Rhode Island has been ranked the 11th state in the country for its efforts to improve energy efficiency, slipping slightly from last year when it tied at 9th.

The ranking was announced recently by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, which noted there is little difference among states ranked close together.

California was ranked first by the council, followed by Oregon, Connecticut, Vermont and New York.

Massachusetts ranked 7th.

Wyoming came in last place, scoring zeros in all eight categories of evaluation.

The council said it was scoring individual states because that is where the action is when it comes to energy conservation and efficiency.

“States are leading the nation in advancing energy-efficiency policies and programs, which is why it is important to recognize and document best practices among states, both to encourage other states to follow and to encourage federal action to catch up,” the council said in its report.

Karina Lutz, of People’s Power & Light, a nonprofit energy consumers’ alliance in Rhode Island, says the state has done well because it has had programs in place for a long time. Some states have no energy programs, she said.

The state’s small size reduces energy consumption for transportation, she said. And its culture helps. “We’re not an opulent, conspicuous consumption society.”

But Rhode Island also has much more that it can do and it will start soon as programs initiated by the Comprehensive Energy Act of 2006 get ramped up.

Rhode Island ranked 10th for its public utility programs to promote efficiencies, 6th for efforts to reduce electricity used, and first in the nation for electricity savings as a percentage of electricity sales.

Rhode Island came in 11th for implementing transportation policies designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and it got points for being among the 14 states to adopt California’s vehicle emission standards. It came in only 25th for its use of building codes to promote efficiency, largely because of a poor rate of compliance.

But Rhode Island ranked 7th for the number of appliances for which it has adopted energy use standards.

For more information go to: www.aceee.org.

AMC plans two fall hikes

The Narragansett chapter of the Appalachian Mountain Club will host two fall weekend walks. Information will be available about the club’s plans for fall and winter hiking, bike rides, skiing, camping, trail-building, conservation and other activities. Everyone is welcome, and there is no fee and no obligation to join.

The first walk will be Saturday at 10:30 a.m., when the Conservation Committee will lead a tour for participants to view the foliage and historic tombstones at Swan Point Cemetery, in Providence, with local tree and shrub expert Patty D’Ambra. Registration is mandatory by calling her at (401) 949-3374.

The second walk will be Sunday, Oct. 19, at 10:30 a.m. at Lincoln Woods State Park. To register, e-mail shilohjones@fctvplus.net or call (401) 474-0515.

Information about the 2,600-member Narragansett chapter’s activities can be found at www.amcnarragansett.org.

URI to teach conservation

The University of Rhode Island’s Energy Center is launching a new training program to teach people how to save money and protect the environment through energy-efficiency measures and the use of renewable energy.

The five-week Master Energy program, which begins Oct. 20 at 6 p.m., will be held at Weaver Auditorium in the Coastal Institute building on the university’s Kingston campus.

Modeled after the URI Master Gardener program and the URI Master Composter & Recycler program, the Master Energy program will be taught by Robert S. Cerio, who has 25 years of experience in environmental and energy-conservation management.

Included in the weekly workshops will be sessions on assessing energy-savings opportunities and calculating the value of efficiency projects and small-scale renewable energy installations.

The final session will be a visit to the Rhode Island Energy Expo on Nov. 16 at the Ryan Center at URI, where participants can attend workshops and listen to keynote speaker Gary Hirshberg, CEO of Stoneyfield Farms. In addition, Cerio will lead participants on a tour of the expo exhibits and vendors.

A fee of $75 will be charged to cover classroom materials. To download a registration form, visit www.uri.edu/cels/ceoc. For information, call (401) 874-2900 or e-mail ceec@etal.uri.edu.

Zoo to unveil Africa exhibit

The new “Fabric of Africa” exhibit at Roger Williams Park Zoo will be officially unveiled on Wednesday, Oct. 22, with a 10:30 a.m. news conference followed by refreshments.

Live wolf show set for Oct. 22

A slide show and live wolf presentation, “Mission: Wolf, Education vs. Extinction,” will be held Wednesday, Oct. 22, at 7 p.m. in the Quinn Auditorium at the University of Rhode Island.

Making appearances will be Maggie, a Colorado timber wolf, and Abraham, a 1-year-old wolf hybrid. The event will address issues surrounding the preservation of the wolf and other wildlife.

