Category Archives: Topics

The Root Cause of Our Mistreatment of Immigrants

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This is a response to Sydney’s post “Migrant Workers Have Always Been Essential, So We Should Be Treating Them Like It” found here: https://sites.uw.edu/pols385/2020/05/19/migrant-workers-have-always-been-essential-so-we-should-be-treating-them-like-it/

While I agree with Sydney’s point that migrants have served in essential roles throughout our nation’s history, I would like to challenge the idea that the migrant workers themselves are essential to those roles. Let me be clear: I completely disagree with the notion that immigrants are “stealing our jobs.” Most Americans are unwilling to fill those positions as they currently operate, and we absolutely should not blame the immigrants for seeking a better life. But I believe that calling immigrant labor itself “essential” only serves to excuse our luxury-obsessed culture and the costs it imposes on immigrant workers.

As Sydney points out, immigrant labor is used because they are one of our most vulnerable populations so they will accept dangerous conditions at low wages. The key point there is the low wages: agricultural work is not the most dangerous job out there, but it is certainly one of the lowest paying dangerous jobs. Looking at other, more dangerous jobs like garbage collectors or construction workers, their average salaries are considerably higher than agricultural work and they subsequently have much lower undocumented immigrant participation.

Source: USDA, Pew Research Center
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/illegal-immigrants-us-jobs-economy-farm-workers-taxes/

It is not that Americans are entirely unwilling to do the work; they are simply unwilling to do the work below a certain salary. The way I see it, our agricultural industry has convinced us that immigrant labor is essential to our food system in order to keep payroll artificially deflated and dissuade investigation of poor working conditions. They are basically using slave labor to keep food prices low and profits high. 

As available undocumented labor goes down, wages must go up to attract legal citizens.

I worry that the discourse around this topic can easily become confused and subsequently counter-productive. Agricultural work is undeniably essential; without our food industry, we (along with many other parts of the world) would starve to death. And our immigrant labor force is essential in order to keep food prices low. But are low food prices essential? They are not only inessential but inherently detrimental, as argued by Michael Carolan in The Real Cost of Cheap Food. Thus, by calling immigrant labor essential in and of it itself, we perpetuate the idea that our food should be cheap and, to a certain degree, excuse the poor treatment of immigrants as a necessary evil to reach those ends.

Sydney calls on the agriculture industry to improve wages and working conditions for undocumented workers. In my opinion, this represents individualization of responsibility to a degree: it fails to address the larger systemic reasons for those wages and conditions, which include America’s love of ultra-cheap food, a difficult-to-navigate legal immigration system, and our willingness to look the other way when our industries abuse desperate populations. Solving this problem will require deep systemic changes to our immigration systems, law enforcement, the agriculture industry, and, most importantly, the way Americans relate to food. We will need to accept spending much more of our income on food, which will require far less discretionary spending: smaller houses, less luxurious vehicles, and significantly less entertainment consumption. We will need to fundamentally alter the typical American lifestyle.

Systemic thinking shows us just how complex the situation is, and reminds us that we cannot just expect the food industry to make things right on its own. We must act as consumers and citizens, as individuals and communities, as social and political entities, in order to institute the massive changes necessary to protect vulnerable immigrant communities and move towards a more ethical and sustainable food system. 

The Collective is Made of Individuals (Re: Contemplating Climate Complexity)

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I’m writing in response to Aisling’s post about contemplation, numbness, and the idea that our individual efforts do nothing other than make our personal selves feel better. I’m here to argue against that last point.

She is correct that, numerically speaking, one person doing something isn’t going to matter on a global scale. One person not eating beef isn’t going to eliminate the emissions produced by those cows. One person not getting their driver’s license isn’t going to be noticed by any politician or lobbyist. One person buying fair trade isn’t going to make trade fair.

