Ecological Events

Baltimore Bioneers Program

On the night of November 5, the Baltimore Bioneers Program looked at some of the ways in which several local nongovernmental organizations, entrepreneurs, and government agencies are looking for ways to address social needs such as transportation, food production, and general consumption using alternatives that are more environmentally sustainable. The Program featured two local entrepreneurs who are working into developing environmentally-friendly products such as reusable Q-tips. Cheryl Wade, president of Mill Valley General Store, explained how local produce production provided important benefits both to the local economy and the environment. Henry Kay, the MTA’s deputy administrator for planning, got most of the attention and questions from the audience. In his presentation and engagement with the audience, Kay talked about how the MTA has been working on promoting and facilitating the use of public transportation as an environmentally-preferable mode of transport, especially through user-friendly technological innovations, as well as future plans for urban planning and route access. Overall, the Bioneers Program offered the audience an interesting sample of the various innovations taking place at the local level to reconcile social consumption and service-provision with environmental sustainability.

Maryland League of Conservation Voters

On November 16, the Maryland League of Conservation Voters offered a preview of upcoming environmental legislation in Maryland and their assessment by several members of local environmental groups. Legislation related to transportation issues, budgetary issues, and stormwater, and their effects on Marylanders were analyzed and discussed. The program was aimed at raising awareness about such issues and their environmental consequences, as well as to motivate action for or against specific pieces of legislation that are deemed to be either beneficial or detrimental to the local environment. Also, many information brochures and documents were distributed to disseminate knowledge about proposed bills and pressing issues that call for legislation, such as urban sprawl planning and land consumption in Maryland. The event seemed to be an interesting exercise of democratic pragmatism as described by Dryzek in The Politics of the Earth, with citizen groups seeking to direct legislation and policy in a more environmentally-conscious direction.