Norman Bird Sanctuary is inviting community members to attend a presentation on the results of BioBlitz 2024. Participants in the 24-hour biodiversity survey investigated the Sanctuary’s 300 acres, including coastal forest and shrubland, fields, streams, swamps, and beaches for all manners of life. The event broke several records, including the number of participants (385) and […]
Environment & Health
Posted inCity & Government
Prescribed burns set for Prudence and Dutch Islands
The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management is gearing up for prescribed burns on state lands, including Prudence Island and Dutch Island. These controlled fires are part of ongoing efforts to maintain diverse habitats and protect communities from severe wildfires. Weather permitting, the first prescribed burn of 2025 is set to happen this week on […]
Posted inEnvironment & Health
US Chamber, oil industry sue Vermont over law requiring companies to pay for climate change damage
By LISA RATHKE and MICHAEL CASEY Associated Press The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and a top oil and gas industry trade group are suing Vermont over its new law requiring that fossil fuel companies pay a share of the damage caused over several decades by climate change. The federal lawsuit filed Monday asks a state court to […]
Posted inNews
Third entangled endangered whale spotted in span of a week off East Coast
A third endangered whale has been spotted entangled in fishing gear off the East Coast, marking an alarming end to the year for a species threatened with extinction. The whales are North Atlantic right whales, which number fewer than 400 and are vulnerable to ship collisions and entanglement in gear. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric […]
Posted inEnvironment & Health
Rhode Island Health officials urge caution as holiday season brings respiratory risks
Rhode Island health officials are urging residents to take precautions against respiratory viruses as the holiday season approaches. The state’s Department of Health (RIDOH) warns that large gatherings, crowded travel, and more time spent indoors can lead to increased virus transmission during this festive time. “If you plan to see people for New Year’s or […]
Posted inCity & Government
Algae Advisory lifted for Upper Melville Pond in Portsmouth
Rhode Island health officials have lifted recreational advisories for a water body in Portsmouth, but are keeping warnings in place for another in Portsmouth and one in Newport due to blue-green algae concerns. The state’s Department of Health and Department of Environmental Management say it’s now safe to use Upper Melville Pond in Portsmouth. However, […]
Posted inFood & Drink
20 iconic Christmas movie foods ranked according to nutrition
Traditions are a big part of what makes the holidays special, from decorating the tree to rewatching your favorite Christmas movies. But have you ever considered leveling up the holiday season by enjoying the foods featured in those iconic films? If this sounds like a fun way to spice up the season, you may be […]
Posted inBusiness
Newport Hospital installs Rhode Island’s first dual-source CT scanner
Newport Hospital is setting a new standard in Rhode Island healthcare with its latest addition – the SOMATOM® Drive Dual-Source CT scanner. This cutting-edge technology is the first of its kind in the state. The scanner’s unique design features two x-ray tubes and detectors working together. This allows for faster, high-resolution imaging with less blurring, […]
Posted inEnvironment & Health
Endangered whales found entangled in rope off Massachusetts, and 1 is likely to die
Two endangered whales have been spotted entangled in fishing gear off Massachusetts, and one is likely to die from its injuries, the federal government said. They are North Atlantic right whales, which number less than 400 and face existential threats from entanglement in gear and collisions with ships. An aerial survey found the whales swimming about 50 […]
Posted inEnvironment & Health
Federal hostility could delay offshore wind projects, derailing state climate goals
by Alex Brown, Stateline December 16, 2024 Numerous East Coast states are counting on offshore wind projects to power tens of millions of homes and to help them transition to cleaner energy. But putting wind turbines at sea requires the cooperation of a powerful landlord: the federal government. Soon, that government will be led by […]
Posted inEnvironment & Health
Rare Atlantic White Cedar forest protected in Tiverton
The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) announces the permanent conservation of 38.27 acres of Atlantic White Cedar forest in Tiverton. The protected land, part of the Pocasset Cedar Swamp off Bears Den Road, represents a globally imperiled forest species under threat from sea level rise. The conservation effort is a partnership between DEM, […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Not your Christmas goose: Citizen scientists prepare for the 125th Audubon Christmas Bird Count on Aquidneck Island and across North America
It’s 5:15 on a snowy December morning. It’s dark, and very cold, but you can hear the soft hoo-hoo-ing of owls. Then, you see it glide across the starry sky and perch in a tree in front of you: the snow-dusted silhouette of a screech owl. It sounds like a scene only Hallmark holiday magic […]
Posted inEnvironment & Health
2024 RI Life Index shows Rhode Islanders perceive continuing challenges in housing, cost of living and food security
The RI Life Index, an annual statewide survey created by Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island (BCBSRI) and the Brown University School of Public Health, finds that a broad range of Rhode Islanders continue to be highly challenged by affordable housing, food security, and cost-of-living. While the overall results announced at a public […]