It takes policy. It takes systemic change. It takes corporate and governmental action. But you know what makes up those corporations and governments? Individual humans. You know what makes up those masses of tens of thousands of protesters? Individual humans. You know what began the Organic Farm Movement in western culture? Individuals. You know who began to advocate women’s rights in the United States? Individual women. And together, those individuals had and have a voice. They have strength. Together, their individual actions created a tidal wave that started an international movement, that changed long-standing laws and discrimination, that brought us to where we are today because if each of those individuals said, “my choices and my voice don’t do anything, so why bother?” then it would have been a self-fulfilling prophecy. I think we often forget no massive change has happened wide-scale out of nowhere. It grows.

I want to be clear that I’m not saying everyone has the ability to speak and act equally: that’s a part of our inherently exploitative society. But those who have the ability and knowledge shouldn’t be silent because others can’t speak. If anything, we owe it to those who are disadvantaged and silenced to fight for a better future for us all. As a whole, we are not powerless.

Why Consumerism Won’t Solve Climate Change

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Cameron McElmurry’s well written blog post (https://sites.uw.edu/pols385/2020/04/13/a-plague-overlooked-the-locust-crisis-lurking-in-the-shadow-of-covid-19/) discussing the locust crisis occurring in the Horn of Africa gives the reader a look into the world of climate change and how it has increasingly played a role in causing global catastrophes.

A Samburu boy uses a wooden stick to try to swat a swarm of desert locusts filling the air, as he herds his camel near the village of Sissia, in Samburu county, Kenya.

In this photo taken Thursday, Jan. 16, 2020, a Samburu boy uses a wooden stick to try to swat a swarm of desert locusts filling the air, as he herds his camel near the village of Sissia, in Samburu county, Kenya.  (AP Photo/Patrick Ngugi)

What Cameron and many others neglect to mention is that climate change itself is the by-product of a much larger issue. Although the word ‘neoliberalism’ gets thrown around quite often, the concept still manages to lurk in the shadows of climate change discussions, even though it plays a pivotal role in driving the rising temperature of the planet.

Neoliberalism is often thought of as a neutral force, one that is victim to the ebbs and flow of consumerism, when in reality it is the very force driving these patterns. One of the main tropes we in society are expected to believe is that our consumer choices are a part of our independent thought process, completely driven by our own free will and untainted by the environment which surrounds us. This illusion of choice that neoliberalism has spoon fed Americans in particular, is one of the main reasons why the issue of climate change is often blamed on the consumer. After all, our choices are what drives the demand and if we simply lived more sustainable lives (had gardens in our backyards, shopped at farmers markets, supported small business and overall made more environmentally conscious decisions, etc.), then this whole “global warming” fiasco wouldn’t be happening in the first place, right? This narrative is the blindfold that mass-corporations and governments alike tie neatly around the heads of citizens. Neoliberalism is such an effective deflective force that G20 countries are getting away with spending $88 billion per year subsidizing exploration for new fossil fuels without much more than a slap on the wrist from their citizens (article mentioned in class: https://grist.org/climate-energy/rich-countries-are-still-wasting-billions-on-subsidies-for-fossil-fuels/).

This image is an example of the illusion of choice in consumer brands, particularly in the food system.

This image is an example of the illusion of choice in consumer brands, particularly in the food system.

Even more alarming is that $88 billion is just what has been invested in finding new fossil fuels. Globally, a whopping $775 billion has been spent in subsidies for the production and use of fossil fuels. As mentioned in the article, these subsidies come in “three basic forms: investment by state-owned enterprises, direct national subsidies and tax breaks, and public finance.” It almost seems as though locusts are not the only pests threatening the livelihoods of people. At the end of the day, if we want to truly work towards a safer future for all inhabitants of the planet, we must un–tie the blindfold neoliberalism has wrapped intricately around the eyes of citizens and expose people to the fuel that truly drives climate change. 

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4Y3OEDdpJA this YouTube video highlights some of the overlooked effects of climate change (warning: discusses suicide).  

