September 13, 2024

Providence College's Student-Run Newspaper Since 1935

Courtney Wight '26

Nov122023Flooded With Ignorance: Being Aware of the Larger Community

Over the course of the past week, parts of Providence and Rhode Island suffered from severe rainfall, which led to...

Courtney Wight '26

Nov102023Haunted by Unsustainability – Halloween is Scary for the Planet

Halloween is a fun holiday where people can express themselves by dressing up and having a fun evening getting free...

Courtney Wight '26

Nov122023Grass is Greener in Providence

by Courtney Wight '26 on November 12, 2023

On Sept. 21, the Providence City Council unanimously voted to enact policies with the goal of becoming America’s first “Climate Job City.” The program aims to enact positive climate policies in numerous different departments of the state.

Notable promises include a climate literacy program for Providence schools. This program is a great step in the right direction. By educating the newest generation, they will be more equipped to handle the environmental issues that will plague the country in the coming decades. The program also intends to educate students on how to introduce renewable energy into areas. The city wishes to educate the newest generation on the most pressing issues of their age.

This program will make students more valuable to companies since regulations will likely continue to promote renewable energy. By having a foundation in this area, students will be more knowledgeable about these topics, which will be especially useful if they desire to continue working in any relevant fields. Most importantly, students will be able to understand the effects that climate change has on our planet and learn how renewable energy can help to curb them.

Other key parts of the program are aimed to help minorities in Providence. One part of the newly passed program would be updating the emergency awareness system. This includes having emergency alerts for weather events such as flooding and extreme heat in numerous languages, so all citizens are able to prepare for severe weather events. 

Additionally, the city is promising to improve public transport. While this point is rather vague, it will not only help the environment but those in the city who are not able to afford their own transportation.

While the accomplishments of this resolution should be celebrated, programs such as this should be enacted on both the state and federal level. The efforts of local governments are not to be diminished, but curbing climate change requires large scale efforts of everyone in the country. On a global scale, all countries should have programs and strategies to fight climate change, as every country on Earth will feel the negative impacts of climate change.

Nov102023He’s a Fun-gi

There is hope for the future generation in 10-year-old Silas Claypool, who is passionate about the environment and our planet. Claypool, a Rhode Islander, made local news headlines for finding a species of mushroom new to the state. The mushroom, named Boletus billeae, or Billie’s bolete, had been previously discovered in nearby states like New […]
Courtney Wight '26

Nov92023Activism Sooner Rather Than Later

Climate activists in Europe are heading to the European Court of Human Rights to plead their case. The six activists from Portugal, ranging in age from 11 to 24, are appealing to the court stating that 32 European countries have failed to properly address concerns regarding climate change and are infringing on their fundamental human […]
Courtney Wight '26

Nov42023Unnatural Disasters

Recent natural disasters over the summer have shown the negative impacts of climate change. Proof of the menacing effects of climate change can be seen with the increase in deadly severe weather throughout the country, including the unexpected hurricane in California and the deadly wildfires in Maui, Hawaii. Hurricane Hilary, which hit California in the […]
Courtney Wight '26