Things, ideas and people have always moved at sea, but in the 21st century this is occurring at increasing speed. So, how it this governed? In this podcast, Dr Kimberley Peters from the School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool discusses her research into water worlds - globalisation, governance of the oceans, and the role of maritime heritage in shaping place.
Learning activities
Listen to the podcast and answer the following questions:
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What is pirate radio?
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How have container ships changed global trade?
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How has this changed governance at sea?
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How is the sea regulated internationally?
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Which year was the Law of the Sea made?
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What does SOLAS stand for?
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What is the name of the cruise liners first produced in Liverpool?
What is the United Nations Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)? Read information provided by the UNITED NATIONS and summarise the key points in bullet points.
Read the following article on shipping disasters and make notes, paying attention to understand the factors that negate our awareness of these events.
WORSE THINGS STILL HAPPEN AT SEA: THE SHIPPING DISASTERS WE NEVER HEAR ABOUT (The Guardian, 2015)
Visit MERSEYSIDE MARITIME MUSEUM to browse online archival exhibitions related to Liverpool’s maritime and industrial history. Choose one object and present to your class what this object reveals about the changing place of Liverpool – socially, economically, politically, or environmentally.
Albert Dock, Liverpool, United Kingdom. Marcus Cramer @marcuslcramer / Unsplash
Geographers pay much attention to the stuff and material moved by container ships, but looking out to sea, what is life actually like aboard them? Take a look at the following links, make notes and produce a satirical poster of ‘container ship holidays’ – this should make you consider what life is like working on a ship, the politics of stuff that is moving over the sea, and the spatial inequalities of ships.
SHIPPING: THE LIFEBLOOD OF GLOBAL TRADE (BBC, 2017)
LIFE ON BOARD A CONTAINER SHIP (Al Jazerra, 2013)
SAILING THE SEAS OF GLOBAL TRADE: FROM CHINA TO EUROPE ON A CARGO SHIP (Al Jazerra, 2013)
A FREIGHT ADVENTURE: SAILING THE OCEANS ON A CONTAINER SHIP (Financial Times, 2013)
Further reading
Peters, K. (2015). DRIFTING: TOWARDS MOBILITIES AT SEA. Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers (40) 262 -272