 

 

The Lessons I Learned from Soil & Water

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The functioning and health of our soil not only determines the vitality of the plants that grow out of it, but also has cascading effects on other socio-ecological symptoms. Soil that has a balanced amount of nutrients, a supportive root system, and is well-aerated, has the potential to prevent massive algal blooms, lessen the negative effects of flooding events, and even capture carbon. Healthy soil is the foundation of a robust and resilient food system. 

A visual demonstrating the value of a healthy soil.

Photo by: The Ecological Landscape Alliance

Through the soil & water contemplative practice, I began to make the connection between soil and our socio-ecological systems. Similar to how soil serves as the foundation of our food system, our current linear model of production, and capitalist ideology, serve as the foundation of the global socio-economic system. By enabling waste, encouraging constantly increasing rates of production, and relying on environmental and social externalities to keep prices low, we have an inherently unsustainable and unhealthy foundation. 

The failures of this system have been exposed during the COVID-19 pandemic as a series of expected self-perpetuating injustices. Although watching these negative consequences unravel has been frustrating to say the least, it is hardly surprising. The foundation of our economy is based on unsustainable, and inequitable principles, so it is expected that in the face of a disturbance our socio-economic systems do not demonstrate resilience.

Image by: LiberationNews.org

Currently, there is a push to integrate systems thinking in regard to soil health; as Alan Richardson, a member of the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation says, ““Historically we’ve fertilized the crop… We’ve been interested in the crop. The paradigm shift is in thinking that you have to fertilize the system, the microbes and all that. And through that you support the crop.” This contemplative practice made me realize that if we ever want to achieve sustainability within our socio-ecological systems, this same mindset needs to be applied to our socio-economic system. By creating a foundation that is rooted in a circular model of production, and values quality of life as opposed to quantity of money, we have the potential to create a healthier, more resilient society.

Resources:

https://www.resilience.org/stories/2017-11-09/healthy-soil-healthy-plants-healthy-people/

https://grist.org/food/heres-a-solution-for-those-out-of-control-toxic-algae-blooms/

https://www.700milliongallons.org/types-of-gsi/

https://landinstitute.org/our-work/perennial-crops/

https://theintercept.com/2020/03/17/naomi-klein-and-jeremy-scahill-discuss-coronavirus-the-election-and-solidarity-in-the-midst-of-a-pandemic/

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/15/world/europe/coronavirus-inequality.html

https://www.liberationnews.org

https://www.ecolandscaping.org/about/

https://grist.org/food/the-secret-to-richer-carbon-capturing-soil-treat-your-microbes-well/

There is always more you can do.

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I chose to respond to Aaron Baker’s post “Is your Hunger Natural or Affluent?” (link: https://sites.uw.edu/pols385/2020/05/04/is-your-hunger-natural-or-affluent/). The question posed in his title is something I have been grappling with since I shifted to a plant-based diet due to unethical practices in the meat and dairy industry. I thought his response was very insightful, and I especially appreciated his statement “Just as hunger may be ubiquitous in the state of nature, it is equally possible for it to be absent entirely in a relatively affluent state in which the parameters of self-preservation have been redefined.” His thoughts made me consider how I drastically redefined my diet by only considering plant-based options as permissible for my self-preservation, despite there being ample other food options surrounding me. Thus, it seems as if I have redefined my “self” that I wish to preserve. My goal is not to simply keep myself alive, rather it is to maintain optimal nutrition, ethical consumption, and great taste.

Veganism News and Political Cartoons

From this, I drew a connection to “The Color of Food” (https://canvas.uw.edu/courses/1372505/files/63044076/download?wrap=1) article we read in class, which described the “good food movement” amongst privileged middle-class individuals who prefer to consume organic food. The article goes on to describe those economically excluded from this movement, who rely on food supplied through the enormous food production chain that exploits people of color and “often forces workers to live in conditions that are close to poverty.” So, when I search for vegan meals, my hunger isn’t natural, it is affluent. Recognizing how much of the world struggles with food sovereignty allows me to stave off complacency as in my fight for change in the food system. I recognize a vegan diet isn’t enough, and that holistic change that provides everyone equal access to good food as I do today is my ultimate goal.

