Environmental Concerns in the "Battle For Seattle," at World Trade Organization Talks

Back to Map Page December, 1999 Seattle, Washington The "Battle for Seattle" received extensive media coverage in late November and early December, 1999, when protesters demonstrated at the World Trade Organization (WTO) meeting in Seattle. Tens of thousands of protesters gathered in Seattle streets, blocking the opening sessions of the WTO meeting, and police and national guard forces used tear gas and rubber bullets to subdue protesters. The protesters gathered to bring attention to many grievances against the WTO, including labor rights and the closed-door decision making process. Also angering protesters at the WTO meeting were environmental concerns-should the WTO be able to undermine clean air legislation, or outlaw turtle-safe shrimp or dolphin-safe tuna? Environmentalists fear that the WTO will gradually lower all the world's environmental standards to the lowest level, forcing many countries to go back on the environmental gains they have made in recent decades. The WTO has already ruled against clean gasoline standards in the US. The World Trade Organization is a body of representatives from corporations based in the world's major trading nations. Nations that are members of the WTO give rights to the organization to make decisions that will ensure free movement of goods and money between countries. The WTO facilitates trade by forcing member nations to reduce taxes on traded goods, to remove rules blocking trade, and to reduce subsidies that give "unfair" advantages to domestic corporations, thereby disadvantaging foreign producers of trade goods. The justification of this power is that free movement of capital makes everybody wealthier, and therefore happier. Countries frequently appeal to the WTO to reduce labor and environmental regulations that act as "barriers" to trade. For example, the United States' clean air laws require the use of relatively clean-burning gasoline, to reduce pollution associated with low-grade fuels. In one of the first appeals to the WTO, Venezuela and Brazil argued that the clean gasoline legislation was a trade barrier, preventing the sale of lower quality Venezuelan gas in the US. The WTO agreed, and the US has been forced to roll back related clean air legislation. Similarly, the US banned the import of shrimp from countries that refused to ensure that endangered sea turtles were not being wantonly destroyed by shrimp nets. Several shrimp exporting nations appealed to the WTO, arguing that the turtle-friendly shrimp ban was an obstruction to trade. Last year the WTO agreed, overturning the US legislation and forcing the US to allow shrimp imports regardless of sea turtle mortality. The US has also appealed to the WTO to reduce environmental and health trade barriers. Most notably, European countries have restricted the sale of genetically modified agricultural products and beef treated with growth hormones. These laws have been instituted at the insistence of consumers who distrust the environmental and health effects of genetically engineered soy beans, corn, wheat, milk, and other products. On behalf of American genetic engineering corporations, the US is suing the European Community to drop these barriers and open European markets to genetically modified food products. The long-term effects of WTO decisions on the environment, labor, and society remain to be seeen, as do the impacts of environment and labor protesters at the WTO. It is important, however, that citizens understand the implications of these international bodies on local conditions-beneficial as well as detrimental. The protests in Seattle have helped bring some national attention to these powerful, often unobserved, processes. To read more, see Environmental Science, A Global Concern, Cunningham and Saigo, 5th ed. Economic growth rates: page 177 Trade, development, and jobs: pages 173-177 International trade: page 173 Environmental Science, Enger and Smith, 6th ed. Science versus policy: page 6 Interrelated nature of environmental problems: page 5-7 For further information, see these related web sites: Environmentalist's Guide to the WTO (review of the WTO, its organization, and environmental concerns), from the West Coast Environmental Law group Environmental Media Services review of Environmental the WTO protests Top Ten reasons to Oppose the World Trade Organization (from Global Exchange, a populist view point concerned about environment and labor rights) Back to Map Page feedback form | permissions | international | locate your campus rep | request a review copy digital solutions | publish with us | customer service | mhhe home Copyright ©2001 The McGraw-Hill Companies. Any use is subject to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. McGraw-Hill Higher Education is one of the many fine businesses of the The McGraw-Hill Companies.