Posted inEnvironment & Health
DEM: 2022 Greenhouse Gas Inventory indicates steady progress towards Act on Climate requirements
The Department of Environmental Management (DEM) announced today that Rhode Island’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions decreased in 2022. At 9.60 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MMTCO2e), statewide emissions dropped by 2.2% from 2021 levels. Over a longer timescale, emissions decreased by 18.3% since 1990. The findings emerged from an annual assessment of the state’s […]
Posted inEnvironment & Health
Dr. Michael Fine: What’s crazy about mammogram and colonoscopy rules
Okay. We think women need mammograms if we are going to reduce the number of women dying from breast cancer. (Men also get breast cancer. It’s less common. But it happens. There is no mammography recommendation for men, however.) We think everyone of a certain age needs screening for colon cancer, which is or sometimes leads to colonoscopy, if […]
Posted inEnvironment & Health
Global warming fills New England’s rich waters with death traps for endangered sea turtles
By RODRIQUE NGOWI and PATRICK WHITTLE Associated Press QUINCY, Mass. (AP) — As global warming fills the plankton-rich waters of New England with death traps for sea turtles, the number of stranded reptiles has multiplied over the last 20 years, filling one specialized animal hospital with the endangered creatures. The animals enter areas such as Cape Cod […]
Posted inNews
SunFed issues recall of cucumbers due to salmonella risk
The Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) is urging consumers to discard any SunFed Produce whole fresh American cucumbers sold in bulk cardboard containers, white boxes, or black plastic crates. The recall, announced by SunFed Produce, comes over concerns about potential Salmonella contamination. The affected cucumbers were sold between October 12 and November 26, 2024, […]
Posted inCity & Government
SouthCoast Wind Energy requests noise ordinance exemption in Portsmouth
Portsmouth’s Town Council is set to hold a public hearing on December 9 at 7 p.m. to review a sound variance application for a wind energy project. The meeting will take place at the Portsmouth Middle School Auditorium. SouthCoast Wind Energy, LLC is asking the council for an advisory opinion to submit to the Rhode […]
Posted inNews
RIDOH encourages Rhode Islanders to take precautions to prevent the spread of respiratory viruses this Thanksgiving
As Thanksgiving approaches, the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) is advising residents to take steps to ensure their health and safety this holiday season. The Department is urging residents to take precautions to prevent the spread of respiratory viruses, such as flu, COVID-19, and RSV, which are expected to increase during the upcoming months. […]
Posted inNews
Rhode Island Food Bank reports record high food insecurity
A new report from the Rhode Island Community Food Bank reveals a startling increase in food insecurity across the state, with 38% of households now struggling to afford adequate food. The 2024 Status Report on Hunger in Rhode Island, released at a Town Hall event today, shows food insecurity has reached a record high, particularly […]
Posted inEnvironment & Health
First right whales of season gorge on critical food off Massachusetts, giving hope for a strong year
Scientists who study a critically endangered species of whale that lives off New England said encouraging early signs suggest the animals could have a strong season for feeding and breeding. The North Atlantic right whale is one of the rarest whale species in the world and it is thought to number about 370. The giant […]
Posted inEnvironment & Health
Mill Creek and Elizabeth Brook set for major upgrades with federal funding
U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse announced today $2,480,539 in federal funding to enhance the resilience of Rhode Island communities. The grants, awarded through the National Coastal Resilience Fund (NCRF), will support two projects on Aquidneck Island aimed at protecting critical infrastructure and restoring natural habitats. The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) receives $1,800,000 to […]
Posted inEnvironment & Health
Record dryness in US Northeast should change water behavior, experts say
By BRITTANY PETERSON Associated Press DENVER (AP) — It hasn’t been a typical fall for the northeastern United States. Fires have burned in parks and forests around New York City. Towns and cities in a stretch from Portsmouth, New Hampshire, to south of Philadelphia had their driest three months on record, according to the Applied Climate Information […]
Posted inEnvironment & Health
New maps show high-risk zones for whale-ship collisions − vessel speed limits and rerouting can reduce the toll
Anna Nisi, University of Washington Imagine you are a blue whale swimming up the California coast, as you do every spring. You are searching for krill in the Santa Barbara Channel, a zone that teems with fish, kelp forests, seagrass beds and other undersea life, but also vibrates with noise from ship traffic. Suddenly, the […]
Posted inNews
Ground Beef Recall: 167,000 pounds potentially contaminated with E. Coli
Wolverine Packing Co. is recalling 167,000 pounds of potentially E. coli O157:H7-contaminated ground beef. The ground beef products were shipped to restaurant locations nationwide. Fresh products are labeled “use by” Nov. 14, 2024, and frozen products are labeled with an Oct. 22, 2024 production date. The recalled items bear establishment number “EST. 2574B” inside the […]