WTO Threatens Forests, Environment and Democracy

ACTION ALERT

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WORLDWIDE FOREST/BIODIVERSITY CAMPAIGN NEWS

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Forest Networking a Project of forests.org

http://forests.org/ -- Forest Conservation Archives

http://forests.org/web/ -- Discuss Forest Conservation

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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Title: WTO Threatens Democracy, Environment

Action Alert 146: October 1999

Source: Rainforest Action Network,

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/

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