Sometimes we get so wrapped up in worrying about all that's wrong with our state, we lose sight of some of our tremendous assets -- and the fresh view of somebody from somewhere else, can remind us of all that we have to be grateful for.

That point is driven home in a story in today's projo about Roylene Rides at the Door, a federal conservation worker from out west who has been working here in RI for several years. The depth and breadth of our eco-community here is impressive, she says. "She says she has not seen such political and popular support for conservation in many other states," the article reads.

And the author of that article, Peter Lord, deserves some of the credit for that. For many years, he's been keeping folks in our state well-informed about all that's going on in the eco-world. We're lucky to have a full-time environmental reporter at the projo -- many newspapers of similar size don't.

This article can also be found in the Winter issue of Edible Rhody, on newsstands today. Look for it at your local market, gourmet shop, or restaurant, copies are free! and each issue includes Green Scene, a special page of eco-news content from Natural News.

Every year about this time, the question arises -- is it environmentally responsible to buy a Christmas tree? There is no simple answer, but one thing is certain -- if you want a tree, the best one to buy is one that grew on a local farm. Consider the other options: An artificial tree will last for many years but was probably shipped here from overseas, can't be recycled, and likely contains toxic materials. You can buy a real tree from a roadside stand, but many of those trees come from big wholesale farms far away, requiring lots of fuel and greenhouse-gas emissions to transport them here.

Or, you can buy from a local farm, where your purchase will help to keep local agriculture economically viable and preserve open space right here in our state. (Another option is to buy a live tree, but many buyers find it a challenge to keep the tree alive until the planting season.) 

There are no official organic standards for Christmas trees, but smaller growers who can give more personal attention to their trees tend to use fewer chemicals. "We try not to spray if we can help it," says Jane Durning, owner of Riverside Farm, in Charlestown, and president of the Rhode Island Christmas Tree Growers Association. "We're right next to the Pawcatuck River, so any chemicals we use would end up there. And in our own well water, too." Durning uses Integrated Pest Management methods, which minimize the use of chemicals. She said practices vary, and the best way to find out how your local tree was grown is just to ask the farmer.

For a listing of Rhode Island Christmas tree growers, click here.

Another excellent way to get your tree is from the annual Christmas Tree Sale held by the Audubon Society of Rhode Island. This way your purchase also goes to support the great work done year-round by ASRI as a steward for our wildlife and wild places. All the ASRI trees are fresh, fragrant and premium or #1 grade Balsam or Canaan firs (similar to Fraser) grown in Rhode Island. The sale will be held at the Audubon centers in Bristol and Smithfield, Saturday, Dec 6 from 10 to 4. Sales will continue until trees are gone.

At the end of the season, most municipalities will collect your all-natural, fully biodegradeable tree and recycle it for mulch or compost. Check with your local trash hauler after the holiday, or check with RI Resource Recovery or Earth911.

For more ideas for enjoying a natural, green, local holiday, check out NNN's Holiday Eco-Market.

If you've been thinking it would be kind of great to be in Washington, D.C., for the inauguration in January, but you're daunted by the logistics of it all, the folks at the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council have a solution for you. Hop on one of their motorcoaches at 10 pm on Monday, Jan 19, spend the day in DC on Tuesday for the inauguration events, then ride home and get back to work Wednesday morning.

And taking the bus is a good eco-choice for transportation, too.

Click here to buy tickets online, just $139 each, they're sure to go fast.

Thanksgiving is a great holiday here in RI -- the weather is not too cold yet, usually; the woods have that warm brownish late-autumn glow in the afternoon sun; there's not that much to do, holiday-wise, other than hang out with friends and family, cook up some tasty meals, maybe catch a sports event or a movie.  It's also a great time to get outdoors and enjoy our state -- if that's not part of your tradition, maybe it should be.

The skating rink is open downtown, the seals are barking in the Bay (you can hike down to Rome Point to see them from shore, or catch a boat ride with Save The Bay). The National Wildlife Refuges and the refuges run by Audubon offer hiking trails open to all (remember it's hunting season though, so even in the refuge areas, orange hats and vests are a good idea). The state beaches and Newport's Cliff Walk are open too and a great option for walking in November, as long as the wind is not too icy cold.  Many farmstands and some of our farmers markets will be open over the weekend, Farm Fresh has all the details. Check out NNN's Community Calendar for more ideas. 

Don't forget, Friday is Buy Nothing Day and the annual Winter Coat Exchange at sites around the state. And be sure to venture outside after dark and watch for this weekend's sky show.

