Category Archives: Trade

Jevons Paradox and American Consumerism

I think a big point from lecture that was thought-provoking to me was the idea of metabolic rift. In particular the idea that because of how global, food consumption has become we have created imbalances in natural levels of nutrients/water from food producing countries by transporting nutrient rich foods to wealthier countries to be consumed. This cycle is countering the… Read more »

We Cannot Abandon the System, But We Must Fix It

Michael Pollan’s “In Defense of Food” did a great deal for me in explaining my misconceptions on diet and Nutritionism, but I felt it stopped short of coming up with any solutions that can have any widespread change. The article by Julie Guthman echoes these sentiments somewhat. Yes, it is important to strive the best we can to eat foods… Read more »

Why Do Politicians and Industries Collectively Act?

President Trump has recently been considering the possibility of a U.S. involved Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), which has surprised many domestic and international actors. Initially, Trump determined that the deal would hurt American farmers, but now that the U.S. is on the brink of a trade war with China, he feels pressure to reevaluate the TPP: “the president started to change… Read more »

Greenwashing our Way to Complacency

To those who may be unfamiliar, greenwashing is a marketing tactic that promotes products as “green” or “healthy” without holding any real benefit to the consumer, the environment, or greater social equity.  As mentioned by Jennifer McNulty, “‘buying green’ offers little real defense against environmental hazards and may pose an even greater threat by lulling people into a false sense… Read more »