The Providential Gardener

Projo Digest, July 16, 17, 18, 19

About This Series ~ What You Read or Missed in the Providence Journal Recently.... [you might find these articles at www.projo.com if you missed them]

Monday, July 16, 2007    

• A1 ~ Costs stymie efforts to cut gas emissions    Climate change. By Steven Mufson, Washington Post   
• A1 ~ Once facing extinction due to DDT, majestic ospreys making recovery Creature Chronicles: A summer serries. Also see DEM's Osprey newsletter and how to volunteer at www.dem.ri.gov/programs/bnatres/fishwild/pdf.ospr0407.pdf Bruce Landis   

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

• B1 ~ “CRMC boat designed to survey state's coast”
• E1 ~ “Langevin discusses farming, food legislation”

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

• B5 ~ “Keeping an eye on lizardfish” ~ The Bay Window program tracks the various populations of fish in the Bay, which included 1.5 million tropical lizardfish in 2006.
• D1 ~ Street vendors along Dexter and Westminster Streets, Providence, sell typical South American and Cambodian fruits and vegetables daily [not an “official” Farmers' Market]
• D1 ~ North Providence “Developer sets sights on land being used by Camp Meehan” that the city wants to buy to enlarge John Notte Park
• E7 ~ Hydrangea hype

Thursday, July 19, 2007

• A1 ~ “Industry had a major role in shaping of energy policy”
• A6 ~ “Panel established to study food imports”
• B6 ~ Commentary ~ “Rhody's out of step: Walk-on-left bike-parth rule is perilous”
• B7 ~ Commentary ~ “A skyscraper on Federal Hill?” by David Brussat
• C1 ~ “State orders closing of beach at Notte Park [North Providence]” ~ E. coli detected at unacceptable levels. Article includes list of beaches that have been closed this year so far.
• C2 ~ “State set to begin clearing trees and brush at airport” to comply with federal safety regulations
• C6 ~ “A day at the zoo” ~ photos of kids at a recent farm event held at Roger Williams Park Zoo
• C6 ~ Metro Notes ~ Neighborhood (From Broad to Friendship Streets) Cleanup ~ Meet at Crossroads Rhode Island parking lot, 160 Broad St., Providence, 9am Friday, July 20.
• E1 ~ Six of the things in Mark Patinkin's “18 things to see in R.I. Before you die” concern the environment, if you include Waterfire, and don't include Old Guy's Hardball, Polo, and Ski Rhode Island, all of which require well-kept outdoor spaces.
• E7 ~ Nature ~ List of activities, many sponsored by the Audubon Society of Rhode Island.

Projo Digest ~ July 12, 13, 14, 15

About This Series ~ What You Read or Missed in the Providence Journal Recently.... [you might find these articles at www.projo.com if you missed them]

Thursday, July 12, 2007

• A1 ~ “Report seeks to bring home impact of global warming” by Peter B. Lord. See www.climatechoices.org for the report called “Confronting Climate Change in the U.S. Northeast – Science, Impacts, and Solutions.”
• A8 ~ “Bill aims to help climate without hurting economy” U.S. Senate bill would limit carbon emissions.
• A9 ~ “EPA director defends new anti-smog regulations”
• B4 ~ Editorial ~ “Bike Path Etiquette” See www.railtrails.org about building more bike paths
• D6 ~ Climate Awareness/Global Warming program, Rochambeau Library, July 19, 7:30pm
• F2 ~ “Public hearing set for Maine wind farm”

Friday, July 13, 2007

• B1 ~ “Fishermen's group appeals decision that state can withhold addresses” ~
• B2 ~ “Smithfield bridge [over a wetland] proposed”
• B2 ~ “Bristol residents petition council about development next to cemetery”
• B2 ~ “Woonsocket [wastewater treatment] plant curbs foul smells”
• D2 ~ “Landfill spared medical waste”

Saturday, July 14, 2007

• D1 ~ “Farmers' market offers surf and turf: Coastal Growers' [Market] sells shellfish to the community for the first time” [Also note that scallops are now being sold at the Hope Street (Providence) farmers' market on Saturday mornings - sk]
• F1 ~ “Bryant conserves energy with 'green data center'”
• F1 ~ Cranston ~ Neighbors opposed to retail project on Mulligan's Island golf complex. Save Cranston's Open Space continues to fight a modified proposal
• F1 ~ “New plan for [Providence] Waterfront” ~ Section on waterfront development in the Comprehensive Plan has been rewritten
• F1 ~ “[Charlestown] officials: Keep Route 1 rural” Workshop on proposed land use guide ordinance August 7.
• F2 ~ Editorial ~ “Republic of Portsmouth” ~ about the big-box store moratorium
• F3 ~ “Even under protection, plovers still at risk” by Ken Weber