The program is for ages 10 and up. Tickets are $10 for URI students with ID and $15 for visitors. Tickets may be reserved by e-mailing missionwolf08@yahoo.com; they will be held until 6:45 that night. Otherwise, tickets will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis. For information, visit www.missionwolf.com.

Forum to tackle lead poisoning

A conference titled “Getting to Zero: Eliminating Childhood Lead Poisoning in R.I.” will be held on Friday, Oct. 24 from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Radisson Airport Hotel, in Warwick.

Parents, lead inspectors, contractors, lawyers, social workers, public health officials, health providers, advocates and elected officials will engage in workshops and panel discussions on best practices for lead-poisoning prevention.

The conference includes the Childhood Lead Action Project’s 16th anniversary awards luncheon at 12:30 p.m., featuring Lois Gibbs, community leader of Love Canal, N.Y., and executive director of the Center for Health, Environment and Justice, an organization that assists grass-roots groups with technical assistance nationwide.

Five honorees will be recognized, including Thomas E. Armstrong, retired environmental planner with the Department of Environmental Management, Office of Technical & Customer Assistance; Jeanne Cola, senior vice president, director of community relations, Citizens Bank; ENACT (Environmental Neighborhood Awareness Committee of Tiverton); Manuel Peguero, lead abatement contractor, Manny’s Construction; and Richard Rabin, Lead Action Collaborative, Boston.

The full day is $90 (including lunch); lunch and panel discussion, $50. Limited scholarships and student rates are available. More details about the conference and registration are available online at www.leadsafekids.org.

Computers can be recycled

The Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation will hold a computer recycling and Eco-Depot collection on Saturday, Oct. 25, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Jenks Junior High School, 350 Division St., Pawtucket. This service is free for all Rhode Island households.

Electronic waste cannot be placed in household garbage or recycled through Rhode Island’s curbside program. RIRRC will accept all types of household computer waste including CPUs, monitors, printers, keyboards, laptops, hard drives, scanners, modems and mouse devices.

For safe disposal of household hazardous waste, Eco-Depot is the only option in Rhode Island.

An appointment is necessary for Eco-Depot drop-offs to reduce waiting time. Call (401) 942-1430 ext. 241, or sign up online at www.rirrc.org and click on the Eco-Depot logo on the right-hand side of the page. No appointment is necessary for computer recycling.

Bird sanctuary a historic place

The Norman Bird Sanctuary, a 300-acre wildlife refuge in Middletown, has been named to the National Register of Historic Places.

Once known as Paradise Farm, the gem of the sanctuary is an 18th-century farmhouse that was the summer residence of Mabel Norman Cerio, who opened the land to nature lovers, allowing them to explore, discover and observe the beauty of the property.

The sanctuary was established in 1949 at the bequest of Cerio, and the organization’s mission, under the terms of her will, was to maintain Paradise Farm “for the propagation, preservation and protection of birds, and where birds and bird life may be observed, studied, taught, and enjoyed by lovers of nature and by the public generally so interested in a spirit of humanity and mercy.”

The sanctuary is raising money to rehabilitate the farmhouse into a nature retreat center that supports expanded environmental education. The sanctuary provides science programming for schools, community groups, adults and families and welcomes more than 6,000 visitors every year.

Grant to promote cleaner diesel

The Environmental Protection Agency has awarded $196,880 to the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management for clean diesel projects across the state.

This financing is part of $14.8 million made available this year for State Clean Diesel programs nationally. New England states received nearly $1.6 million, leveraging an additional $780,000 in state aid.

Diesel engines contribute significantly to air pollution, especially in urban areas. Children are especially vulnerable to these effects.

The state Department of Environmental Management will use the grant to retrofit diesel equipment operated by the Rhode Island Airport Corporation. In addition, the grant will support outreach and education efforts to diesel fleet operators and others on strategies for reducing diesel emissions.

The Environmental Journal is a listing of brief news items about the actions of individuals, organizations and businesses that affect the air we breathe, the water we drink and the landscape that surrounds us. If you have comments or suggestions, please contact environment reporter Peter B. Lord at (401) 277-8036, by e-mail at plord@projo.com or by writing him, care of The Providence Journal, 75 Fountain St., Providence, RI 02902.