By Stephanie Hiller, YES! magazine
Food is fundamental. While farmers have yet to face the full economic impact of this pandemic, their collaborative efforts, along with local grassroots networks, could mark the beginning of a new economy laboring to be born.
By Alison Stine, YES! magazine
Appalachia knows need, and knows that in times of increased struggle, need increases for all. While much of the country might fall back at this time, Appalachia has stepped up in ways both official and grassroots. “Pandemic or not,” Keller said, “we still have a job to do.”
By Joel Stronberg, Civil Notion
Whether the US will choose to follow a green recovery path consistent with the decisions of major private sector investors and the European Union and enact a science-based recovery package will depend upon the outcome of the November elections. In the meantime, the trend going forward will be a continuation of deeply partisan politics.
By Laura Basu, Open Democracy
One of the aims of this essay has been to gather some of the ideas that are lying around and help fashion them into a vaguely coherent vision – or multiple visions – of the kinds of worlds we can and might want to live in.
By Tracy L. Barnett, Esperanza Project
This global pandemic is a very loud call to all of us earthlings to share the common ground, and to work together to find opportunities to create a new paradigm for life on our imperiled planet. In other words, the Huichol Center is not alone in our struggle to prevail in these tumultuous times.
By George Monbiot, The Guardian blog
There is a consistent reason for the multiple, systemic failures the pandemic has exposed: the intrusion of corporate power into public policy. Privatisation, outsourcing and offshoring have severely compromised the UK’s ability to respond to a crisis.
By Paul Gilding, The Cockatoo Chronicles
COVID 19 is not a ‘black swan’ – a singular, unexpected event. It is the first in a series of what NYT’s Tom Friedman referred to as a ‘herd of stampeding black elephants’ – multiple, predictable and economically catastrophic events.
By Daniel Vargas-Gómez, Open Democracy
Yes, neoliberal globalization is crashing hard. Despite the bailouts and the unorthodox policies of central banks the current world order seems to be coming to an end, but the battle is unlikely to be over and may be in fact entering its most contentious stage. It is still the case that the neoliberal beast has been wounded.
By Bonnie Miller, Resilience.org
These are scary and uncertain times, but there may be lessons to heed as we move forward: let this redouble our commitment to eating and cooking together, practicing mindfulness, supporting local producers, and enjoying every last bite.
By Lachlan McKessar, Sustainable Food Trust
Once the pandemic has ended, there will need to be a drastic restructuring to ensure the survival of many businesses and food systems, both large commercial organisations and small independents alike. Going forward, equitable availability of good quality food will also have to be ensured, to provide adequate healthy options to all communities.
By Matt Casale, The Revelator
It’s clear that telework can have significant societal benefits, including less global warming pollution and cleaner skies. But significant benefits are only possible if everyone whose job could plausibly be done from home has that opportunity.
By Mark H. Burton, Steady-State Manchester
The opportunity, the exit, is to use the relatively resilient sectors, elements of the Foundational Economy, supported by key place-based organisations and basic population provisioning, as the key to transform the city-region and make it less vulnerable to the ecosystem shock events that are likely to hit us with increasing frequency, particularly if the present system continues.