The Providential Gardener

RI Legislative Update ~ RI Transportation Investment & Debt Reduction Act of 2011

The Providential Gardener, a member of the Coalitiion for Transportation Choices, supports the passage of the Transportation Investment and Debt Reduction Act of 2011 and urges other Rhode Islanders to read up on this and join others who support this reasonable and necessary legislation.

Background on this issue is available from the Coalition for Transportation Choices (CTC), created in 2009 with a vision "for a 21st century transportation system that enhances our economy and provides all Rhode Islanders with healthy transportation choices." The Coalition's 2011 legislative and policy agenda was updated on March 11 and gives a short summary of what this bill will accomplish.

Why this is important: Rhode Island has been funding maintenance of its roads by borrowing, and the debt service is now a significant and growing portion of the RIDOT budget, leaving less and less money to take care of existing roads and bridges as we all know too well. Maintenance obviously should be budgeted regularly, pay as you go. Rhode Island also currently funds RIDOT and RIPTA through the gasoline tax, but as cars become more fuel efficient and people drive less and take the bus more, that results in reduced funds for highway maintenance and public transportation. For further information see the CTC E-Brief about breaking Rhode Island's habit of borrowing for highways.

Background on Rhode Island Transportation: CTC has an informative website. See especially:

• Recent News
• CTC Goals
• CTC Working Group
• Join the CTC email list and/or become a partner
• Reports, Fact Sheets and Other Resources

This week, The Providential Gardener wrote a letter in support of this legislation:

March 18, 2011

The Providential Gardener supports and urges passage of the Transportation Investment and Debt Reduction Act of 2011 (S-148 and H-5789).

The Providential Gardener is an online aggregator and distributor of environmental information specific to Rhode Island. Our lead information service is What Grows On in Rhode Island, the state's most comprehensive environment-related calendar. We provide an essential overview of environmental issues and activities in Rhode Island, informing and empowering citizens so they can take better care of our natural resources.

Rhode Island needs to plan better to fund maintenance of its roads. Civil engineers can certainly tell us how frequently each road and bridge in the state will need repairs and when this maintenance will be due. [There is no excuse for the state if it doesn't have these data readily accessible.] They can project the anticipated cost of regular repairs, and these costs should not be part of the regular state budget. For years we have been borrowing for regular maintenance, and this bill will enable the state budget to be more realistic as to the funding of our road and bridge maintenance requirements, reducing the cost of future borrowing and allowing the state to retire expensive previous debt.

Susan Korté
The Providential Gardener
PO Box 2556
Providence, RI 02906

skorte@providentialgardener.com
401.273.6678

What Grows On in Rhode Island Calendar
http://www.WhatGrowsOnRI.com

Providential Gardener
http://www.ProvidentialGardener.com

What do You Think about What the 2010 Candidates for Governor Say about Rhode Island's Environment?

Let Your Voice Be Heard!

Comment on the Gubernatorial Candidates' Remarks about RI's Environment!

Rhode Island's environment is greatly impacted by political decisions and budget constraints, and of course with the economy in its present sluggish state and not enough revenue coming in, the priorities the next governor sets are of the utmost importance. Rhode Islanders who see that our environment is really at the heart of things ~ that responsibly attending to environmental matters is necessary for our continuing to live in this place and essential to our health and well being ~ will want to listen to the candidate's views and express their concerns as comments on the YouTube videos of the recent environmental debate.

We need a governor, legislative leadership, and local news media -- in fact the whole population of the state -- to grasp the systemic nature of the problems we face. We need to reframe our problems in order to develop viable long-term solutions. The central problem for human beings is not "the economy" which is an abstraction focused on money, but on flesh and blood, our lives. Our bodies are part of the environment, not separate from it. The beating heart of the matter for each of us is being alive, having a living,* living our full length of days, and living fully ~ not so many [millions of] dollar bills here or there. When we rearrange our thinking and make human life central rather than money, budgets, and deficits, the fog can lift and we can begin to see our way toward a vibrant society for all Rhode Islanders.

