Global Production and Consumption: Implications for Global Development - Movie Review Example

Download file to see previous pages The increase in consumption has led to a proportional increase in the production side of the economy. Due to the increased production costs in the developed countries, mainly associated with the labor cost and requirement for resources, many companies have sought for alternatives to reduce these costs by outsourcing the production and manufacturing processes. Countries such as China and India as well as other Southeast Asian countries have benefitted from these foreign investments that increase the country’s foreign exchange reserves and generated jobs for locals. However, attention should be given to the actual working conditions of the labor force in these countries. By analyzing two films, entitled The story of stuff and Santa’s workshop, concepts related to the economy, the government, the society, and the environment will be discussed. Taking into account the historical and political points that may have caused the conditions depicted in both films. The films that were chosen depict the implication of capitalism and consumerism with global development. In 2007, The Story of Stuff was released online. The writer and narrator of the film are Annie Leonard, a critic of consumerism and movers of sustainability. It was funded by several foundations such as Tides Foundation, Funders Workgroup for Sustainable Production and Consumption, and Free Range Studios that also produced the film. The film’s plot focused on discussing the Materials Economy, which a coined word in the film that is associated with capitalism. According to Annie Leonard, the materials economy is composed of five basic systems, namely extraction, production, distribution, consumption, and disposal. The process was designed to be linear thus making it unhealthy for the environment and the people. For the extraction process, the film provided several data that supports their claim that our natural resources are being exploited at unimaginable rates. Leonard also pointed out that highly industrialized countries and large companies have been depleting the natural resources of third world countries in exchange for foreign investments and job generation. However, due to the increased environmental degradation caused by product outsourcing in third world countries as well as the mere fact that most of their population belongs to the lower class of the society, workers are at risk of being exploited by companies (The Story of Stuffs). Among the five systems of the materials economy, the production system poses the greatest threat to the workers and the environment since this stage operates by utilizing the natural resources, toxic chemicals, and energy to produce the consumer goods. Almost all the goods that are available in the market, such as food and beverage products, toys, consumer electronics, household appliances, and other goods, are manufactured in large scale plants. According to the film, these plants use synthetic substances that mostly have not been tested for toxic impacts and synergistic impacts. Examples of products that are deemed to be toxic include human breast milk substitutes and the use of Brominated Flame Retardants (B.F.R.) in the production of furniture, clothes and consumer electronics. In addition, the workers are also exposed to high levels of toxic materials and elevated temperatures in their working environment.  ...Download file to see next pagesRead More