Author archive: Kristen Steele

Kristen Steele, Associate Programs Director for Local Futures, has worked in the new economy and environmental fields for over 15 years. She is currently studying for a PhD at University College London on the intersection between economics and wildlife conservation.

Disaster localization: a constructive response to climate chaos

The moment I first learned about climate change will always stick in my mind. A seventh-grade ecology class led to a conversation between girls after school about what, back then, was being called “global warming”. Kicking at the snow while waiting for the bus in the depths of an upstate New York winter, it sounded like a good thing. Of course, we soon learned it wasn’t – and many of us became enthusiastic environmental activists, running school campaigns on decreasing electricity use, reducing … [Read more...]

How Globalization Divides Us: Perspectives on Brexit from a Dual Citizen

When I woke up on June 24th and checked the news, I cried. Along with millions of people around the world. I’m a diehard believer in independence, freedom, democracy, and strong local economies. For some, the Brexit result represented those things. If that had been the reality, I would’ve supported it too. But like every other choice offered in the global economy these days, Brexit was a false one. Getting out of Europe does nothing to address the real problems in UK society—or the world. We’re … [Read more...]

They Sang with a Thousand Tongues: The Poetry of Diversity

Bayo Akomolafe presented the following talk at Voices of Hope in a Time of Crisis on November 8, 2014 in New York City. A video of his talk is also online. Let me tell you a story about how the world began. I promise you the story is not completely false. Yoruba elders say that when the world was to begin, there was only sky and water. The supreme being, Olórun, ruled the firmaments, while the divine feminine, embodied in Olokun, was master of the raging seas. One day, Obatala, a son of … [Read more...]

Place-based Everywhere: Lessons from Flood Wall Street

The arrests at the end of Flood Wall Street may have been the only reason the mainstream media paid attention to the several thousand people who parked themselves next to the Charging Bull for the better part of eight hours. But, although no station covered it, what happened before then was much more important to solving the climate crisis. There were few tweetable sound bites, but the world would do well to pay attention because it signaled the next big movement on the horizon. When the … [Read more...]

The Super Bowl of Subsidies

What comes to mind when you think of the Super Bowl? The Bronco’s stunning offense? The glitzy halftime show? Chicken wings and Clydesdales? Call me a spoil sport, but I can’t help thinking subsidies. That’s because even though the NFL (National Football League) generates $51 million a year in ticket sales, $2.1 billion in merchandising revenue, and an estimated $2.8 billion a year for television rights, they also receive about $1 billion each year in state and federal subsidies to cover their … [Read more...]

Globalization Produces Sushi … and Slavery

This September marks the 151st anniversary of President Abraham Lincoln’s first Emancipation Proclamation, which led shortly thereafter to the abolition of slavery in the United States. A century and a half later, most Westerners consider slavery a thing of the past, a relic of the colonial era. But in many parts of the “developing” world, globalization has picked up where colonialism left off. The slave-traders of old are today’s human traffickers, and the profiteers in many cases are modern … [Read more...]

Local Banking for Global Change

For most of us, switching to a local bank, whether on Bank Transfer Day or any other time of year, brings a sense of personal satisfaction. But what is good for us also has a positive effect on our communities and even worldwide. The benefits go beyond lower fees, better customer service and more traceability. And the effect is bigger than sending a message to the corporate banks that we’re fed up with their behaviour. Changing where we put our money can help change the whole global … [Read more...]