ACTION ALERT
WTO Threatens Forests, Environment and Democracy
10/17/99
OVERVIEW & COMMENTARY
Free trade is one thing. Free trade at the expense of nearly all
national environmental regulation is another. The World Trade
Organization is poised to rule on a "Global Free Logging Agreement"
which would reduce tariffs on forest products; lead to increased
forest consumption, and greater forest destruction. It would also
potentially jeopardize "bans on the use of endangered tropical
timber, safeguards to prevent the importation of invasive species,
and ecolabeling and certification of sustainably harvested timber."
The industrial forest trade is anything but "free"; as the Earth,
indigenous peoples, and the world's populace in general bears the
price of failing ecosystems. Following is a well-crafted action
alert from Rainforest Action Network--please take the time to
respond.
g.b.
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RELAYED TEXT STARTS HERE:
Title: WTO Threatens Democracy, Environment
Action Alert 146: October 1999
Source: Rainforest Action Network,
Status: Copyright 1999, contact source for permission to reprint
Date: October 1, 1999
Decades of environmental protection efforts are under attack from the
World Trade Organization (WTO). The Marine Mammal Protection Act, the
Endangered Species Act, and the Clean Air Act have all been weakened
as a result of controversial rulings issued by the WTO. What's next
on the WTO's agenda? A Global Free Logging Agreement, which would
rapidly accelerate the destruction of the Earth's forests.
Established by the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) in
1995, the WTO's main function is to ensure that trade flows as
"smoothly, predictably, and freely as possible." It has the authority
to administer and police free trade agreements, oversee world trade
practices, and settle trade disputes, including disputes over
government measures that act, directly or indirectly, as trade
barriers. If the WTO rules that a law is a barrier to trade, the
offending government must either change the law, pay heavy fines, or
suffer severe trade sanctions. The result is a disaster for
democracy, and for laws designed to protect labor, human rights, and
the environment. Consider the following examples:
Marine Mammal Protection Act: The Marine Mammal Protection Act banned
the import of tuna from countries whose fleets use fishing methods
that kill dolphins. In 1992 this law was challenged under GATT (the
WTO's predecessor) on the grounds that it was a barrier to trade, and
a dispute panel ruled against the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Last
year, Congress weakened the Marine Mammal Protection Act to comply
with the ruling. This year, US supermarkets will once again sell tuna
that is caught using methods that kill thousands of dolphins each
year.
Endangered Species Act: The Endangered Species Act banned shrimp
imports from countries that do not use devices designed to keep
endangered sea turtles out of shrimp nets. In 1995, four nations
challenged this law, claiming that it violated the rules of the WTO.
Last October, the WTO ruled against the US ban on unsafe shrimp
imports. The US government is now considering weakening the
Endangered Species Act to comply with the WTO's ruling.
Clean Air Act: On behalf of its oil industry, Venezuela charged that
a provision in the US Clean Air Act requiring cleaner gas was biased
against foreign oil refiners and therefore created a barrier to
international trade. The WTO agreed, ruling against the Clean Air Act
and requiring the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to rewrite
the clean-air rules or face retaliatory trade sanctions. In 1997 the
EPA weakened its Clean Air Act regulations to comply with the WTO
ruling, acknowledging that the change "creates a potential for
adverse environmental impact."
When the WTO holds its highest level meeting in Seattle next month, a
global trade agreement for the Earth's forests will be one of its top
priorities. The agreement would eliminate "barriers" to the trade in
forest products, with a focus on eliminating tariffs (import taxes)
on forest products. The elimination of tariffs would increase
consumption of forest products and accelerate destruction of already
endangered forests. The agreement may also put at risk environmental
measures such as bans on the use of endangered tropical timber,
safeguards to prevent the importation of invasive species, and
ecolabeling and certification of sustainably harvested timber.
Under WTO rule, the interests of international trade-which are
primarily the interests of transnational corporations-are supreme,
taking precedence over all other considerations, including democratic
rule. Since its inception, the WTO has ruled in favor of corporate,
economic interest and against laws designed to protect people and the
environment every single time. As the new millennium approaches, it
is up to us to determine if this is the kind of institution that we
want regulating the global economy of the future.
What You Can Do!
The Secretary of the Treasury is the architect of the United States'
global economic policy. Please send a message to Lawrence H. Summers,
Secretary of the Treasury:
Secretary Lawrence H. Summers
Department of the Treasury
650 Massachusetts Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20226
Email Address: OPCMail@do.treas.gov
Dear Mr. Summers,
I am writing to express my outrage at the United States' support of
the World Trade Organization, in light of its track record of
undermining environmental laws, and to register my strong opposition
to the Global Free Logging Agreement.
The World Trade Organization (WTO) has consistently ruled in favor of
free trade without consideration for labor, human rights, or the
environment. Now, the WTO is considering a Global Free Logging
Agreement that would accelerate destruction of the Earth's already
endangered forests.
At a time when only twenty percent of the Earth's old growth forests
remain, there has never been a greater need for measures designed to
protect the Earth's forests. A Global Free Logging Agreement would
take us in the opposite direction by raising the consumption of
forest products.
I urge you to oppose the Global Free Logging Agreement and to support
a moratorium on WTO negotiations. Furthermore, I urge you to call for
a detailed assessment of the WTO's record to date and, in particular,
a review of the WTO's impact on the environment, health, human
rights, labor rights, and democracy.
As we approach the new millennium, we are desperately in need of new
institutions to regulate the global economy, institutions that
represent not just the rights of corporations-as the WTO does-but the
rights of people and nature.
Sincerely,
More on the WTO at http://www.seattlewto.org/