The 730 pages of the recently enacted Inflation Reduction Act include a veritable smorgasbord of climate policy initiatives. Looking for “clean energy” and transportation electrification incentives to transform our economy? They’re in there. Methane and greenhouse gas reduction programs? Yes indeed. What about environmental justice? The IRA includes $9 billion to address climate-related public health disparities; negative…
On Monday September 5, 2022, Rhode Island was stunned by the flash floods following nearly 11 inches of excessive rainfall over much of southern New England. The City of Providence received around 8 inches of rain, which led to the collapse of a building, closure of an interstate highway, displacement of residents, and an undetermined…
By: Richard Asinof PROVIDENCE –Do you pay heed to any of the natural weather signs around you?Are you apt to give providence [pun intended] to when you see dark cloud formations gathering on the horizon with your own eyes?Do you roll down the windows in your car when approaching a dangerous intersection, to hear the threat of…
As we write this, we are now on day 6 of heat exceeding 90 degrees in Providence. If you can relax in air-conditioned spaces or get to our beautiful Rhode Island beaches, you are among the lucky ones. Not everyone enjoys those options. For many, heat like this can cause severe discomfort and exacerbate illness….
NOAA’s recently released Global and Regional Sea Level Rise Scenarios for the United States highlighted the increasing risk from “sunny day” flooding, and other consequences of relentless sea level rise. Like other coastal communities across the U.S., New England continues to experience more frequent high-tide flooding, forcing residents and visitors to deal with flooded shorelines,…
PROVIDENCE once led the nation in hurricane protection. But in the half-century since the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers built the Fox Point Hurricane Barrier, the $14 million project has lost its luster. The metal has corroded, the steel scratched and beaten down. But the gates, pipes and valves of the structure itself aren’t the biggest…
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) just released its projections for 14-21 named storms during this year’s hurricane season. The Atlantic will see up to 10 hurricanes – above-average activity this year — which would make it the seventh consecutive above-average hurricane season. Some 3-6 of these hurricanes are likely to be classified as…
It’s June 1 and we’re worried. The official start of the hurricane season brings vivid echoes of last year’s experience in states just to our west. In August, Hurricane Ida wreaked havoc from Louisiana to the northeast and cost more than $60 billion in damages. And Ida was just one of 20 US weather-related events…
Providence is at a climate crossroads. While the world made collective progress over the last month in meeting our global climate goals, at the end of the day, just like politics, our climate challenges are local. We have a unique city, with buildings, transportation systems and neighborhoods that will bear the brunt of severe weather…
Arnold “Buff” Chace Jr. was 7 years old when Hurricane Carol ravaged Rhode Island, with a storm surge that submerged downtown Providence in 12 feet of water and crippled the city even after the flood receded. For many property and business owners too young to remember the 1954 hurricane, flooding is more of an abstract…