|
|
Bush Trade Agenda a Bust for Environment
New trade deals sought by the Bush administration would allow global corporations
to put communities at risk by undermining protections for water, air, and
land. Now the administration is seeking to expand similar rules to cover
the entire
Western Hemisphere through the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA), which
would undermine environmental protections and democratic rights in the name
of "free
trade." In Florida, concerned citizens have planned protests on November
19-20 against the new trade rules, which could bolster efforts by Governor
Jeb Bush to sell Florida public water supplies to an Enron subsidiary. For
more information
on responsible trade, visit: www.sierraclub.org/trade/ftaa.
Refuge Drilling a "Precedent"
The Bush administration has stated time and again that the battle over
the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) is not symbolic, but rather
about
the resources
that could be tapped there. But in late September, during a closed-door
session of the House GOP leadership, House Majority Leader Tom Delay (R-Texas)
said
that the battle in Congress to open up the refuge to oil exploration is
a fight over
whether energy exploration will be allowed in similarly sensitive areas
in the future. "It’s about the precedent," Delay told the assembled
Republican leaders while making several references to the "symbolism of
ANWR," according to GOP sources. Delay then "joked" that
a victory on ANWR would allow the oil industry to push into other pristine
areas.
Animal Factories Given Right to Pollute
In October, the Bush EPA issued a draft consent decree that proposes
to give concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) immunity from
the Clean
Air
Act and Superfund law. The EPA has the authority to restrict and monitor
harmful air emissions from CAFOs, but the consent agreement would allow
them to pay
a
mere $500 fine—as opposed to the current fine of $27,000 per day—and
buy permanent immunity from lawsuits. The agreement was created behind
closed doors with no public input, and the EPA is moving forward in spite
of citizen
requests that the agency take steps to monitor and control air emissions
from these facilities and protect community health.
Up to Top
|
