Environment
Environmental issues and climate change
Multi-school fossil fuel divestment fund releases $57,000 to Salem State University
Salem State University, the only institution from the 30 participating schools in the Multi-School Fossil Free Divestment Fund to divest fully from fossil fuels, will receive all of the funds holdings on April 11. As no other participati...
Community groups and Rhode Island residents react to Mayor Elorza's water announcement
Community groups and indigenous leaders rejoice as the mayor, responding to public opposition, cancels plans to privatize the regional water system. Providence Mayor Jorge Elorza announced that he is backing away from a plan to privatize...
Elorza reverses course on monetizing Providence Water, enabling legislation withdrawn
Providence Mayor Jorge Elorza has reversed course on his plan to monetize the Providence Water Supply and has asked General Assembly sponsors of the Municipal Water Supply Systems Transaction Act to withdraw their bills in the House and...
Hearings on Invenergy officially over, decision on power plant may be made by mid-summer
“I know you have choices about where you could be and I’m pleased you’ve chosen Rhode Island, and you should know we are going to make sure that you are successful here."- Governor Gina Raimondo to Invenergy CEO Michael Polsky, 2015 Over...
Mayor Elorza’s third Community Conversation about monetizing Providence Water
"Why are you willing to put the water supply of the entire state at risk with climate change coming?" asked Providence resident Margaret O'Donnell. "Water is going to be so scarce that we're going to be killing each other for it… They te...
Mayor Elorza’s second Community Conversation about monetizing Providence Water
Providence Mayor Jorge Elorza held the second of three scheduled Community Conversations on his idea to “monetize” Providence Water, that is, to enter into a public-private partnership with a large company that will pay the City for the...
Daniel Crowell: It’s Time for Brown to Pay Up
Taxpayers should not subsidize a playground for the elite Every few years, the people of Providence hear another tale of imminent financial doom. This time, Mayor Jorge Elorza insists that the city can fund pensions only by “monetizing”...
Nicole DiPaolo: We will fight until we win
Days ago we had our first snowstorm of the year and today it is 60 degrees. The temperatures are rising. The seas are rising. But what gives me hope is that we are rising. In the midst of the climate crisis, we are gathered to fight for...
Youth Climate Strike Rhode Island
Students across the world, in as many as 123 countries and 2000 cities, walked out of school today to attend local actions in conjunction with the Youth Climate Strike. Across the world tens of thousands of youth held marches and rallies...
Testimony before the EFSB explores the inadequacy of Rhode Island's protections of bio-diversity at proposed Invenergy power plant site
Having sat through most of the hearings at the Energy Facilities Siting Board (EFSB) concerning the licensing of Invenergy's proposed $1 billion fracked gas and diesel oil burning power plant aimed at the pristine forests of Burrillville...