April 18, 2022

Press Releases

Registration Required for this Free Event

The Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA), in partnership with Grow Smart RI, the WaterFire Arts Center, and the RI Department of Environmental Management, invites the public to be our guest at the Planet Earth, the Environment and Our Future Art Exhibit and attend a lecture on climate change.

The exhibit will be open at the WaterFire Arts Center, 475 Valley Street, Providence on Thursday, April 28, 2022 from 5:30pm to 9pm. Registration is required for this free event. Click here to register.

The speaking program will begin at 6:30pm with Greg Nordin, RIPTA Chief of Strategic Advancement, providing an overview of the State’s first Transit Master Plan – a bold new vision for transforming transit across Rhode Island.  He will outline the role of public transit in reducing climate emissions and improving quality of life.  

At 7pm, Brown University Professor Timmons Roberts will deliver the lecture From Denial to Obstruction: Why We Need to Understand Efforts to Stop Action on Climate Change, discussing how obstruction has worked at the international, federal, and state levels.

“RIPTA’s Transit Forward 2040 plan demonstrates that RIPTA is actively committed to mitigating climate risk while reducing greenhouse gas emissions,” said Scott Avedisian, RIPTA CEO. “I encourage the public to attend this event and learn more about what we can do as a community to battle climate change.”

Grow Smart RI Deputy Director John Flaherty said, “With nearly 80% of Rhode Island’s population already living within a 10-minute walk of a transit stop, it makes good sense to leverage this potential and provide greater transportation choices as a key strategy for reversing the continued growth in transportation sector emissions.” He added that “Every investment in public transportation is also an investment in a more equitable transportation system.” 

ABOUT THE EXHIBIT

Planet Earth, the Environment and Our Future, presented at the WaterFire Arts Center (WFAC), looks at the beauty and fragility of our world through an exhibition of art and science. The collection of works on view will explore the interconnected nature of our world and the call for action to take care of our planet — including art from several cultures, historical photographs, the latest imagery from NASA satellites, and works from contemporary artists inviting us to look anew.