Healing Our Waters Great Lakes Restoration Conference

From Great Lakes Wiki

Watch presentations from the conference on the effects of climate change on the Great Lakes, a restoration toolkit for communities, and examples of restoration and partnership successes from around the region here.
There was a lot of talk about green at the Great Lakes Restoration Conference in Chicago. $50 billion worth, to be exact. That's how much a study by the the Brookings Institution Metropolitan Policy Program found that restoring Great Lakes health could create in economic benefits for the region. The study, released in conjunction with the conference, estimates that the $50 billion boost is about twice what it would to restore the Lakes. Held Sept. 6-8, 2007 at The Palmer House Hilton in Chicago, this conference brought together scientists, activists and policy makers to discuss the future of the Great Lakes. U.S. Rep. Rahm Emanuel, (D-Ill.), said in his keynote address that the upcoming 2008 presidential election is the perfect opportunity to make critical progress on Great Lakes issues, such as securing federal support for an initial $300 million investment in restoring the Great Lakes. The study concluded that investment in restoring the economic gains will come from increases in tourism, the fishing industry, recreational activity and home values. This event was hosted by the Alliance for the Great Lakes. Funding and support for the conference was provided by Peter M. Wege, the Wege Foundation and the Joyce Foundation.

The Brookings Institute released a new report at the event discussing the economic future of the region. Follow this link to download the PDF version of the report.

Participants are encouraged to join the conversation and discuss the sessions they attended at the conference below. Click "edit" at the top of the page to start adding your two cents about the conference and the issues discussed.

1 Economic Benefits of Great Lakes Restoration
2 Politics and the Great Lakes
- 2.1 What do presidential candidates say about the Great Lakes?
- 2.2 Statewide and Local efforts
3 Restoration Success Stories
4 Great Lakes Climate Change
5 Coalition's 2008 restoration priorities

[edit] Economic Benefits of Great Lakes Restoration

The Brookings Institute released a new report "Developing America’s North Coast: A Benefit Cost Analysis of a Great Lakes Infrastructure Program" and “Healthy Waters, Strong Economy: The Benefits of Restoring the Great Lakes Ecosystem.”. Follow this link to download the PDF version of the reports.

[edit] Politics and the Great Lakes

[edit] What do presidential candidates say about the Great Lakes?

Perhaps the best hope for finding the billions of dollars experts say it will take to restore and preserve the deep blue waters of the Great Lakes is the fact that they are surrounded by purple states.Milwaukee Journal Sentinel 9/7

Eric Adelstein, of the Chicago-based consulting firm Adelstein Liston and other speakers at the conference advocated that the mostly unfunded 2-year-old Great Lakes restoration plan should be a top priority as a campaign issue in 2008.

Adelstein presented polling that shows more than 80% of residents in the region see Great Lakes health issues - specifically sewage spills, mercury contamination and wetlands destruction as major issues. 72 percent of residents consider invasive species a "major" issue too.

Organizers of the two-day conference invited representatives from all the major presidential campaigns to attend and discuss their candidate's platform as it pertains to the Great Lakes. Only Illinois Sen. Barack Obama sent someone to address the group.

[edit] Statewide and Local efforts

Frustrated with the stalled Wisconsin legislature, freshman Congressman Corey Mason decided to hit the road and gain an understanding of what it meant to be part of the Great Lakes region. He met with policy makers, activists and concerned citizens all over the Midwest to learn more about the issues holding up the Great Lakes Compact. He took a video camera along, and the result will be a documentary, which Mason said he hopes will be released in October and placed on YouTube. Mason said that he's always focused on Wisconsin's piece of the puzzle when it comes to Great Lakes issues, but now he sees the opportunities and challenges of working together as a region.