserve Coastal Resources
WICKFORD, RI ? In an effort to help bolster Rhode Island?s shellfish aquaculture industry and preserve coastal resources, U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) today joined Robert Rheault, President of Moonstone Oysters, and Peter August, Director of the URI Coastal Institute, at the public dock in Wickford to announce over $400,000 in federal funding that Reed secured in the 2008 Appropriations spending bill for the East Coast Shellfish Research Initiative and the Natural Resources Conservation Service?s (NRCS) shallow water soil mapping study.
The shellfish aquaculture industry on the East Coast is composed of more than 1,300 small farms with annual harvests valued at $80 million.
?Sustainable aquaculture is good for the environment and good for our economy,? said Reed, a member of the Appropriations Committee. ?This federal funding will help researchers answer critical questions and allow continued growth and development of the industry. It will also bolster the ability of Rhode Island?s aquaculture industry to penetrate foreign markets.?
The East Coast Shellfish Research Initiative will use the $261,159 in federal funding to partner with top university researchers to conduct studies that will help the East Coast shellfish aquaculture industry attain the goal of doubling production in ten years while creating as many as 500 full-time jobs.
?I am happy to report that Rhode Island's aquaculture production continues to grow at double digit rates and last year our sales of cultured oysters topped $1.5 million. Shellfish aquaculture has proven environmental benefits and we are excited to see this kind of production off only 125 acres,? said Robert B. Rheault, President of Moonstone Oysters. ?I?d like to thank Senator Reed for securing this federal funding. This money will help fund critical shellfish research projects. We know that shellfish aquaculture is sustainable and produces nutritious and delicious products, and we need to ensure that these products are also safe and wholesome.?
In 2002, Reed secured $1.5 million for the Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council (CRMC) to initiate the Rhode Island Aquaculture Initiative. At the time the Rhode Island Aquaculture Initiative was established, the Ocean State ranked at or near the bottom in terms of domestic aquaculture production. This initiative has increased the breadth and depth of the aquaculture industry, helped create jobs, and promoted ecologically sustainable development. As a result, Rhode Island?s aquaculture has almost doubled production and CRMC developed regulations to support the industry.
?I am proud that Rhode Island has become a regional model for the growth of the aquaculture industry,? noted Reed.
Senator Reed also secured a $142,992 appropriation for the Natural Resources Conservation Service to work with partners throughout the state to develop a classification system for coastal soils and a national model for coastal and submerged soil mapping throughout the United States. A lack of detailed information about the soil and sediment of submerged land has placed major limitations on our management and conservation activities.
?Just as soil is vital to supporting crops on dry land, submerged soils are vital to our coastal crops and are essential habitat for aquatic vegetation and shellfish, such as crabs, oysters, quahogs, and clams. They also serve as feeding and spawning grounds for fin-fish and provide feeding grounds for waterfowl,? said Reed. ?I am pleased to have secured funding for the NRCS and URI to collect detailed data for coastal and shallow water soils that will contribute to improved management and restoration practices, which will in turn allow us to better protect coastal lands, water quality, and ecosystems.?
?Subaqueous soils tell us how well an area will support shellfishing, aquaculture, or eelgrass restoration. Just like on land, some soils are better than others for growing plants and serving as habitat for animals,? said Peter August, Director of the URI Coastal Institute. ?Accurate subaqueous soil maps are critical for managing our underwater natural resources. Rhode Island?s pioneering work in subaqueous soil mapping would not be happening were it not for Senator Reed?s support for and commitment to stewardship of our coastal ecosystems.?
The United States Department of Agriculture - Natural Resource Conservation Service (USDA- NRCS) is the lead federal agency for the mapping and interpretations of the nation?s soil resources.
Senator Reed chats with URI's Peter August and aquaculturist Robert Rheault at the dock in Wickford.
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Capitol Hill Goes ?Wild? for No Child Left Inside Environmental Education Initiative
WASHINGTON, DC ? In celebration of National Environmental Education Week, U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) and U.S. Representative John Sarbanes (D-MD) today joined with local school children, animal ambassadors from the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, and leading environmentalists to rally for passage of The No Child Left Inside Act, a new $100 million a year initiative to strengthen environmental education programs and reconnect more kids with nature.
?Teaching children about the environment and giving them a hands-on opportunity to experience nature should be an important part of the curriculum in our schools. This legislation will free up critical funding for environmental education to inspire the next generation of scientists and conservationists,? said Senator Reed, a member of both the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee and the Appropriations subcommittee that oversees federal spending on education programs. ?This legislation is a smart investment in our children?s future and the future of our planet.?
?Children today spend more time inside watching television or playing video games than they do outdoors,? said Congressman John Sarbanes. ?One way to get our young people outside is to educate them about the environment; No Child Left Inside seeks to do this by incorporating environmental education and outdoor opportunities into our schools? instructional curricula.?
The students and lawmakers were joined at the rally on Capitol Hill by clouded leopard cubs, an alligator, armadillo, flamingo, and palm civet from the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, as well as Jack Mulvena, Director of Roger Williams Park Zoo in Providence, Rhode Island.
Outdoor education helps give students a well-rounded educational experience, which is one of the reasons so many CEOs and business leaders support the Reed-Sarbanes No Child Left Inside Act. Yet, today, many schools are being forced to scale back environmental programs and cancel field trips. Teachers and principals point to two factors behind this troubling trend: the unintended consequences of the No Child Left Behind Act, and a lack of funding for environmental programs.
?When you get kids outside and teach them about nature, it helps them raise achievement in other studies and has important health benefits too,? noted Reed.
?Children benefit when they are outdoors in so many ways,? said Congressman Sarbanes. ?Raising their consciousness of the natural world makes them better environmental stewards.?
The Reed-Sarbanes No Child Left Inside Act seeks to authorize $500 million over five years to help states make environmental education a bigger priority in America's classrooms.
The legislation has key backing from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and the No Child Left Inside (NCLI) Coalition, a broad-based organization made up of more than 195 environmental, educational, business, public health, and outdoor recreation organizations from across the United States. For more information about the NCLI Coalition, visit: www.NCLICoalition.org
The No Child Left Inside Act (S. 1981) would authorize $100 million a year over five years. Specifically, the legislation will:
? Create grant programs for teacher training and environmental education;
? Provide funding to states that create environmental literacy plans for grades K-12;
? Re-establish the Office of Environmental Education within the U.S. Department of Education to oversee critical environmental education activities; and
? Authorize the Secretary of Education to award competitive matching grants to nonprofit organizations, states, and local education agencies for activities to improve and support environmental education that include: (1) advancing content and achievement standards; (2) developing or disseminating innovations or model programs; (3) research; and (4) creating new funding sources.
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Apr
21
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Monday, 21 April 2008 |
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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