Sunday, July 15, 2007

• A5 ~ “Food-labeling law revived amid tainted-import reports”
• B1 ~ “Menhaden fishing limits causing rift in the Bay” ~ Controversy involving DEM, the legislature, RI Saltwater Anglers Association, recreational and commercial fishermen and lobstermen.
• B2 ~ Environmental Journal ~ Peter B. Lord
  • “Public asked to comment ton East Providence project” at Roger Williams an Bourne avenues. See www.nae.usace.army.mil or call 978-318-8131, or 800-343-4789. Comments accepted until August 3.
  • “Volunteers needed for cove cleanup” at Brush Neck Cove, Warwick, Wed., July 25, 10-1pm.
  • “Woonasquatucket group honored” [Woonsasquatucket River Watershed Council]
  • Access site on the Pawcatuck River in Richmond dedicated to John M. Cronin.
  • “Brownfield sites about to [be] assessed” DEM hearing Wednesday, July 18, on sites in Woonsocket, Pawtucket, Central Falls, Warwick, West Warwick, Cranston, and Coventry. State will award money. Successful proposals are online at www.brownfields.ri.gov.
  • “Plans for Route 1 aired Thursday” July 19, 8:30am, Kettle Pond Visitor Center, Route 1, Charlestown.
• G1 ~ “Neighborhood of the Week: Warren's Beach Terrace”
• G2 ~ “R.I. homeowners face phaseout of cesspools”
• J3 ~ “Lily lovers' mecca in Rehoboth” [Tranquil Lake Nursery] ~ Great place to visit in July
• J3 ~ “Rain barrel bargains”
• J7 ~ “Making scents in the garden”
• J8 ~ “Retailers see a grass-roots move to push mowers”
• J9 ~ “Making your garden nice to nose around ~ Plants with fragrant flowers”

Projo Digest ~ July 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11

About This Series ~ What You Read or Missed in the Providence Journal Recently.... [you might find these articles at www.projo.com if you missed them]

I got behind on this little project, and maybe I won't keep it up, but I'm interested in tracking what RI environmental news the print media are actually covering. If you click on the Category "Projo Digest" in the left column, you can skim through and get an overview of what the major paper in Rhode Island is reporting about the environment.

I'd like to compile the stories in the other $ and free publications around the state also, and then there are radio and TV channels.... Right now, The Providential Gardener is listing the Providence Journal's reports, but it primarily  adds and compiles links to RI-related web resources. What else is there? Publications of organizations, government agencies....

Given all of these channels, how can we, the public, digest all this so we're well-enough informed about Rhode Island's environmental issues? There is such an overload of information! I'm working on ways to organize all this stuff to give reasonably easy access to available information on Rhode Island's environmental landscape. I love a good challenge! ~ Sue Korte

Projo Digest ~ July 4 & 5

About This Series ~ What You Read or Missed in the Providence Journal Recently.... [you might find these articles at www.projo.com if you missed them]

Wednesday, July 4, 2007

• B1 ~ "New momentum for nuclear energy"
• B2 ~ "DEM imposes new limits for bait fish" [emergency restrictions on menhaden to maintain the amount needed to keep the bay waters healthy and for food for striped bass and other fish]

Thursday, July 5, 2007

• B1 ~ "Cranston developer dreams of a skyscraper on Federal Hill"
• B2 ~ Portsmouth moratorium deadline on big box retail stores coming up
• D1 ~ North Providence meeting scheduled for Monday, July 9, 6pm Town Hall about how to deal with increase in rats

Projo Digest ~ July 2 & 3

About This Series ~ What You Read or Missed in the Providence Journal Recently.... [you might find these articles at www.projo.com if you missed them]

Monday, July 2, 2007

• A1 ~ "Creature Chronicles, a Summer Series: In their battle with growers, the woodchucks are winning" by Tom Mooney ~ A story about woodchucks, reduced food for food banks, and the "Rodenator"
• C3 ~ "'Altered Oceans' series garners Grantham [award] for L.A. [Times] reporters" See www.latimes.com/oceans

Tuesday, July 3, 2007

• A1 ~ "Problems mount in state pursuit of pollution case [in Tiverton]"
• D3 ~ "[East Providence's] Bullocks Point Cove dredging could begin in the fall"
• D1 ~ "Final inning for dog park vs. ball field battle in Providence"
• B2 ~ Rhode Island Briefs ~ Notice that The Rhode Island Boating Safety Forum is recruiting new members, especially recreational and commercial fishermen, marine related business, kayakers and hunters. Call Paul Hitchen 508-674-6593 or email him.

