Global trade and freight transport impacts: A review of the issues and the development of alternative approaches and networks

A critical but largely unexamined dimension of global trade and freight traffic are the enormous community, environmental, health, and labor impacts associated with this supply chain and transport system. A research collaboration between Occidental College's Urban & Environmental Policy Institute and the USC Environmental Health Sciences Center recently completed an analysis of key trends in this global trade and goods movement system. This also included a literature review of the negative environmental health impacts resulting from this system, including air pollution, land use impacts, noise and light impacts, health impacts on workers in the goods movement sector, and climate change issues, as well as a national overview of ports/freight transportation organizing, policy initiatives, and advocacy in 17 regions in the U.S.

Building on experience working in collaboration and partnership with environmental justice, public health, labor, and community organizations and advocates on issues related to the Ports of L.A. and Long Beach, the Occidental and USC researchers talked with organizers and advocates in the 17 regions to develop a snapshot of the social, economic, environmental and health conditions, and to identify strategies for organizing and policymaking that address the negative impacts of those environmental, health, community and worker impacts. The research is designed in turn to help stimulate a national (and ultimately international) network of activists and researchers focused on reducing those impacts and identifying alternatives to this global trade, supply chain, and transport system. One example to be discussed is the increasingly globalized food system and the alternatives to it.