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About Street roots. (Portland, OR) 1998-current | View Entire Issue (March 25, 2016)
Street Roots • March 25-31, 2016 E d it o r ia l Portland should join other progressive cities in opposing TPP trade agreement kortland is a national leader in addressing climate change. City Council passed a historic resolution to oppose new fossil fuel infrastructure last year, and with citywide participation in the Climate Action Plan, we’ve reduced carbon dioxide emissions to 15 percent below 1990 levels, placing us well ahead of the national trend. So why then, when other cities around the m m country are taking a stand t • w w against an international I * O R I A lL trade agreement that Pi W E O symbolic yet hard-to-ignore resolutions in opposition to TPP. When Seattle passed its resolution in March 2015, Puget Sound Business Journal quoted council member Nick Licata as saying: “We are a port city. This will send a very strong message to Washington, D.C.” Portland should also take advantage of its position as a major West Coast port. But while all of the city councils that passed an anti-TPP resolution did so unanimously, only one member of Portland’s could he catastrophic to City Council, Commissioner Amanda Fritz, Earth’s fragile climate, are Portland’s elected officials standing quietly on told Street Roots she would support a resolution to oppose TPP. the sidelines? The Trans-Pacific Partnership is a multi Mayor Charlie Hales and Commissioners national trade agreement among the United Steve Novick, Nick Fish and Dan Saltzman all States and 11 other Pacific Rim declined to state their position countries. The deal will govern on the trade agreement. a whopping 40 percent of the If Portland were to pass such global economy, creating the a resolution, it could potentially largest trade zone in the world. influence Oregon’s members of While making Signatories include some of Congress - many of whom plan economic gains the United States’ biggest and creating jobs to vote in favor of the deal. trading partners - Canada, While most environmental and Mexico and Japan - as well is necessary for the labor groups are vehemently several countries with spotty livelihood of many opposed to TPP’s enactment, human rights records, such as Oregonians, It Portland’s business community e-j Brunei, a country where being cannot come a t the including giants Intel and Nike - LGBTQ is a death sentence, cost of o nr clim ate. have voiced their support, saying and Vietnam, where clothing it could help them create more ... We need area items are often made with forced and child labor. leadership to nnite jobs in the U.S. The Oregonian has also come out in favor of the Critics of the deal - who against a trade agreement, citing the potential exist on both sides of the deal that would economic boost it could give political spectrum - warn the make it easier agreement would send even Oregon. for corporations more American jobs overseas, While making economic gains to export these roll back environmental and creating jobs is necessary protections to air, water and dangerous fuels for the livelihood of many land, and erode labor laws. through our cities Oregonians, it cannot come at One of the most disturbing the cost of our climate - which, and ports. provisions of the TPP, should it according to NASA, hit 2 be enacted, is that it will degrees Celsius above normal in expand a tool that corporations the Northern Hemisphere last are already using under NAFTA month for the first time in to sue governments that stand recorded history. in the way of their profits. It’s This was the threshold at which scientists called the Investor-State Dispute Settlement have warned the climate may become system, and if you want to learn more about dangerous to humanity. While we only hit this it, there will be a panel discussion at 7 p.m. milestone momentarily, we should do March 31 at First Unitarian Church whatever we can to keep it from becoming downtown. While all 12 countries signed the the new normal, and that means we need to controversial trade deal in February, it’s far have the legal right to stand up to fossil fuel from being enacted. companies that are intent on extracting every Each country must still ratify the last drop of oil, chunk of coal and plume of agreement, and in the U.S., that means natural gas from the ground. Congress must pass a bin to implement i t At a time when the Pacific Northwest is President Barack Obama wants it done this the thin green line standing between fossil year. fuel deposits in the Alberta tar sands, Bakken Corporations wishing to advance the trade oil fields, Powder River Basin coal mines and deal, as it will likely equate to astronomical the rest of the world, we need area leadership financial gains, are heavily influencing our to unite against a trade deal that would make representatives in Washington, D.C. it easier for corporations to export these It’s imperative that green-thinking citizens dangerous fuels through our cities and ports. and municipalities ensure their voices are We urge Portland City Council to join other heard on Capitol Hill as well. progressive West Coast cities in passing a That’s why city councils in New York City, resolution to oppose TPP and defending San Francisco, Seattle, Eugene and, earlier Oregon’s environment before it’s too late. this month, Spokane, Wash., have all passed Page 3 Write in fjb o u would tike to have something that you’ve written published in our pages, o r would like io get involved as a member of our repotting staff, contact M anaging Editor Joanne Zuhl at S 3 228-565 ’ joarine@streetroots.org. 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Contact Israel Bayer at israel@streetmots.0r9 Executive Director Israel Bayer israel@streetToots.org i Managing Editor loanne Zuhl Program IftreCbor Cote Scole@streetroois.org Operations Director Sarah Beecroft Development Director Sarah Cloud Program Assistant Scott Jackson, Jesuit V olunteer' Development Assistant Ann-Derrick Gaillot Reporters Emily Green, Sicanne Zalokar, Ann-Derridc Gaillot, Sarah Hansell, Leonora Ko, Jared Paben, Amanda Waldroupe Photographers Diego Diaz, Joe Glode, ' ■ Ben Brink Editorial Assistant Monica Kw asnik: Canvasser Desmond Hardison Board of Directors Chairman Brad iaylor Vice-Chairman Rachel Langford Treasurer Heather Stadick Secretary Amber Bielman Directors Bruce Anderson, Rich Rodgers, Michael Anderson, Leo Rhodes, Nora Coon, Marcus Swift Volunteers Jan Bayer, John Barker, Stacey Heath, Stephanie Hoium, Anjali Rathore, Zoe Klingmann, Haven Herrin, Dan Jones, Rob Shyrock, Dennis Hogan,. Toni Wright, Eileen Deerdock, Vince Waldman, Judy Taylor, Karen Allen, Monica McKune, Susan Wolfe, Lucas Hawthorne, Thomas Buell Jr., Jeanie Lunsford, Yasmin Amirsoieymani, Jason Cohen, Tom Ray, Doug Spangle, Susannah Kamaia, Jon Raymond, Hilary Smith, Diana Richardson, Cherie Manning If you are interested in volunteering with Street Roots, please submit a volunteer application at streetroots.org/volunteer. Or call our volunteer coordinator for more information at 503-228-5657.