Projo Digest ~ July 1, 2007

About This Series ~ What You Read or Missed in the Providence Journal Recently.... [you might find these articles at www.projo.com if you missed them]

Sunday, July 1, 2007

• B1 ~ "[Bald eagles] Where the polar bears used to be [at Roger Williams Park Zoo]"
• B2 ~ Environmental Journal by Peter B. Lord
  • "Activists pleased by passage of bills"
  • Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative implemented
  • Coastline standards to reduce runoff pollution
  • Cesspool replacement
  • Adapt some diesel school buses to reduce pollution
  • "Volunteers sought for shore cleanup [East Providence, July 14]
  • Tour of 12 lighthouses, July 14 - Save the Bay $$
  • Sakonnet Preservation Association meeting July 11, 6pm to 8:30pm, with Keith Lang [exec. dir. of Champlin Foundation, formerly dir of Nature Conservancy in RI]
• D6 ~ Editorial ~ "Do it like Delaware"?" Delaware has only three counties, lower taxes, and better services
• F1 ~ "Legislators take the wind out of energy plan"
• F2 ~ "Canadians, Carcieri, explore hydro project"
• F3 ~ "Mohegans restore ancient burial ground [in Norwich, CT, that had been developed contrary to the original agreement between Chief Uncas and 17th century English settlers]
• G3 ~ Neighborhood of the Week: Sakonnet Point
• G4 ~ To enourage energy efficiency, new standards and market intervention needed to give people incentives. See McKinsey report: "Curbing global energy demand growth: The entergy productivity opportunity" May 2007 ~ http://www.mckinsey.com/mgi/publications/Curbing_Global_Energy/index.asp
• J2 ~ "'Greens' Web site empowers eco-minded kids" www.meetthegreens.org
• J6 ~ "Mowing a path to the ER" [be careful delegating mowing to your kids]
• J7 ~ "Personal trainers for the prune-and-plant set" [garden coaches, mentors]
• J8 ~ "Environmental groups take aim at invasive plants" Article includes a list of invasives: purple loosestrife, kudzu, multiflora rose, giant salvinia, tree of heaven. Especially plaguing the Northeast: porcelain berry, asian bittersweet, water chestnut, Japanese knotweed, creeping buttercup
• J8 ~ "Gardening with the Masters tour" July 14-15. 34 gardens www.urimga.org

Projo Digest ~ June 29 & 30

About This Series ~ What You Read or Missed in the Providence Journal Recently.... [you might find these articles at www.projo.com if you missed them]

June 29, 2007

• A7 ~ "[Cultivated Squash] Seeds put at 10,000 years old" [Refers to an article in Science 6/29/07 issue]
• B4 ~ Editorial ~ "Toward healthier farming"
• C1 ~ "Armory District residents take walk at dog-park sites"
• F1 ~ Business Section ~ Companies get paid to use less [electricity]"

June 30, 2007

• F1 ~ "'Big-Box' limits weighed [in Cranston]
• F3 ~ "Creatures of the day, creatures of the night"
• F4 ~ "Air-test rules adopted [for T.F. Green Airport]

Projo Digest ~ June 26, 27, 28

About This Series ~ What You Read or Missed in the Providence Journal Recently.... [you might find these articles at www.projo.com if you missed them]

Tuesday June 26, 2007

• B2 ~ "Smithfield wins housing case [to bar high-density housing]"
• B2 ~ "The East Bay bike path runs through it"
• B2 ~ "Middletown moves to curbside trash pickup [in the fall]
• B5 ~ Op Ed ~ "How about honoring their oaths?" by Edward Achorn [Legislature not applying separation of powers to the Coastal Resources Management Council]
• D1 ~ "Old Route 195 land under study" [sk comments: Providence residents need to stay on top of this to assure that this land is redeveloped in the best interests of the entire community.]
• E1 ~ "Power agency dies in House" [This agency would have developed renewable energy projects and created new business in the state]

Wednesday, June 27, 2007

• B2 ~ "Borden Farm named to historic register"
• B4 ~ Editorial ~ "Counties look good" [Keeping Rhode Island's 39 municipalities separate is unnecessarily costly, as are overlapping administrative departments in state government]
• B5 ~ Op Ed ~ "Windmills don't sink land value" By Wendy Williams who, with Robert Whitcomb, authored the book, Cape Wind: Money, Celebrity, Class, Politics and the Battle for Our Energy Future on Nantucket Sound."