If the night skies will clear, and you have some extra free time over this holiday weekend, you'll want to get outside and enjoy this free and spectacular show.

The folks at NASA say that Venus and Jupiter are converging this week, not in the slow motion typical of heavenly phenomena, but in a headlong rush—almost a full degree (two full Moon widths) per night. As the gap shrinks, the beauty increases. On Saturday, Nov. 29th, the two planets will be less than 3 degrees apart, and on Sunday night, Nov. 30th, a slender 10% crescent Moon joins the show. The delicate crescent will appear to hover just below Venus and Jupiter.

Monday, Dec. 1st (sky map) is the best night of all. The now-15% crescent Moon moves in closer to form a triangle with Venus and Jupiter. The three brightest objects in the night sky will be gathered so tightly together, you can hide them all behind your thumb held at arm's length. The celestial triangle will be visible from all parts of the world, even from light-polluted cities.

A small telescope will reveal the moons and cloud-belts of Jupiter, the gibbous phase of Venus (69% full), and craters and mountains on the Moon. It's a Grand Tour you won't soon forget. And watch for a ghostly image of the full Moon inside the bright horns of the crescent -- that's called "Earthshine" or sometimes "the da Vinci glow" because Leonardo da Vinci was the first person to explain it: Sunlight hits Earth and ricochets to the Moon, casting a sheen of light across the dark lunar terrain.

By itself, a crescent Moon with Earthshine is one of the loveliest sights in the heavens. Add Venus and Jupiter and it's time to mark your calendar -- Dec. 1st @ sunset: Sky show of the year!

For more info, go to the NASA Web site.

President-elect Obama promises a turnaround in federal policy on climate change, with a saner energy strategy and the promise of millions of green jobs. Click here for the text of his brief address on Tuesday to the Governors Climate Summit, or check out the video below.

The Obama transition team invites you to submit your own ideas about energy and the environment, just click here.

As we enter the busiest shopping season -- though maybe not too busy, if you're cutting back like many people -- it's a good time for a reminder that not all products that are labeled "green" or "eco-friendly" are necessarily good choices.

Senator Whitehouse issued a warning to consumers this week that oversight and reform are overdue: "I fear that too many consumers are attracted to products that purport to be ‘green,' but in fact are little different from standard products," the senator wrote. Federal agencies must ensure that the claims made by manufacturers and sellers wil lead to real progress on the environment, he added. For the full text of the senator's news release, click here.

So where can you find good advice on having a truly green holiday season? Check out NNN's Holiday Eco-Market. Download this excellent Greenwash Guide, from a British ad agency, featuring the handy "10 signs of greenwash." Look for the The Healthy Holidays Handbook, a small pamphlet produced by our local Toxics Information Project, at your local library. You also can pick up a copy and get lots of ideas at TIP's Gift Ideas Party, next Saturday, Nov 29, at the Rochambeau Library in Prov, 12 to 3. Click here for more details. Or you can read the Handbook online, click here for html and click here to find a link for a downloadable pdf version.

The Bank of America City Center Skating Rink opens today at 6 pm, and here's some good news -- the admission & rental prices are exactly the same as they've been for the last four years.
 
The cocoa is hot and the skates are sharp, so get outside and enjoy some family fun and exercise without breaking the bank.

Click on "More..." for more details, or click here to visit the rink Web site.

It's looking to be a cold but sunny weekend, and it's more important than ever to get outdoors this time of year, to soak up some sunshine during these short winter days. It's not summer, but if you bundle up and get walking, you might be surprised that you can still enjoy being outside.

Here are some ideas from our NNN Community Calendar...

Well, Green Drinks won't get you outdoors, but it will get you out of the house! Meet up tonight, 5 to 8 pm, at the Wild Colonial Tavern on Water Street in Providence, to share drinks and fellowship with your green neighbors. You can also shop at local galleries tonight with a special Gallery Night tour, click here for info.

Over the weekend, lots of local farmers markets will be open for pre-holiday shopping. Pawtuxet Village Market will be open Saturday, and the Coastal Growers Market at Casey Farm in North Kingstown is open on Sunday. Check out Farm Fresh for the full listing of markes and farmstands.

Also on Saturday, the Appalachian Mountain Club will lead a hike at Rome Point, in North Kingstown, an easy hike in woods and along the shore where seals often congregate on nearby rocks. If you've never visited this awesome site, now is a great opportunity.

Monday evening, the Brown Sustainable Food Initiative presents a lecture by author Anna Lappe. Go to the NNN Community Calendar for details. And clean out your closets, and donate those extra coats!

Image courtesy of Save The Bay.