for POLICY MAKERS

Tool Kit

Government Agencies in RI

Below are links to several RI state government agencies and other organizations that detail various methods for approaching issues around climate change, whether that means instating a set of stronger more resilient building guidelines, reducing emissions, or focusing on storm preparedness, the state is taking a progressive approach to these new challenges.

RIEMA | RI Emergency Management Agency 
RIDEM | RI Department of Environmental Management  
CRMC | RI Coastal Resources Management Council 
Rhode Island Sea Grant 
Rhode Island Climate Challenge 
Towards a Resilient Rhode Island

Economic Impact

Below are links to several national and state websites that detail economic impacts directly related to changes in climate, as well as the economic impacts of installing green infrastructure projects. Also included, is a link to a report completed by the Center for Integrative Environmental Research (CIER) at the University of Maryland on the US Economic Impacts of Climate Change and the costs of Inaction completed in 2007. The information is slightly dated, but it provides a decent baseline for assessing impacts for each region of the United States.

UCS | Union of Concerned Scientists
CIER | Center for Integrative Environmental Research at the University of Maryland 
Rhode Island’s Climate Challenge
NRDC | National Resources Defense Council, Green Edge 
EPA | Environmental Protection Agency, Cost-Benefit of Green Infrastructure

Built Environment

Below, coastal building standards from FEMA, the American Institute of Architects (AIA), the Insurance Institute for Building & Home Safety (IBHS) Fortified program, as well as a link to the RI Green Infrastructure Coalition’s page on regulations for building green infrastructure projects.

FEMA | Federal Emergency Management Agency
IBHS | Insurance Institute for Building & Home Safety
AIA | American Institute of Architects
RI GIC | Rhode Island Green Infrastructure Coalition

Green Infrastructure

Green infrastructure can play an important part in the mitigation of sediment, excess nutrients, bacteria and pathogens, debris, and household wastes from waterbodies and sources of drinking water. See info below on national and state green infrastructure programs.

EPA Green Infrastructure Wizard 
RIEMA | RI Emergency Management Agency 
RI GIC | Rhode Island Green Infrastructure Coalition 
Rhode Island Stormwater Solutions: Businesses
Rhode Island Stormwater Solutions: Community
Virginia DEQ | Department of Environmental Quality, Technical Stormwater Design