Last Spring I joined a kayak and canoe rally organized by Democratic Voices and ProgressOhio that floated by Ohio Junior Senator Rob Portman’s estate, which overlooks the Little Miami River. The rally was dubbed the “American Armada,” and was joined by other organizations, including the Ohio Sierra Club. Participants traveled from every corner of the state to insist that Senator Portman oppose the Trans-Pacific Partnership.
Despite the negotiations being conducted in secret between what could be gleaned from similar recent treaties and leaked portions of the TPP, the fact that the treaty would have disastrous environmental impacts continues to be clear...
The TPP would Increase Fracking in the U.S.: Typically, the Department of Energy must determine that exporting natural gas is in the public interest before gas exports can proceed. But, this requirement is waived for nations with which the United States has a so called “free trade agreement” (FTA) that includes “national treatment for trade in gas.” The TPP could establish such an agreement between the United States and 11 other member countries. Japan, in particular, is eager to buy fracked gas drilled in North America’s shale beds.
The TPP would Allow Corporations to Sue Member Countries in Secret Tribunals for Protecting the Environment: The treaty would establish what are known as Investor State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) tribunals. In these tribunals, companies can sue countries and receive compensation for “expected future profits.” Corporations can claim they have lost future profits because of the environmental, labor, or consumer protection laws of signatories. If an ISDS tribunal decides that a member-nation’s laws or policies interfere with the corporation’s profits, the tribunal can award compensation to the corporation at taxpayer expense. This means a country that tried to pass safeguards to protect clean water and air, ensure public health, limit or ban the of exploiting dirty fossil fuels, or tried to protect the environment, public health, or workers rights in that went above lowest common denominator among member-nations would be opening itself up to being sued.
Unfortunately, Congress granted the President fast track authority for the TPP in June. And an agreement was reached on October 5. Facing widespread condemnation from environmental groups, the Obama Administration included some environmental language in the treaty, but the sparse environmental provisions that were inserted are weaker than existing regulations they would supersede, and there is little evidence to suggest they would be enforced at all.
The world needs a new standard for trade agreements: one where instead of clearing away environmental and workplace safety standards that are deemed “barriers to trade,” nations set minimum environmental and fair trade standards that each party to the agreement must implement, or lose access to the markets of signatory nations. In the meantime, the world needs to reject the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which will go to Congress for an up or down vote.
Take action and tell your representatives in Congress: Reject the toxic TPP!