Tom Horton, Ecosystem Restoration, and the New Economy

Sigh.

We set goals, and then things happen. It always seems to take longer to achieve success than we can ever imagine.

That's what struck me as I reviewed my notes from the 7th Annual Land & Water Summit held on March 27, 2010, at URI. Tom Horton, the keynote speaker, has made the Chesapeake Bay's restoration his life's work. He described how the goal date for cleaning up the Chesapeake has slipped from 2010 to 2028. Voluntary compliance doesn't work well, he noted. Legislation with teeth, plus the money and will to enforce the law, are required for success. Adequate legislation and enforcement, in turn, rest on long-term monitoring and research. So restoring a large watershed like the Chesapeake (and our Rhode Island watersheds around the Narragansett Bay) takes a lot of time, money, and willpower.

Much of his talk reflected the substance of his book, Turning the Tide: Saving the Chesapeake Bay (first published in 1991 and updated in 2003). To get a sense of what you missed if you weren't there Saturday, you can skim some of the book's pages on Amazon and read a review of this book in the U. Richmond Law Review and a review of another of his books, Bay Country (review published in 1987 in The New York Times). You'll also find in an Amazon search a few other books on the Chesapeake that he has written or coauthored. 

For Horton, Chesapeake Bay, like Narragansett Bay, is a magnificent ecosystem coping with pollution and the overharvesting of its fish and crustacean resources, yet still resilient despite increasing human activity in and around it. He quoted Aldo Leopold ~ that "the oldest task in human history [is] to live on a piece of land without spoiling it." He stressed that grow-or-die economic models are simply unsustainable. It's all well and good for each of us individually to reduce our carbon footprint. But if the population around the Chesapeake is growing at the rate of 2 million per decade, how can enough people offset their carbon footprints enough to offset this population growth? Think about that for a moment.

We need to convince people there are viable alternatives to the never-ending-growth model, that the options are multifaceted and not either/or ~ either overeat or starve to death. Our own Greg Gerritt, who writes extensively on this topic in Prosperity for Rhode Island, could be seen nodding his head in agreement every time Horton drove this point home.

As I continue to digest all the fascinating ideas from the Summit, I've found the link to the Chafee Memorial Lecture in Washington DC in January 2010 that Horton stressed repeatedly. This lecture, "A New American Environmentalism and the New Economy," was given by James Gustave Speth, dean emeritus, Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies. The session was videotaped and posted on the web, so we can view it when we want. [FYI, It took a long time to download on my high-speed internet connection, and there's a bit of an introduction before he starts speaking, but hang in!] Horton urged the 325 Rhode Island conservationists present at the Summit to see environmental issues in a larger, systemic context, to ally with others working for political reform and for social justice projects,... and to CONTINUALLY QUESTION "GROW OR DIE" ASSUMPTIONS.

A quote of a quote from the Chafee lecture: "Anyone who thinks that exponential growth can go on forever in a finite world is either a madman or an economist." ~ Kenneth Boulding 

Here's a shorter interview with James Gustave Speth, The Environment and Economy in Conflict to whet your appetite for the Chafee lecture:


I began this post with a sigh, but I'll end with a story that illustrates our state's motto, Hope, which Horton describes as not being able "to see your way through the tall grass." He told of a short-legged dog that actually learned to jump up high enough to get his bearings when lost in the tall grass. Encountering Tom Horton's thought is to learn to leap up for a better view.

P.S.: In light of all this rain we've endured since the weekend, here's another idea from his talk we can implement: Let's pass impervious surface tax legislation in Rhode Island.

For other reports on the 2010 Land and Water Summit, see ecoRI and search for "Conservation Summit Focuses on Land and Water Issues"

The Story of Bottled Water

World Water Day was March 22, but really, every day is Water Day, isn't it?

I love it when people send links to good resources ~ there's so much out there, it's hard to follow all the websites worth watching. This week a friend sent me a link to a video on The Story of Stuff about one of my particular causes ~ decreasing demand for bottled water. The Story of Bottled Water is a well-done presentation on why bottled water is not only unnecessary for the most part, but also extremely wasteful of natural resources and our own hard-earned money.

