What Grows On in Rhode Island News

RI Protest Against Offshore Drilling ~ June 26, 2010

Citizens of Rhode Island Participate in Largest Gathering
Against Offshore Drilling in History

Thousands of People Join Hands at Beaches Across Rhode Island
 
Please join us on Saturday June 26, 2010, when residents of Rhode Island will join the largest nationwide gathering against offshore drilling ever held. Citizen will meet at the Narragansett Seawall, 35 Ocean Road, Narragansett, Rhode Island at 11:00 am and join hands as part of a national Hands Across the Sand day of action.

The Rhode Island Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation is bringing the event to the Narragansett Seawall in Narragansett, Rhode Island.  We've seen what offshore drilling has done to the Gulf Coast. We want to make sure that never happens here.  Other events are taking place across the State on Second Beach in Middletown, RI; Easton’s Beach in Newport, Rhode Island; Misquamicut Beach in Westerly, Rhode Island; and on Prudence Island in Portsmouth, Rhode Island.


STEP 1

Go to the beach at 11 AM for one hour, rain or shine.

STEP 2

Join hands for 15 minutes at 12:00 forming lines in the sand against oil drilling in our coastal waters.

STEP 3

Leave only your footprints.


“"Hands Across the Sand" is a movement made of people of all walks of life and crosses political affiliations. This movement is not about politics; it is about protection of our coastal economies, oceans, marine wildlife, fishing industry and coastal military missions. Let us share our knowledge, energies and passion for protecting all of the above from the devastating effects of oil drilling."
 

As concerned citizens and organizations, dedicated to the future health of our coastal environments, please forward this message to any and all who may be interested! For more information regarding the event, please visit http://www.handsacrossthesand.com/ . Thank you for joining hands for a better future.

Reminder ~ Public Meeting on Clean Energy & Environmental Protection Opportunities for RI ~ June 24, 2010

The Environment Council of Rhode Island invites you:
 
ECRI's Report from Washington, D.C.
on Clean Energy and Environmental Protection Opportunities for Rhode Island
 
Thursday, June 24, 2010
7:00-8:30pm
Alteris Headquarters
28 Wolcott Street, Providence
(up the hill from the ALCO building in the Valley neighborhood)
 
Guest Speakers:
Curt Spalding, EPA Region One Administrator
Tricia Jedele, ECRI President and Conservation Law Foundation
Scott Wolf, Grow Smart Rhode Island
Julian Dash, Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation
 
Free event. Refreshments provided.
 
Sen. Whitehouse recently hosted more than 80 Rhode Island energy and environmental leaders for a day-long conference in Washington, D.C.  The speakers included EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar, Nancy Sutley of the White House Council on Environmental Quality, and Sen. John Kerry. Officials addressed the group of environmental, union, business and municipal leaders and state elected officials with presentations about opportunities to support environmental protection efforts and clean energy developments in Rhode Island.
 
Come hear EPA Region One Administrator Curt Spalding and the Environment Council of Rhode Island's report from the day and help us plan follow up actions.
 
For more information or to RSVP: [email protected]

RIPTA Public Hearings on Proposed Fare Increase & Service Modifications ~ July 6, 7, 8, 2010

RIPTA to Hold Public Hearings on Proposed Fare Increase and Service Modifications
Steep Budget Deficits Driving Proposal

Hearings Scheduled for July 6th, 7th and 8th in Providence, Warwick, Barrington, Newport and Narragansett
The Board of Directors of the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA) voted on May 24, 2010, to hold public hearings on proposed fare increases and service modifications in all five Rhode Island counties on July 6, 2010, July 7, 2010 and July 8, 2010. The Authority announced that the proposed fare hikes and modifications in service statewide are due to a carryover deficit from FY 2010 (which began July 1, 2009) of $1.6 million and a $2.1 million shortfall for FY 2011 that is caused principally by a reduction in revenue from the state gas tax and the high cost of fuel to operate the system.

The proposed fare increases would raise the base fare from $1.75 to $2.00, and impact the cost of RIPTIKs, 10-Ride Passes, 15-Ride Passes, One-Day Passes, 7-Day Passes, Monthly Passes and ADA Fares. If approved by the RIPTA board, the fare increases would take effect September 1, 2010, and the proposed service reductions would take effect in August 2010 when RIPTA implements their regular fall service changes.

Gulf Oil Spill Telethon ~ June 21, 2010

We at NWF are pleased to alert our affiliate leaders to an important television event this coming Monday, June 21. Monday night, Larry King Live will host a special two-hour telethon to help victims of the oil spill disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. National Wildlife Federation has been selected as one of three charities to receive donations raised during show, which will air between 8:00-10:00 pm ET. You can also read about the Monday night program at the NWF online Media Center.

