Environmentally Speaking

We start the show with spoof from a short video talking about an oil spills and what goes on etc. See Here: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3m5qxZm_JqM).  Although the video is a funny spoof, it brought us to today’s topic about the oil industry.  There has been quite a bit of recent news coming out of California, about fossil fuel campaigns that are attacking specific California oil drilling laws.  Fossil fuel companies are pouring their record profits into lobbying efforts at all levels of government to try to change laws or get issues on the ballot.  We are going to discuss this more in detail and also what does that mean for the environment and for you the consumer.

This week’s topic we are going to discuss the effects climate change has had on the preservation of Historic Cemeteries.  The Rhode Island has over 2,000 recognized historic cemeteries.  More and more historic cemeteries are becoming increasingly in danger of flooding and are starting to erode.  Is it worth the money to save those who are lost?  What can we do to fix these issues?  We answer these questions and more. 

BOUNS Question:  What is a Taphophile? 

Take a listen and find out! 

This week’s episode is a very hot topic around Rhode Island due to the sheer number of parties involved and the fact that this case has been going on since 2003!   

We are talking about Champlin’s Marina. If you’re familiar with Block Island, than you know Champlin’s Marina has been there for a while.  We discuss their attempt to expand the footprint of its marina to accommodate more boats and why in 2003 the Coastal Resources Management Counsel (CRMC) denied their request for expansion.  So why is this important today?  Take a listen to find out what’s happing now. 

Last show we talked about offshore wind and how some towns are filing a motion to intervene. This episode we are going to give you more of a foundation of what intervening generally looks like and what it actually means.  

Have you ever seen one of those giant wind turbines? They convert kinetic energy of wind into electrical energy.  Where there is one, chances are there are several dozen more.  In this episode we talk about several project that are either in the works now or about to take place with offshore wind.  At the moment there isn’t enough public knowledge about what’s happening with our federal waters and then our state waters to the extent that offshore wind projects are using state waters to transmit electricity. The environmental impacts associated with these projects and the impact to the fishing industry and local economies is unknown.  We discuss who’s involved and why it’s so important for local communities that are impacted from this get involved and ask questions.  Take a listen 

What do you know about the Right Whale?  It’s never wrong…. But seriously, the Right Whale is on the Endangered Species Act and this week we are talking about this big beautiful mammal.  

The federal government is proposing that ferries and charter boats will need to move much slower during the off season in Rohde Island and perhaps other areas as well. We discuss how this will affect the local community and what does it mean for the endangered right whale. How many right whales are left in the world?  Take a listen to find out. 

Renewable Energy is a topic that is in the news headlines but there isn't a lot of information available about it.  In this episode we are going to provide some background on the history of energy on the planet and then talk about some of the more popular renewable energy sources and projects that are out today. Take a listen. 

Rhode Island, has had a very dry summer season and it’s unusual to have so much rain fall in a very short time in the month of September, but that’s what happen last week.  In this episode we are going to discuss the historic amount of rain fall that we experienced last week.  We had so much rain that it actually flooded Interstate 95 in Providence at what’s called the Thurbers Avenue curve. The interstate was shut down for hours.  We discuss how some people tried pushing through the flooded area in their vehicles and what the outcome was because of their decision.  We want to give a HUGE shoutout to all the first responders that came out to help and a very special shoutout out to the Messer Street Fire Station.  

Have you ever driven through a flooded area?  If so, we want to hear from you!  

Take a listen

Ever see those giant ships in port and wonder how it keeps balanced when fully loaded?  The ship’s hull can store what is called Ballast water (freshwater or ocean) in it to provide stability and maneuverability during a voyage.  That’s this weeks topic, Ballast water.  We are going to discuss what happens when a ship travels from one port to the next and then releases the ballast water into the new port. When this happens, sometimes that water is filled with things not common to that area such as, bacteria, various species and become invasive species… Like, Green Crabs for example. Are there regulations in place? What is the international community doing about it? 

 Tune In and find out the answers and learn more about what’s really in water at the ports near you. 

How many times have you opened your refrigerator and found some food stuffed in the back that you forgot about?  Most of us has done this at one point or another, so we throw it in the trash and maybe start to feel a little guilty for wasting food. 

On this episode we have special guest Leo Pollock, he is going to educate you on Food Waste.  First things first, What do you define as food waste?  What are the different types of food waste? What types of gases it produces? These are just a few questions he answers and also discusses the benefits of composting and how it’s being used in urban areas. Here’s something else to think about… Taking food waste and power a  car or using food waste as a natural fertilizer for farms. 

Get ready to take some notes!