ficing development. By raising the threat of retaliatory tariffs and other trade sanctions for failure to meet American standards, the United States will close its markets to these poorer exporters, forever locking them in a vicious circle of debt and poverty”(Lash III, par. 6).Free trade in North America is also beneficial to some less developed countries as it permits the importation of pollution control technologies that have been developed elsewhere, giving these countries the ability to clean up their environment with greater ease and efficiency. Research performed worldwide has shown that environmental concern is directly correlated to economic growth.Eidse 5 “As living standards improve because of increased trade, there will be greater concern with the quality of life and more information available about environmental hazards. This in turn will lead to stricter environmental regulations and ultimately greater protection of the environment” (Husted, par. 5).“Only a prosperous society can have the confidence and the means to protect its environment”(Bill Clinton).This sounds like an acceptable theory, but it does not only require a wealthy nation to turn it’s attention to environmental problems but also a concerned population as well as proper leadership. Another perspective is with economic growth, a higher income average income is associated, which in turn leads to higher consumption, which then results in a more rapid deterioration of the environment. To avoid this chain reaction it would require a whole new breed of citizens, consumerism would have to be brought to a halt. “The only way to control environmental degradation is to stimulate development without economic growth per se”(Husted, par. 5). To have a society strive for a static, stable economy and still have an increase in development is still yet to be seen. The American Take-over of Canadian ResourcesThe moment Ca...
