Environment

The Economy as Trojan Horse

By Justin Katz | November 16, 2009 |

It’s Political Maneuvering 101 to encase your preferred issues within a popular Trojan Horse. So, if green is what you mean, declare its ability to end joblessness. However pretty a landscape that may paint, though, it’s of questionable accuracy: Green technology may help drive an economic recovery in New England but the fledgling industry will…

The Old “Further Study and Hearings”

By Justin Katz | October 30, 2009 |

Environmentalists needn’t be on the same page on every initiative, of course, but there’s nothing in Tricia Jedele’s letter to the Providence Journal that negates the NIMBYism suggested in their expressed concerns about wind turbines on Black Point: Some of the signatories to the letter to the governor may ultimately support or oppose particular wind…

No, This Would Be the Best Form, If We Were Going to Allow You to Produce Energy

By Justin Katz | October 22, 2009 |

This is one of those stories that leaves the reader unsure of whether to laugh or cry: Save The Bay, the leading environmental organization in Rhode Island, is opposing a plan to erect a wind turbine at Black Point, a coastal property in Narragansett that was preserved two decades ago using state open-space bonds. The…

Global Warming: the (Non) Magnitude of Man’s Role

By Monique Chartier | September 22, 2009 |

President Obama speaking today at the United Nations: And yet, we can reverse it. John F. Kennedy once observed that “Our problems are man-made, therefore they may be solved by man.” It is true that for too many years, mankind has been slow to respond to or even recognize the magnitude of the climate threat.…

The Obama MO?

By Justin Katz | September 18, 2009 |

With the economy at best slowing its wobble (and reason to be wary even about that), the Obama administration has added requirements for “better gas mileage for cars and trucks and the first-ever rules on vehicle greenhouse gas emissions” to its list of desired drags thereon. Note this now-familiar feature: The proposal will cover vehicle…

Waxman-Marke: Bad for the Economy

By Mac Owens | August 12, 2009 |

i have a piece in today’s ProJo about Waxman-Markey, which will be debated later this year in the Senate. The link is here. This legislation is on a par with Obamacare as an economic nightmare.

A Relieving Outcome to a Long-Standing Issue

By Justin Katz | July 10, 2009 |

It’s a relief to see the issue of soil contamination in the Bay St. area of Tiverton headed toward resolution: A settlement of the massive Bay Street area lawsuit has been agreed to and the contaminated neighborhood is expected to be cleaned up by the end of this year, the state Department of Environmental Management…

Fish Ladders

By Marc Comtois | July 1, 2009 |

Conservative. Conservation. Fish Ladders. For years, a consortium of government agencies and advocacy groups has struggled for funding to knock down dams and build fish ladders to help restore local fish migrations. That work was jump-started on Tuesday when the federal government came forward with $3 million in stimulus money for six projects on the…

Evening Music Video: We’re Going Green!

By Justin Katz | June 29, 2009 |

Any song with the line “and estimated environmental impact is not really calculable” would be worth a listen, but I’ve been humming this one all day: (via the Corner)

Rhode Island, Always Striving to Make Life That Much More Difficult

By Justin Katz | June 27, 2009 |

So, with legislation to make energy more expensive for all Americans making its way through Congress, what can one say about this? Governor Carcieri on Friday signed into law legislation that could pave the way for offshore wind farms in Rhode Island. The bill, passed by both chambers of the General Assembly earlier this month,…