Rising Tide
Rapid sea level rise, extreme tides, coastal flooding and worsening storm surge – Newport faces harsh realities, but people are working every day to protect our city and its history.
As night fell and Superstorm Sandy drifted out of Newport heading north up
the New England coastline, a lone kayaker gently paddled his way through the massive storm surge left behind, propelling his bright orange boat around
the restaurants, shops, and businesses perched along Bowen’s Wharf. It was October 29, 2012, and the popular downtown hub’s cobblestone and brick pedestrian walkways were deep under water as a result of the four to six feet of storm surge measured in Narragansett Bay. READ MORE >>
Rapid sea level rise, extreme tides, coastal flooding and worsening storm surge – Newport faces harsh realities, but people are working every day to protect our city and its history.
As night fell and Superstorm Sandy drifted out of Newport heading north up
the New England coastline, a lone kayaker gently paddled his way through the massive storm surge left behind, propelling his bright orange boat around
the restaurants, shops, and businesses perched along Bowen’s Wharf. It was October 29, 2012, and the popular downtown hub’s cobblestone and brick pedestrian walkways were deep under water as a result of the four to six feet of storm surge measured in Narragansett Bay. READ MORE >>
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Sustainable South County
Through efforts big and small, local groups find ways to preserve the area for generations to come. As a region defined by its coast, South County has long been doing its part to slow climate change on a grassroots level. In 2016, the 30-megawatt Block Island Wind Farm made national headlines when it started operating its five wind turbines just off the coast of New Shoreham, making it the country's first offshore wind farm. In 2020, Governor Gina Raimondo declared that Rhode Island would be the first state in the US to be 100 percent clean-energy powered by 2030. In January, the newly launched Rescue Rhode Island Act promises to bring three critical climate-impact bills to the General Assembly, including green housing, sustainably produced food, and protecting clean air and water. These are just a few of the noteworthy changes that have put Rhode Island at the forefront of an environmental revolution, but it's not just at a state level that such waves are being made. READ MORE >> |
Sailors for the Sea
Restoring ocean health with hope on the horizon
For Rhode Island sailors and landlubbers alike, there’s a pride in Narragansett Bay. New England's largest estuary covers 147 square miles, boasts a volume of 706 billion gallons and accounts for 256 miles of shoreline. Perhaps most importantly, Narragansett Bay is cleaner than it has been in more than 150 years, thanks to a nearly two-decade long public-private effort to reverse the effects of centuries of toxic pollutants. The remarkable transformation was used as a model at the 2016 World Oceans Day Summit, entitled “Lessons from Narragansett Bay to the Global Ocean,” hosted in Newport with support from locally-headquartered nonprofit, Sailors of the Sea. READ MORE >>
Restoring ocean health with hope on the horizon
For Rhode Island sailors and landlubbers alike, there’s a pride in Narragansett Bay. New England's largest estuary covers 147 square miles, boasts a volume of 706 billion gallons and accounts for 256 miles of shoreline. Perhaps most importantly, Narragansett Bay is cleaner than it has been in more than 150 years, thanks to a nearly two-decade long public-private effort to reverse the effects of centuries of toxic pollutants. The remarkable transformation was used as a model at the 2016 World Oceans Day Summit, entitled “Lessons from Narragansett Bay to the Global Ocean,” hosted in Newport with support from locally-headquartered nonprofit, Sailors of the Sea. READ MORE >>