Public Comment Sought ~ Ambient Air Monitoring Network Plan ~ June 2010

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requires states to prepare an ambient air monitoring network plan annually that describes the state’s current monitoring network, demonstrates that the network conforms to EPA requirements, and discusses any plans to remove or move a monitoring station in the 18 months following the plan submittal.
 
In addition, states must prepare a comprehensive assessment of their ambient air monitoring networks once every five years, beginning in 2010.  In the 5-year assessment, states must determine whether their existing network meets required monitoring objectives, whether new sites are needed, whether any existing sites are no longer needed, and whether new technologies are available that should be incorporated into the network.  The assessment must also consider “the ability of existing and proposed sites to support air quality characterization for areas with relatively high populations of susceptible individuals, (e.g. children with asthma)” and must identify shifts in the distribution of the population within the state which may necessitate changing the location of population-oriented monitoring sites.
 
The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (RI DEM), Office of Air Resources, has prepared a document that will serve as both Rhode Island’s 2010 annual monitoring network plan and Rhode Island’s 5- Year network assessment.  As required, that document has been posted for public comment on the RI DEM webpage.  The public comment period will run through July 12, 2010.
 
The document is available at:
 http://www.dem.ri.gov/programs/benviron/air/pdf/airnet10.pdf 
 
Comments on or questions about the document should be directed to Barbara Morin at:
 
Barbara Morin, Supervising Environmental Scientist
RI DEM, Office of Air Resources
235 Promenade St.
Providence, RI  02908
 
[email protected]
 
Telephone:        (401) 222-4700, ext. 7012
Fax:                  (401) 222-2017

Providence Green Drinks ~ June 17, 2010

Greetings!
Farm Fresh Rhode Island is hosting the June Providence Green Drinks event this week. Farm Fresh RI is growing a local food system that values the environment, health and quality of life of RI farmers and eaters.

Part incubator, part activator, Farm Fresh RI programs link local farmers and buyers by building RI's capacity in three areas: Producers → Markets → Eaters

Come celebrate the beginning of RI's bountiful harvest season and learn about farmers markets, businesses that buy local food, and how you can get involved. Thanks to Cornish Associates, Farm Fresh RI is hosting the event on the roof deck of the Peerless building and the indoor atrium. A local brewery will provide drinks and Farm Fresh will be providing tasty edibles.

Peerless Building
TIME: 5pm - 8pm
LOCATION: 150 Union St., Providence

Urban Pond Procession and Restoring Urban Ponds ~ June 2010

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

CONTACT:

 

Holly Ewald, (401) 862-4229, [email protected]

 

Amelia Rose, (401) 383-7441, [email protected]

 

Artists, Educators and environmentalists activate

COMMUNITY to restore our urban ponds

 

The third annual Urban Pond Procession (UPP) brought out over 130 Providence-area residents this past Saturday to celebrate the protection of the Pawtuxet watershed and raise awareness about the impact of toxins and storm drain runoff on the health of our urban ponds.  Starting at the Mashapaug Pond Boat House behind Ocean State Job Lot on Reservoir Avenue in Providence, participants wearing fish costumes and waving flags weaved through the Reservoir Triangle neighborhood, attracting the attention of children and adults on their porches who were surprised and delighted by the colorful and jubilant crowd parading down their street. 

 

"The procession is all about using the arts to celebrate the beauty and history of Providence's ponds", says Holly Ewald, the procession's creator and main organizer.  "Most people in Providence have lost their connection to beautiful, natural spaces in the city, and doubt that it's possible to clean up our ponds so we can enjoy them without toxins or bacteria threatening their health.  That's why we're bringing our message—that we can restore our ponds—right to the people, where they live, to get them excited about the possibilities of creating safe places to play and enjoy for all our city's residents."  

 

The Rhode Island Department of Health warns fishermen not to eat the fish from these waters yet some Rhode Island families rely on fishing to feed their families.  This was why, three years ago, Ms. Ewald, an artist, was hired on behalf of the Department of Health to work with the community surrounding Mashapaug Pond to create new warning signs for the pond that were in languages other than just English and clearly communicated the dangers of the pond to residents through compelling images.  Ms. Ewald started the Mashapaug Pond Procession as a culminating public event in June 2008 after working with other artists at Alvarez High School and Charles Fortes Elementary School helping young people design the new signs.  Eight signs with stunning visuals are now prominently posted around the pond with warnings in English, Spanish, and Cambodian.