One point in the video is that many cities are not investing in the public water supply. Fortunately for Rhode Islanders, that's not the case here in the nation's smallest state. And our drinking water is almost the best in the whole USA. 

Providence tap water ranks with the nation’s best
Dec 15, 2009 - Providence tap water ranks with the nation’s best.   By Lynn Arditi Journal Staff Writer. ...

$76 million in drinking-water projects launched in RI
Dec 19, 2009 - $76 million in drinking-water projects launched in RI. 

Nevertheless, there is plenty to do still, and of course for something so essential to life as water, there must be eternal vigilance...

Opportunities to care for our local water supplies abound. Most cities and towns have boards and commissions devoted to maintaining high quality water resources in Rhode Island. See What Grows On in RI for public meetings, many of which concern water. Watershed Watch could use help from 350 Rhode Islanders also:

Volunteers needed for Watershed Watch program
Mar 23, 2010 - ... According to watershed watch director Linda Green, overall water quality in Rhode Island has been fairly good. She and Herron credit ...

We can cooperate with efforts to detect distribution systems water leaks:

March 2010: Providence Water embarks on ambitious leak detection system installation

Federal Stimulus funds are powering the latest Providence Water Supply Board initiative to equip its drinking water distribution system with thousands of leak detection devices. This system, called MLOG, will enable Providence Water to monitor the entire distribution system for water leaks. To accomplish this, leak detection devices will ultimately be installed in approximately 11,000 strategically-selected homes (about 15% of total customer homes throughout the entire Providence Water distribution system). The first phase of the program will see about 8,250 devices, purchased with special incentive bonds as part of the American Recovery Reinvestment Act, with debt service on the bonds being paid from existing water rates...

....Starting the week of March 15, 2010, Providence Water employees will begin the project in
North Providence neighborhoods requesting access to selected homes. Once North Providence installations are complete, Providence Water customers in Providence, Cranston and Johnston will be systematically contacted as the progress of the installation program continues. It is expected to take 2 years to completely install MLOG devices throughout the system...[read more]

[The photo above is of a holding pond outside the offices of the Scituate Reservoir.]

For further background, check out these stories that Peter Lord wrote in the Providence Journal:

RI to utilize stimulus money for water, sewer projects
Sep 03, 2009 -
... By Peter B. Lord Journal Environment ... announced that the state plans to begin
distributing about $135 million in loans for local drinking water and sewer ...

Passage likely for water supply bill
Jun 08, 2009 -
... By Peter B. Lord Journal Environment Writer. PROVIDENCE — Rhode Island’s drinking
water supplies should become more dependable over time, thanks to a ...

$150 million in stimulus loans to go to sewer, water projects
Mar 24, 2009 -
... By Peter B. Lord Journal Environment Writer. Sen. ... into communities across Rhode Island
for water and sewer ... loans will be available for drinking water and sewer ...

Ecological Restoration in the RI Constitution ~ Greg Gerritt ~ Prosperity for RI

See the post, Ecological Restoration in the RI Constitution, Greg Gerritt's blog, Prosperity for RI.

He quotes the RI Constitution, Section 17. Fishery rights -- Shore privileges -- Preservation of natural resources.

What better mission statement for our environment do we need?

Farmland and Open Space Protection Funding Bond Referendum

Since local farming and preservation of open space is such a popular cause in Rhode Island and previous bond issues have been overwhelmingly approved, I've posted the RI Land Trust Council's views and supporting information in their entirety on What Grows On in Rhode Island. If this is something you value, please see RI Land Trust Council President Rupert Friday's full appeal on the What Grows On in Rhode Island News Blog.

Sustainable Sakonnet

Happy New Year!

I love starting fresh at the beginning of the year, and The Providential Gardener has high hopes for the future of the garden called Rhode Island that we all share and tend. There's a lot of work to do, but each year there are more people pitching in.