Food Sovereignty - SourceWatch

From Texas to Ethiopia: Food Crisis & COVID-19

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The article “Will COVID-19 lead to a food crisis?” the author explores the different ways the pandemic has affected the global supply chain in mid-April while speculating the various ways the possible outcomes of the stress COVID-19 will cause. It has been more than a month since the article was published and the matters of individual diet changes to disparities between the Global North and South have been even more exacerbated as time carries on.

The question has been answered: yes, COVID-19 is leading the charges for reasons why we are entering a period of extremes, intensifying weak links in our food system. Due to a myriad of reasons, the US is seeing overproduction of produce and consequently food waste, worker shortages leading to the bottleneck effect on food items like meat.

The US can no longer run from the detrimental effects of how the pandemic has tested our inefficient food system that favors profit over workers as seen in federal demand for meat factory workers to return to work. From the imperial practice of “free” trade disrupting food sovereignty to depleting natural resources, something as natural as food has become an entirely political entity and can affect food prices.

In the Horn of Africa, COVID-19 is intensifying the situation in a place where 60 million hectares are allotted to land grabs and local farmers battle plagues of locusts. These events have contributed to previous food scarcity within the region. With COVID-19, food access due to distribution delays and the declining market prices for food will affect everyone from farmers to children.

Map of Horn of Africa region showing how land grabbing affect food shortages https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/c60c68c9fda947589359fea4633163bf

As the pandemic changes our daily situation, it is clear that what we need as a planet is a systemic approach that has the future of humanity and our planet in mind.

Carbon Farming and Systemic Thinking

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In response to Adeline Ellison’s “Spare the Till – Carbon Farming’s Impact on the Climate”

In her post, Adeline discusses an article that highlights carbon farming as a potential opportunity to mitigate environmental damage and combat climate change. Adeline states, “the excitement of a revolutionary idea (and the potential for profit) can get ahead of the actual science.” She goes on to say that there is “potential for groups to continue to back a science that may not be entirely sound”. The science does however seem to be “sound”, as the article itself stated that the National Academies of Sciences’ research suggested that soil sequestration could remove 250 million metric tons of carbon dioxide per year in the US, and could provide nearly 10 percent of carbon reduction needed to avoid a 2-degree increase in temperature if implemented globally (Popkin).

The idea of implementing practices that contribute to soil regeneration and thus a carbon sink should be a non-issue. I do agree that systemic thinking is required, especially since stopping CO2 creation at the source is more effective than attempts to tend to the issue with a band-aid solution. Monica Price’s system mapping video and class visit demonstrated that complicated issues need be regarded in whole systems approach. She discussed root causes, feedback loops, and causal loop diagraming. Understanding feedback loops can help mitigate the tendency for people to blame stakeholders in a system. For example, farmers should not be blamed, as they are simply acting rationally in a capitalist society and have their own livelihoods at stake.

In addition, it is also important to consider that adjusting one part of a system can have a domino effect to other connected issues. If policy encourages soil regeneration, local economies can be revitalized and boost the overall wellbeing of communities.

Monica Price Food Map:

https://kumu.io/monicapc/food-system-vision-2050-oct2019#food-system-vision-2050/quality-amount-of-soil-and-water

Original article:

https://thefern.org/2020/03/is-carbon-farming-a-climate-boon-or-boondoggle/

Environmental Racism: In Response to North Carolina’s Hog Industry

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As we have discussed quite often in this class, the effects of harmful environmental policy are often felt disproportionately by minorities. In my classmate’s piece, “North Carolina’s Hog Industry is a Telling Example of Crumbling Tort Law in America”, they describe this phenomenon localized to North Carolina hog farms, and how the majority of hog farm waste is situated near communities of color, where they contend with the stench of putrefying feces year round. The occurrence of racially disparate impacts of environmental policy can be described by the term environmental racism. 