Thursday, June 28, 2007

• A5 ~ "Bald eagle soars high once again" [no longer on endangered species list, and at least one pair of bald eagles resides at the Central Landfill in Johnston. ~ sk]
• B1 ~ "Faster results expected for water tests" [You can't swim at the beach if the bay is polluted. About EPA and state Health Department testing at state beaches ~ sk]
• E10 ~ Zoobilee ~ "A gala night for animals at Roger Williams Zoo" [fundraiser Saturday, June 30]

Projo Digest ~ June 23, 24, 25

About This Series ~ What You Read or Missed in the Providence Journal Recently.... [you might find these articles at www.projo.com if you missed them]

Saturday, June 23, 2007

• A1 ~ "Support for energy bill [in Congress] shows automakers losing clout"
• A5 ~ "Assembly highlights" ~ [Note what's NOT here. You wouldn't know from this page that the General Assembly did anything about the environment, energy, farming, land use, water, sustainability, and related concerns this year. Let's get these essential issues into next year's "Assembly highlights" ~ sk]
• F1 ~ "New vision for the Post Road [in North Kingstown]" "Goodbye, strip malls..."
• F1 ~ "Tockwotton [nursing home] plans to move" [East Providence building plans involve the Waterfront District Commission"
• F1 ~ "Cleanup  update [of Global Waste Recycling site in Coventry] cancelled"
• F2 ~ Editorial "Coastal-insurance quandary"
• F3 ~ "It's the year of the mocking birds" by Ken Weber [It's always a delight to read his observations of the natural world ~ sk]
• F4 ~ "Subdivision descision [in Bristol, next to Junier Hill Cemetery] put off [due to questions about environmental impact]"

Sunday, June 24, 2007

• A13 ~ Summary of General Assembly activity ~ [Only one item of interest to The Providential Gardener is highlighted: "Polluters' fines." This would have affected the Tiverton cleanup problem for which Southern Union Co. is trying to avoid responsibility.
• B2 ~ Peter B. Lord's Environmental Journal
  • "RI among top 10 states for Lyme disease"
  • "Aquidneck land trust offers grants"
  • "URI programs on roses, compost"
  • "DEM to explain new septic rules [in Portsmouth and South Kingstown]"
• D6 ~ Editorial ~ "A battle line for sprawl" [in Exeter]
• D6 ~ Op Ed ~ "nothing 'experimental': Coastal wind farms: Europe 24, U.S. 0" by directors of Clean Power Now
• D7 ~ Op Ed ~ "Worst issues in Mideast are environmental" by Michael J. Caduto, co-author of Keepers of the Earth (www.p-e-a-c-e.net).
• G3 ~ "Neighborhood of the week: Narragansett Pier"
• J7 ~ "Torches, lanterns fan flames of backyard decor"
• J7 ~ "Clematis: If you can pronounce it, you can grow it"
• J8 ~ "15 ways to leave your garden . . . and go on that carefree vacation"
• J8 ~ Home and Garden Calendar lists events in the coming week and ongoing exhibits
• J9 ~ "Garden notes for June"

Monday, June 25, 2007

• A1 ~ "Watch the parking spots vanish [in Watch Hill]" [about coping with the consequences of development]
• A10 ~ "Car-choked village [Westerly/Watch Hill/Misquamicut] to give trolley a try"

Projo Digest ~ June 20, 21, 2007

About This Series ~ What You Read or Missed in the Providence Journal Recently.... [you might find these articles at www.projo.com if you missed them]

June 20, 2007

• A1 ~ "The struggle to get today's youths to enjoy life outdoors"
• B1 ~ "Legal bill in Tiverton case nears $800,000"
•   ~ "N. Attleboro printer a certified forest ally" [Artcraft Company]
•   ~ "Farm Quest sows [North Smithfield] student interest" [This wasn't in the city edition of Projo]

June 21, 2007

• A1 ~ "Deal would preserve this little corner of R.I." [Exeter/North Kingstown, Schartner's Corner Nursery, formerly Bald Hill Nurseries]. See www.projo.com Extra for background on selling development rights and DEM.
• B1 ~ "Study IDs pollutants near T.F. Green" [air pollution, including black carbon]
• F1 ~ "Water rates could go up"
• F3 ~ "Farm Service Agency accepting nominations" [from farmers to serve on the agency's county committees]
• F3 ~ "Recycle fluorescent light bulbs on June 23" [at Wal-Mart, Supercenters, and Sam's Clubs in RI]
• F3 ~ "N.H. quarantine considered because of insect" [hemlock wooly adelgid]

June 22, 2007

• D1 ~ "A tree grows in Providence -- actually 24,999 of them" [The street tree survey results that I have also covered. Article talks about the trees as though it's all of Providence's trees, but the survey was only of the trees along rights of way in the city. There's loads more than 25 thousand trees in Providence! sk]