One example is a blog that began in February 2007 called Sustainable Sakonnet: "Bringing the citizens of Tiverton and Little Compton, Rhode Island, together to create a more environmentally sustainable community for today and tomorrow." I've added Sustainable Sakonnet to my blogroll.

The author, Bill Gerlach, has a background in marketing and communications. And he has a vision for his community and his neighbors, challenging them to think what  Sakonnet towns need to be truly sustainable. He says,

...it is up to individuals and communities to take the lead in shaping a better future. We cannot wait for others to lead; it is up to us to take up that helm with gusto and determination.

Couldn't agree more. I don't think there can be enough blogs and citizens proactively speaking up and taking initiative however they can to bring some sense to our out-of-whack world. Some people can work most effectively on the local level: it would be great to see more bloggers focused on environmental/ecological/sustainable issues particular to each town ~ or for the larger towns and cities, individual neighborhoods. This requires complementing by more general sites, some of which cover particular aspects of importance to the whole state, and others of which focus on different types of information. The more the better in my view. There are so many entry points into the vital issues of caring for our state's natural resources. Different people approach things differently, and no one website can possibly fill all the needs.

You might want to see these and other posts in Sustainable Sakonnet:

• Sustainable Energy Takes the First Step
• Green Building: Where is Our Planner Now?
• Tube For Tuesday: Saving the Landfill One Diaper at a Time
• Greening Our Schools
• Protected Farmland + ? = Secure Local Food System
• Help Set the Environmental Agenda at the State House
• Planning for the Future

No Child Left Inside

Senator Jack Reed has recently introduced legislation to strengthen and expand environmental education in the schools called the No Child Left Inside Act 2007. Here are some links that provide background:

• Jack Reed press release regarding No Child Left Inside Act 2007
• Save the Bay's No Child Left Inside web page
• USA Today article: Nature Program's Goal: No Child Left Inside
• Economist article: No Child Left Inside
• Chesapeake Bay Foundation's No Child Left Inside web site, with suggestions for strengthening the language

This last link to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation has good summaries of what Environmental Education can be and suggestions for how you can help. It also gives the House and Senate bill numbers. An excerpt:

Congressman John Sarbanes of Maryland and Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island recently introduced legislation that strengthens and expands environmental education in America's classrooms and reconnects children with nature. These bills, each entitled the No Child Left Inside Act of 2007, were introduced in the House (H.R.3036) and the Senate (S.1981). Please encourage your senators and representative to support the No Child Left Inside Act of 2007 and help get its provisions included in the House and Senate bills that reauthorize the No Child Left Behind law.

You can follow the progress of these bills on Congress's website. Click on the numbers:

• H.R. 3036
• S. 1981

Global Warming Legislative Proposal in Congress

From Environment Rhode Island:

"There are times in history when nations or people reach a turning point. When opportunities or challenges present themselves - and they can't be ignored. Moments when decisive action is not only warranted, but becomes a moral obligation.

"As a country, we are at such a point when it comes to global warming. Will we continue to sit on the side lines and watch ice chunks the size of Florida melt away in less than a week's time? Will we wait for the next Katrina to hit the Gulf Coast? Or will we stand up and take bold and decisive action?

"This fall, for the first time in history, Congress will get serious about global warming. We have to join together to make sure that they get it right. We don't have time for half measures or weak action.

"Leaders in Congress have asked Senators Joseph Lieberman (Conn.) and John Warner (Va.), the chair and top-ranking Republican on the key subcommittee in Congress dealing with global warming, to draft a bill that will instantly become the centerpiece of the debate on global warming in Congress.  If
we're going to tackle global warming, the Lieberman-Warner bill needs to do what the best science says is needed to prevent the worst effects of global warming.

"Ask them to make their bill strong enough to meet the enormity of the challenge we face...."

Sincerely,

Matt Auten
Environment Rhode Island Advocate
MattA@environmentrhodeisland.org
http://www.environmentrhodeisland.org

If you are moved to act, you can sign Environment Rhode Island's petition, or contact our Rhode Island Senators Reed and Whitehouse.