 

The framework of environmental racism holds that access to clean air, water, land, and even food, are restricted on the basis of race to generate another axis of control over minorities. Its effects are highly visible and manifold. Black and Latino children are far more likely to suffer from asthma due to the fact that communities of color are more likely to be situated closer to sources of pollution, and it is often impoverished majority-minority neighborhoods that are the last to receive aid in the wake of natural disasters, most notably after Hurricanes Sandy and Katrina. 

 

In thinking both about climate change and about the state of race relations in the U.S. today, it is imperative that we consider the ways that race and environmental policy intersect, as well as how they are related to other social and political issues. For example, the increased incidence of asthma among people of color means that they are predisposed to require certain kinds of medical care — acquiring inhalers, for example. Given that our current healthcare system privileges those with access to wealth and that racial wealth disparities are quite prevalent, environmental racism’s impacts become even more clear. Looking toward the future, then, any proposed solution or treatment for climate change must address the mechanisms that environmental racism justifies, and rectify the harms it has caused.

 

Climate change and the Individual: A response to Contemplating Climate Complexity

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This is a response to Contemplating Climate Complexity by Aisling Wade.

I first want to say thank you for sharing what you have — I really enjoyed what you wrote and reflecting back on what it meant for me.

= Abstract Tide Wave Water Color by Jessica Torrant

When I first learned about climate change and the detrimental impacts that it will have on our global community, I was stunned. I was stunned because no one was doing anything, no one was helping, and no one seemed to care. Education has exposed me to timely topics, but it has also unveiled my complicity. When I learned that I may be a part of the problem, I felt like a tsunami washed over me, sweeping my body away from shore.

As you have said, we will never feel the true cost of the triple inequality like the people who have contributed the least to the problem. My house will not be lost to rising sea levels, eroding soil, or wildfires either. I am in a bubble that seems cut off from the rest of the world’s problems. Though I am numb to the abilities of our government, I know that my bubble is not impenetrable. Climate change will inevitability lead to ocean acidification which will hit Washington hard, crumbling our fisheries, dissolving shellfish, throwing off salmon spawns and rippling up the food chain to us. Essentially liquefying our food structures and economy.

Even in my attempt to save the world by driving electric, I was once again reminded that my carbon foot print was bigger than I thought when we learned about renewable energy production in class. Eating plant-based diets also reminded me that my single contributions to help curve climate change does not tilt the scale in any meaningful way. As you, I feel like I have tried to help, but how can we make meaningful change as just an individual?

Migrant Workers Have Always Been Essential, So We Should Be Treating Them Like It

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In response to “‘Essential Workers’: Heroes or a Sacrifice to Capitalism?” by Ashley (@ash_marie)

The U.S. has historically relied on the labor of minority groups to provide this labor since the conception of the nation even in times of normalcy. From the use of slave-labor on plantations to the current use of Latinx labor, minorities have driven commercial agriculture for centuries. Yet many Americans hold the notion that these migrant workers are not essential workers but are actually stealing the jobs of American citizens.

The view that these essential workers are “stealing jobs” has been strongly held, even in recent years. We must question this and ask why it is that minority groups have been the main supply of agricultural labor in the U.S.. This question appeals to the larger system of immigration and class structures, and it is deeply intertwined with the history and politics of the U.S. and the countries that the migrants had immigrated from. It all boils down to this: employers seek the cheapest labor, and the cheapest labor can be provided by the most vulnerable populations. The essential work that these workers provide is low paid and the conditions are often unsafe. Even when the United Farm Workers launched the “Take My Job” campaign, a counter discursive act against the “stealing our jobs” mentality, incredibly low numbers of American citizens moved to take on these jobs due to the labor conditions that they present.

As we begin to recognizing these workers as essential during this pandemic, their conditions stay the same. They continue to receive low wages and their working conditions do not comply with the basic precautions of social distancing that are so vital in this pandemic. Instead of calling these workers “heroes”, a term which normalizes their deaths as an inevitability, we must improve the conditions of this essential labor.