Green America: Congress Should Reject The TPP

WASHINGTON, Nov. 5, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Following the public release of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade agreement text, Green America's Executive Co-Director, Todd Larsen, issued the following statement:

"The long awaited public release of the text of the Trans-Pacific Partnership confirms our concerns that this deal will be a race to the bottom on regulatory standards intended to protect people, the environment, and our food system. The United States Trade Representatives have negotiated a deal that benefits the top polluters in this country while failing to institute any meaningful commitments to mitigate climate change. The deal will increase exports of liquefied natural gas and fracking in the U.S. At a time when the impact of climate change on the environment and communities worldwide is growing more evident, it is irresponsible for Congress to consider an agreement that does not place climate change mitigation at the forefront. The deal does not even mention the phrase 'climate change'.

It is greatly disappointing that this deal so clearly puts at risk decades of environmental progress and disrupts the democratic process in order to secure corporate profits. This deal promotes an unsustainable system of industrial agriculture dependent on genetically engineered crops and chemical inputs, impeding national food sovereignty and local food security.

TPP fails to create any real benefits for the American people and allows for increased manufacturing in countries where many workers already toil in sweatshops and enforcement of the law is weak. Past trade agreements have demonstrated the provisions for workers' rights are rarely enforced. 

The future and health of our people and planet should not be based on the greed of the most irresponsible corporations. It is imperative that Congress stand up for the environment and the democratic process and reject the TPP."

ABOUT GREEN AMERICA
Green America is the nation's leading green economy organization. Founded in 1982, Green America (formerly Co-op America) provides the economic strategies, organizing power and practical tools for businesses, investors, and individuals to solve today's social and environmental problems (http://www.greenamerica.org).

SOURCE Green America

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