Conference: Growth and the Future of the Chesapeake Bay

When the Chesapeake restoration effort began, scientists and policymakers raised red flags on the problem: continued rapid growth could easily counter any potential gains from ecological improvements. Twenty-five years later, the clean-up effort lags and the topic of growth receives little serious engagement. Even those who express concern about the true costs of growth tend to accept it as unavoidable reality, treating growth as an unquestioned force of nature that must be “accommodated.” Questioning traditional concepts of growth is avoided among political leaders and environmental groups, and little is taught or discussed in the region’s academic institutions. This makes it critical to re-examine concepts of growth, or the acclaimed bay’s restoration — and quality of life in the region — may be jeopardized.

• Can the money that’s been spent on bay and river restoration deliver fishable, swimmable waters in the face of a human population, 17 million strong and growing, that consumes ever more land, energy, and resources?
• Can there be frank talks about the real costs of growth among policymakers?
• Are there models for thriving communities that do not rely on continuously increasing levels of consumption? Why is it so difficult to discuss them?

This conference starts the conversation by bringing together some of the best thinkers on economic and population policies that could achieve a healthy balance of life in the Chesapeake Bay region. Hear critical presentations, join open discussions, and explore new curricula and planning options for addressing future regional populations.

Attendance is free for journalists who wish to cover the event.

Where: Hood College, Frederick, MD (about 45 minutes from DC and about an hour from Baltimore)

• Details, registration, speaker information and more.

Co-sponsored by the Bay Journal, Town Creek Foundation and Hood College Center for Coastal and Watershed Studies.