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
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