long covid of the global economy
News headlines have recently been preparing us for the next great crisis of the coronavirus pandemic: lack of Christmas presents due to supply chain chaos. Even though it would be wonderful if the only crisis we faced was having less toys in midwinter, the supply chain disruptions that persist into year two of the pandemic are worth talking about because they are the trade structure of the global economy we all participate in and rely on to meet our needs, whether we want to or not. And because the global economy is a complicated labyrinth of production, distribution, and geographies, telling the story of what is happening in the global economy right now and what it means for our lived experiences is subject to the different perspectives telling those stories. The long effects of the pandemic and associated responses have shocked markets, supply chains, and store shelves, and it appears that these issues might be with us for some time. In this session, we will explore the many stories around what is causing the supply chain chaos, the solutions being called for by businesses, governments, workers, consumers, and activists, and we will add an ecological and long term well being perspective that is often lacking from these news stories. We will discuss what trade disruptions might be with us for awhile, and what solutions being proposed at larger scales might align with a just transition (and which ones certainly don’t), and what kinds of localized solutions we might be able to use to adapt to this long covid of the global economy and support the new economies many communities are working towards. Join us to sort through global trade and why it is much more than late Christmas presents we should be paying attention to.
October 30, 2021
10am-12noon
Speaker
Shaun Sellers is a PhD candidate in the Leadership for the Ecozoic program (L4E) at McGill University, She has a MSc in Ecological Economics from the University of Leeds, and a BA (Hons) in Business Management from Antioch University. Her doctoral research is in social ecological trade theory. She likes books, her dog, and being in the woods.