ecoRI News

We take plants for granted. We carelessly douse many of them in poisons. We thoughtlessly mow over others. We cut them and stick them in vases long before they are ready to die. We’ve been tricked into believing an outdoor carpet of green is somehow a symbol of success and a meadow of wildflower a mess.

HOPKINTON, R.I. — Dye Hill Road and the streets nearby are typically among the quietest parts of the state. Ensconced in forest, adjacent to the state-owned Arcadia Management Area, it’s a part of Rhode Island where development is rare, and where trees likely outnumber residents. But residents say the quiet of their corner has been broken over the past month, as commercial loggers, working between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m., have been slowly clear-cutting acres of forest at 130 Dye Hill Road.

NEWPORT, R.I. — Near Memorial Boulevard, a small green space sits between homes at the corner of Thomas and John streets. Residents of the Historic Hill neighborhood know the area as John Street Park, but the park has never had an official name. The police department wants to turn it into a tribute to the city’s first responders.

WEST WARWICK, R.I. — As rodent complaints rise across the town, residents are turning to elected officials to create a plan to tackle the issue. Municipal law makes rodent control the responsibility of property owners. But residents told the Town Council that neighboring properties are attracting rats, leaving some homeowners to shoulder the cost of getting rid of them.

WARWICK, R.I. — No matter who comes out on top in this year’s election, one thing is certain: Rhode Islanders are headed for more utility rate hikes this winter, on both sides of their bills. State regulators have spent the past nine months deliberating over the base distribution case, the proceedings that authorize how much Rhode Island Energy can charge electric and natural gas customers for delivery and transmission utility infrastructure.

The seemingly endless debate in Rhode Island about clearing trees to put up solar panels reared its head again in a recent column in ecoRI News by Frank Carini, who wrote that “Bulldozing trees to build utility-scale renewable energy facilities — 4 megawatts, in this case — essentially eliminates any of the project’s climate benefits.” The article goes on to discuss very real concerns associated with clearing trees: loss of habitat, fragmentation of continuous forest, and water quality impacts.

Wildlife & Nature New student program tracks down Rhode Island’s rarest plants By Frank Carini / ecoRI News staff September 3, 2026 The wetlands around this duckweed-covered pond in Cumberland, R.I., were the hunting grounds on this early-July day. (Frank Carini/ecoRI News) CUMBERLAND, R.I. — The hunt was scheduled to begin about the time a banker starts work. It was delayed, however, by an interrogation. Information was required from the participants. They were told they were being recorded.

The Environment Council of Rhode Island is too kind, or I’m just a harsher grader. But don’t misconstrue the lede as ECRI handing out candy, rainbows, and unicorns in its most recent biennial Green Report Card. The Providence-based nonprofit admits from the start that from 2025 to 2026 the Ocean State retreated on environmental/climate action.

PROVIDENCE — “When the night has come …” The guitarist and vocalist opened with the familiar words as drums, bass and saxophone joined in, carrying the music across the block as neighbors waited for hot dogs, hamburgers, macaroni and cheese and chicken. The ice cream truck was still serving three flavors, while Southside Community Land Trust’s produce stand was almost bare.

PROVIDENCE — Rhode Island has slowed its actions against climate change in the past two years, and environmental groups have found themselves playing defense. That’s the takeaway from a new report by the Environment Council of Rhode Island (ECRI), a coalition of some 60 organizations dedicated to environmental advocacy. The group released its biennial Green Report Card on Aug. 27, less than two weeks before the state primary elections.