Voters Agree in a Landslide to Invest in the Environment–Backing Green Bond by 3:1 Margin in Rhode Island
R.I. – November 13, 2024 – Attached to the presidential ballots in this year’s elections, Rhode Island had posed question 4: would the voter like to see the state borrow money for environmental preservation?
Question 4 passed by a three-to-one margin, authorizing the state to issue $53 million in so-called “Green Bonds” and use the money for farmland and forest preservation.
Rhode Island is the smallest state in the union, and land is therefore at a premium and always has been. Before World War II, nearly the whole state was farmland, but after years of suburban sprawl and immigration from nearby major cities, farmland and forests have shrunk drastically.
“The Green Bond received the highest level of approval of all the bond questions on the ballot, winning in all 39 cities and towns in the state,” said Jed Thorp, director of advocacy for the nonprofit Save The Bay. “The bond will lead to meaningful investments in climate resilience, and the protection of farms, forests, and open space—all of it will benefit the bay and watershed.”…Click here to read the full article.