Thread: Environmentalists' Demonization of CAFTA is Unwarranted

http://www.nationalcenter.org/PRCAFTAEn ... nt705.html

Contact: Ryan Balis
(202) 543-4110 x19 or rbalis@nationalcenter.org

For Release: July 27, 2005
National Center For Public Policy Research



Environmentalists' Demonization of CAFTA is Unwarranted

Trade Liberalization Pact Would Invigorate Competition, Fight Poverty and Promote Positive Environmental Impacts

Objections leveled against the proposed Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) by the environmental establishment organizations are exaggerated and unfounded, according to The National Center for Public Policy Research.

CAFTA, a trade agreement to establish a virtual tariff-free zone among the United States and Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic, was approved 54-45 by the U.S. Senate June 30. A vote in the U.S. House of Representatives could come as early as this week.

Groups such as Defenders of Wildlife, Earthjustice (formerly the Sierra Club Legal Defense Fund), Friends of the Earth and others say CAFTA would undermine U.S. and Central American environmental standards. A report by the nonpartisan National Bureau of Economic Research (NEBR), however, refutes their assertion that relaxed trade barriers will privilege business interests at the expense of the environment.

"The hard environmental left's demonization of CAFTA is unwarranted," said National Center Policy Analyst Ryan Balis. "Reducing trade barriers not only invigorates competition, spurs needed development and fights poverty, it also, on balance, works for the good of promoting good environmental impacts."

For example, according to NEBR's report, an average 50 percent lifting of American trade barriers on manufactured goods between 1978-1994 coincided with a 51 percent increase in American manufacturing output and a 344 percent increase in imports from developing countries. And, contrary to the claims of the environmental left, imports manufactured through environmentally-detrimental processes actually dropped.

NEBR's report, "Does the U.S. Outsource Polluting Industries?," says there is "no evidence that domestic production of pollution-intensive goods in the U.S. is being replaced by imports from overseas."

Also, the proposed CAFTA treaty includes a $15 million per year penalty on member governments failing to enforce their domestic environmental laws. Furthermore, an "Environmental Affairs Council" and independent arbitration group will be established to handle environmental concerns and disputes.

Balis adds: "The environmental left's opposition to CAFTA is straight from the playbook of Al Gore-style alarmism."

The National Center for Public Policy Research is a non-partisan, non-profit educational foundation based in Washington, DC. Founded in 1982, it was active on educating the public on the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

For more information, contact Ryan Balis at (202) 543-4110 or email him at rbalis@nationalcenter.org.

Objections leveled against the proposed Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) by the environmental establishment organizations are exaggerated and unfounded, according to The National Center for Public Policy Research.

Right....THAT's what they've been telling us for 20 years about Global Warming...all exaggerated.....unfounded.....conflicting scientific data....YOU DON'T NEED scientific data....look for a picture of the ice caps...they are already half melted....or better yet....:

HOW HOT IS IT IN YOUR TOWN TODAY?

Heat index here was 108 yesterday.

Welcome to Hell on Earth.

Someone made the comment that they didn't understand the importance of a "toad" in a recent DC Appeals Court Case where the deciding opinion in favor of developers and against the "toads" was written by the current nominee to the United States Supreme Court.

The opinion ruled that the "toad" while protected by the United States Endangered Species Act....had NO RIGHTS under Interstate Commerce Law of the United States. So that if you are a multinational corporation conductin commerce between states and nations, the Wildlife has no rights and thus can not be protected through trade regulations.

The significance of that ruling is that TRADE prevails over all things including wildlife and the environment.

Get ready to function 24 hours a day in an Ozone Filter Mask carting around a canister of fresh oxygen.

AND save all your wildlife videos....as a remembrance to Life before CAFTA, the North American Community, Security and Prosperity Partnership "Pact", the Free Trade Agreement of the Americas, and the final coup d'etat...OWG.