Sunday, January 19, 2014

Leaked documents confirm the worst.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "Phil Aroneanu - 350.org" <350@350.org>
Date: Jan 18, 2014 3:18 PM
Subject: Leaked documents confirm the worst.
To: "Daniel A. Stafford" <aquarianm@gmail.com>
Cc:

Friends,

A confession: I hesitated to even send this email. 

The thing I'm writing about today -- a trade agreement called the Trans-Pacific Partnership, or TPP -- is a bit outside 350.org's wheelhouse. When it came down to it though, I couldn't NOT send this email, since the TPP is shaping up to be the worst kind of corporate power grab.

This week, Wikileaks released newly leaked documents that confirm the worst: the United States' TPP negotiating team is walking away from supporting strong environmental safeguards. Without protections for land use, logging, and climate pollution, the TPP has gone from a bad deal to a disastrous one. It's time to take action:

Click here to tell your Members of Congress to reject the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

The TPP is an expansive, highly secretive international free trade agreement. It's being negotiated by delegates from twelve Pacific Rim countries, including the United States, along with hundreds of industry leaders. Elected officials, civil society, and the press have largely been shut out of negotiations, but these leaked documents reveal disturbing provisions.

The TPP would empower corporations to directly sue governments over laws and policies that they claim reduce their profits. Legislation designed to address climate change, curb fossil fuel expansion, and reduce air pollution could all be subject to attack as a result of the TPP.

Right now, our best chance to stop this train wreck is to stop Congress from giving "fast-track" authority to President Obama, allowing him to push the agreement through without a public debate.

Click here to tell your Congressional representatives to reject "fast track" and the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

In Australia, New Zealand, Peru, Malaysia, Vietnam, Singapore, and here in the U.S., citizens have taken to the streets in mass protest. Last year, 130 members of Congress voiced concerns about the TPP, and opposition is growing now that a fast-track bill has been introduced in the Senate. Let's make sure those Senators and Representaives who may be on the fence get our message loud and clear:

We oppose the "fast-track" bill, and we reject the TPP.

Any trade agreement that gives corporations unfettered power is a bad one, but a trade agreement like this would be a disaster for people and the planet.

Onward,

Phil


350.org is building a global movement to solve the climate crisis. Connect with us on Facebook and Twitter, and sign up for email alerts. You can help power our work by making a donation To change your email address or update your contact info, click here.

To stop receiving emails from 350.org, click here.

No comments: