al topics that was to be discussed at the meeting dealt with the timber industry and the lowering of tariffs to that continue, an agreement is being rushed towards completion called the "accelerated tariff elimination." It deals with eight separate industries, among those industries forest products, fish, and energy. With the reduction or elimination of such tariffs, efforts to capitalize within these industries would increase. Worldwide, the greatest effect would be in small LDCs that have little or no environmental regulation to protect the forests from rapid destruction. According to Sierra Club senior trade fellow Dan Seligman, "A leaked timber industry study predicts a world wide hike in wood consumption if the forest products agreement is signed." Thus global demand and global production of raw timber would rise, and poor countries with large forests would capitalize. These countries would most likely step up deforestation, and have no programs like the United States has for re-foresting areas that have been logged. The beauty of such areas like Tibet, where many of its thickly forested areas have already been wiped out, would recede to become a scene of destruction of a raped land. Also related to the tariff lowering agreement is the current WTO pursuit to decide the fate of recycling. This absurd measure would include provisions saying recycling is an illegal limit on the paper trade. With this measure, it would make it illegal to recycle paper, and all countries within the WTO would be forced to comply. How can a country as powerful, environmental, and conscious as the United States let an internationalorganization ruled by corporations determined on raising profits for the rich tell them what they can do concerning recycling? With these types of problems already existing in the WTO, it is obvious that a change needs to be made. Non-Governmental Organizations, or NGOs are now very active in the pursuit to encourage the WTO to c...
