The strength of our economy and the quality of life in Rhode Island must be inextricably linked to stewardship of our environment. I am keenly interested in promoting excellent public policy in energy use and sustainable ecosystems management. I also share the public's concern with the security, affordability and safety of our food supply. Rhode Island is one of the most densely populated states. We import 100% of our fossil fuels and virtually all of our food. We must work together for a healthy Rhode Island environment, our greatest legacy for our posterity. These convictions are at the heart of my environmental philosophy.
Our energy policies must help us conserve and find alternatives to liquid fossil fuels, reducing our dependency on dwindling supplies of natural gas and oil, while helping to clean up our air. I actively support environmental policies for Rhode Island that are consistent with the International Kyoto Protocols Treaty, which seeks to reduce pollution by greenhouse gas emissions and to reduce our dependence on diminishing supplies of increasingly expensive fossil fuels. I am working to introduce policies to promote greater energy conservation through the use of hybrid, electric and other alternative-fueled vehicles. I also want to increase our use of alternative and renewable energy sources—wind, solar, fuel cells, and tidal power. Our goal must be to move Rhode Island toward greater use of off-grid, self-contained systems for our homes and businesses.
I also support strong agricultural and fisheries policies to strengthen our critical RI-grown food and seafood industries. Quality of life in Rhode Island is dependent on maintaining our rural open space and clean coastal waters. Profitability of RI farms is the only real long-term solution to maintaining Rhode Island’s rural open space. Rhode Island’s seafood (fisheries and aquaculture) industry has historically been at the core of our state economy. We need to continue to support and nurture these industries, which are a lynchpin of a ‘green’ economic future.