The 2013 Ferrum College Forum on Critical Thinking, Innovation & Leadership addresses the physical sustainability of modern life; specifically our requirements for water, energy, and food. These essential elements share the conditions of being limited relative to our needs and availability now and in the future. There are important interconnections and trade offs in society’s attempts to increase the supply of each.
Assuring long-term sustainability will entail achieving the right balance between private incentives and public goals. The 2013 Forum will explore the features of public policy that can facilitate finding this delicate balance within the respective roles and capabilities of government, business and private entities.
Through the sponsorship of this Forum, Ferrum College is attempting to raise the level of public discourse about these trending issues that will require the country’s best critical thinking skills, practical innovations, and business and civic leadership.