Results of a community heat mapping campaign conducted in Providence, Rhode Island on July 29th and 30th, 2020 with data collected by volunteers organized by the State in partnership with CAPA Strategies. Photo: RIDOH.
Record-Setting 4th of July Heatwave Had More to Do with Climate Change than El Niño
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On Thursday July 2, 2026, Providence saw 99 degree heat—the highest temperature ever recorded in the city on that calendar date. The previous record was set in 1941 at 98 degrees.  Despite news headlines focused on a strong El Niño weather pattern developing in the [...]

08
Jul
Michele Jalbert, executive director of the Providence Resilience Partnership, speaks at the open house. Photo: Amber Ma.
Dreaming Big for the Port: Residents Co-Create a Climate-Resilient Future for Providence’s Vulnerable Shoreline
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The Port of Providence is a bustling, gritty, and heavily industrialized waterfront that contains a dense concentration of major industrial tenants, scrap metal recycling, energy and petroleum infrastructure, and offshore wind projects. A stark contrast to its scenic sister shoreline India Point Park, the port’s [...]

03
Jul
Cooling off at the newly re-opened splash pad at Joslin Park. Photo: Eric Halvarson.
Who Gets a Beach Day in the Ocean State? Providence Turns to Water Parks as URI Measures Inequitable Shore Access
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Providence splash pads and pools opened up on Monday, June 29, offering places for neighbors to cool down from the summer heat. Christian, a 15-year-old visiting his father for summer break, was the first to jump in the water when city officials reopened the Joslin [...]

01
Jul
Reclaimed bins being stored at 246 Prairie Street. Photo: Eric Halvarson.
Recycling the Recycling Bins: Providence Replaces All Trash Bins to Clean Up Waste Program
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Providence recycles 2.6% of the city’s waste—the lowest rate of all municipalities in Rhode Island. Truck drivers use cameras to inspect trucks and hoppers to see if a recycling load is contaminated with non-recyclables, and to avoid additional fees, bring their trucks holding plenty of [...]

08
May
Photo: Eric Halvarson.
En medio de la crisis energética, el presupuesto de Smiley recorta el gasto municipal en servicios públicos. ¿Cómo? Descarbonización municipal.
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Los funcionarios proyectan que los costos de los servicios públicos municipales de Providence disminuirán en casi $2 millones de dólares este año y, al mismo tiempo, se reducirán las emisiones. En un momento en que la administración Trump lucha contra las energías renovables y los [...]

06
May
Haimbodi, left, demonstrates how to cut back Buckthorn and tie a black bag over the plant to discourage growth. Suppressing Buckthorn growth is important to open up space in the forest understory for red maples to grow. Photo: Amber Ma
Nuestros Bosques
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Micah, uno de los más jóvenes en un grupo de voluntarios de los “Días de Cuidado del Bosque” en la vía verde Woonasquatucket (Greenway) a principios de abril, piensa que encontrar y desenterrar rizomas de knotweed japonés invasor del suelo es fácil: con su pala, [...]

15
Abr
Photo: Eric Halvarson.
Let it Linger? A Slow Snowmelt Replenishes Local Watertables but Releases Pollution into Waterways
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In Providence, only a few lingering snowbanks serve as reminders of the major storms this winter. As city residents say goodbye and good riddance to the snow, the snowmelt will continue to make a big impact on the local environment. The slow drip of the [...]

25
Mar
Photo: Eric Halvarson
The Costs of Extreme Weather: Providence Spends Triple Amount Budgeted for Snow Cleanup in 2026
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Last month’s blizzard dropped a record 37 inches of snow in the capital streets, and City leaders spent far beyond this year’s budget to clear the streets. The City of Providence paid $3.8 million dollars to handle the record-breaking Blizzard of 2026 in February, surpassing [...]

18
Mar
Public Street during an art installation last summer. Photo: People’s Port Authority.
Oil Spilling Out of Pipe in South Providence Holds Up Public Street Park Funding
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In South Providence, a stormwater pipe is leaking oil into the bay and draining momentum from efforts to clean up the neighborhood’s only public right-of-way to the shore, located on Public Street. “We were doing a cleanup down there and noticed that there was this [...]

13
Mar
A screenshot from a virtual tour of RI Resource Recovery Corporation’s facility, where contaminated recycling from Providence is taken.
A Recycling Crisis in Providence Drives 2026 Changes
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In May 2024, The Providence Eye published a story addressing recycling in Providence and the City’s failure to achieve the State-mandated recycling rate of 35%. At that time, the City’s 2023 recycling data revealed that Providence recycled only 7.8% of its waste. With 2024 data [...]

06
Mar