[Well, the head of WTO is well-versed in misleading PR !!] From: http://www.msnbc.com/news/323185.asp?cp1=1 WTO report focuses on environment GENEVA, Oct. 14 - Rebuffing criticism by environmentalists, the head of the World Trade Organization claimed Thursday that a new WTO report shows that poverty, not trade, was to blame for environmental degradation. [.... as if the one wasn't influenced by the other ....] The report, available on the WTO Web site at <www.wto.org> , accepts that some aspects of trade - such as transport of goods and uncontrolled logging - can damage the environment. And it recommends that governments end subsidies for farming, fishing and energy industries that provide polluting incentives. The report's key argument is that pollution, the disappearance of animal and plant species and other examples of environmental degradation are driven by national market and policy failures, including subsidies to uncompetitive local industries such as farming and fishing. "Trade would unambiguously raise welfare if proper environmental policies were in place," the report declared. But Moore emphasized that those policies have to come from individual countries, not the WTO. "It is not for us at the WTO to dictate the domestic policies of sovereign governments. That is not within our mandate as a member-driven organization." "If international trade were stopped tomorrow," he added, "would the environment be cleaner? Not at all." VIEWS FROM ACTIVISTS The World Wide Fund for Nature welcomed the report, saying it marked a change of direction for the WTO. Long a critic of the WTO, the conservation group said the WTO had taken "a positive step forward in diagnosing the clash between trade and the environment." But the WWF said the report failed to acknowledge that WTO free-trade rules, which all 134 member countries must observe or face sanctions, were part of the problem. Other activists take a more radical stance. Many are planning major demonstrations against the WTO when it holds a major conference in Seattle from Nov. 30 to Dec. 3. The consumer rights group Public Citizen on Wednesday denounced the WTO for allegedly undermining public health and the environment, as well as usurping the authority of local and national governments. In a report, Public Citizen claimed countries have weakened or ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ dismantled key safety and environmental standards to satisfy the WTO. Not ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ a single public health, safety or environmental regulation that has been ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ challenged before the WTO has been upheld, the group added. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Public Citizen also claimed the WTO: - Forced the United States to water down rules that protect dolphins and combat air pollution. - Compelled Guatemala and South Korea to lower water and food safety standards. - Threatens new U.S. automobile fuel-efficiency rules and other proposals that would protect endangered wildlife and forests. The group said WTO bureaucrats had little expertise in the cases they reviewed and that WTO decision-makers were not screened for conflicts of interest. "This is not free trade," said Public Citizen President Joan ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Claybrook. "It is monopolistic trade that concentrates more and more power ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ in the hands of fewer and fewer corporate CEOs. "^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ [...]