What's New
In a major victory for public health and the environment, Gov. Carcieri has announced that he will adopt global warming pollution standards for cars and trucks that will reduce global warming pollution from cars and trucks by 30 percent. Cars and trucks are the largest and fastest growing source of global warming pollution in the Rhode Island. Read the news release.
How You Can Help
Urge the Department of Environmental Management to adopt rules that will reduce global warming pollution from new cars and trucks 30% over the next 15 years, protecting our coastlines and public health.
A Brief Summary
Global warming is a real and growing threat for Rhode Island. Rising sea levels threaten our coastlines and higher temperatures make our air pollution more dangerous.
Changes in sea levels and bay temperatures could have tremendous impacts on Rhode Island's 400 miles of densely populated shoreline and on our marine industry.
In addition, more frequent and intense storms attributed to global warming could accelerate beach erosion and increase insurance costs along the coast.
Hotter temperatures also mean more days when the air in Rhode Island is literally unhealthy to breathe.
Over the past few months RIPIRG has found once again that air quality in Rhode Island is declining. Last year the total number of red-alert ozone days in Rhode Island reached double digits again and long-term trends indicate that the number of ozone days we experience are on the upswing.
Smog is a known trigger of asthma attacks. Some research suggests smog may even cause asthma in the first place. For Rhode Island's senior citizens, soot in the air can have even more severe consequences. Tiny particles of soot can lodge deep in their lungs, aggravating emphysema and other respiratory diseases and sometimes tragically cutting short their lives. Even healthy Rhode Islanders feel the effects of air pollution, finding themselves short of breath on smog-alert days.
Governor Carcieri has the ability to reduce global warming pollution from new cars and trucks by 30% by 2020. Please take a minute and ask the Governor to join Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New York in adopting global warming pollution standards for new cars and trucks. Click here.
Reports
2005 Report Card on Climate Action Change 8/23/05
Cars and Global Warming: Policy Options for Rhode Island to Reduce Global Warming from Pollution from Cars and Light Trucks Winter 2005
In The News
Carcieri moves state toward fuel efficiency, Providence Journal 8/24/05 (registration required)
Groups urge Rhode Island to match greenhouse gas rules, Associated Press 8/24/05
Recent News Releases
Environmental And Public Interest Groups Praise New Global Warming Standards For Cars, Light Trucks and SUVs 10/13/05
Environmentalists Applaud Release Of Two Lead-By-Example Executive Orders While Renewing Call For Meaningful Reductions From All Cars And Light Trucks 8/24/05
Rhode Island Receives Grade Of “B-” On New Climate Report Card 8/23/05
