[asia-apec 788] Re: ECO APEC'93 WATCH Issue #4, Seattle, WA

[ppc]

Ditto from the Philippines.

At 13:25 10/11/98 +0100, you wrote:
>Hello, 
>
>Could I ask why we have been sent this 5 year old information. Much as I
>would like to continue hearing about Asian resistance to globalisation, if
>this overload continues I will have to unsubscribe.
>
>Yours,
>
>Mark 
>
>At 12:13 09/10/98 -0700, asia-apec at jca.ax.apc.org wrote:
>>Seattle, WA                                   November 20, 1993
>>
>>                              APEC WATCH ECO
>>
>>FINAL EDITION                                       No. 4
>>      
>>---------------------------------------------------------
>>
>>ECO has been published by non-governmental groups at major
>>international conferences since the Stockholm Environmental
>>Conference in 1972.  This issue is produced cooperatively by
>>groups attending the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)
>>Meeting in Seattle, Washington, USA, in November, 1993.
>>-------
>>
>>NEWSFLASH:  APEC SECRETARIAT TO MEET NON-GOVERNMENTAL REPS
>>
>>Non-governmental organizations concerned with labor, environment,
>>and human rights will meet today with the APEC Secretariat.  We
>>hope that this meeting will be a model for future annual
>>ministerial meetings.
>>
>>CONTENTS:
>>
>>WASTE TRADE     page 1
>>APEC EDITORIAL  page 2
>>INDONESIA       page 3
>>Taiga           page 4
>>Gremlin         page 5
>>Japan Reacts    page 5
>>Invitation      page 6
>>
>>Greenpeace Reports. . .
>>WASTE TRADE TARGET: ASIA
>>
>>Asia is currently being targeted by the world's waste traders as
>>an open market for unwanted wastes from industrialized countries. 
>>Without strict national laws, decrees, and policies or a regional
>>agreement prohibiting all imports of hazardous wastes, Asia is in
>>danger of becoming a dumping ground for vast quantities and
>>several dangerous types of wastes.
>>
>>For example, between January and June 1993, the United States
>>exported more than 19,000 tons of wastes and toxic products to
>>Asia, including plastic wastes, scrap metal waste, and spent
>>lead-acid automotive batteries.  These shipments included at
>>least 2,000 tons of banned or unregistered pesticides to Asia.
>>
>>Toxic trades have offered Asian countries countless poisons;
>>among the commonly offered toxic wastes and products:  asbestos,
>>incinerator ash, tire wastes, industrial chemical wastes,
>>municipal wastes, slag from metallurgical processes, leaded
>>gasoline, banned an never-registered pesticides, useless
>>pharmaceutical, plastic wastes, polychorinated biphenyls, lead
>>acid battery wastes, sewage sludges and used paints to name but a
>>few.  All of these materials contain or can produce upon
>>incineration, extremely toxic and harmful substances such as
>>heavy metals, dioxin and furans.
>>
>>Almost every country in Asia has been targeted as a waste
>>dumpsite for wastes from industrialized countries.  In the first
>>six months of 1993 along, Greenpeace has documented more than 440
>>waste export schemes from the United States to Asian countries. 
>>However, this number is clearly just the tip of the iceberg of
>>the number of schemes from all industrialized countries to the
>>region.
>>
>>Additionally, the number of waste shipments to Asia as a whole,
>>as well as to certain countries, is increasing.  For example, for
>>the first six months of 1992 and 1993, the actual number of waste
>>shipments from the United States to Asian countries increased
>>from 422 to 440 shipments.
>>
>>As Asian countries are alerted to the environmental, political,
>>and social menace posed by waste imports, Asian countries are
>>developing national legislation to halt the waste trade pirates. 
>>For example, in 1992, the Indonesian Government banned waste
>>plastic imports.  Greenpeace discovered that in 1992, 90% of all
>>hazardous waste export schemes from industrialized to developing
>>countries came under the guise of "recycling," recovery,"
>>"further use," or even as "humanitarian aid"  Thoughout Asia,
>>waste traders invariably present their proposals as "development
>>plans" that will bering jobs, roads, energy, hospitals, housing
>>and money.  The proposals never mention the "development plan's"
>>environmental and health implications.
>>------
>>
>>
>>EDITORIAL:
>>
>>After the last trade minister has made the last trade, and the
>>last Head of State has motorcaded out to the airport, one thing
>>is clear.  APEC will never by the same.  Ambassador Bodde refers
>>to APEC as a baby.  Two new babies, Mexico and Papua New Guinea
>>have been added to the nursery.  But APEC needs to be potty-
>>trained.  A good does of citizen activism, environmental
>>journalism (the APEC WATCH ECO newsletter) and one-on-one
>>lobbying ha proven that democracy is a good thing and future APEC
>>meetings should accommodate it.
>>Saturday, while Heads of State congregate on Blake Island State
>>Park in the middle of Puget Sound, an estuary with sick fish and
>>closed shellfish beds, we urge President Clinton to take a
>>chapter from Section 101(c) of the Federal Clean Water Act. 
>>Passed in 1972, Congress mandated the President, working through
>>the Secretary of State to use all possible means to achieve zero
>>discharge of pollutants into waters of the countries, not just
>>our own.  A declaration that Pacific Rim trade will not be
>>conducted at the expense of the Pacific Ocean and its bays and
>>estuaries would be a powerful signal that the era of "Trade Uber
>>Alles" has come to an end.
>>Log, cigarette and waste exports are obvious examples of how
>>'trade balances' and 'economies' are built on the hidden impacts
>>to the Pacific Rim's citizens and environment.
>>Finally, above all else, APEC must not pursue a closure of the
>>General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade round by next month in the
>>absence of an integration of environmental, human rights and
>>labor issues into the GATT.  We can not afford to let APEC stand
>>for "A PERMANENT ENVIRONMENTAL CRISIS."
>>------
>>
>>WASTE: A DEADLY BUSINESS
>>(The following article was written by WALHI, Friends of the Earth
>>Indonesia)
>>
>>A government decree issued in Indonesia in 1992 banned plastic
>>waste imports.  Since then more than 5,000 tonnes of waste have
>>been illegally imported. 
>>
>>Indonesia has not resolved its own domestic waste problem yet
>>waste imports from America, Europe, Japan and Australia are
>>arriving at Indonesian ports under the guise of western
>>countries' recycling programmes.  However, only 60% of the
>>imported waste can be recycled:  the remaining 40% is
>>unrecyclable and at least 10% is contaminated by toxic or
>>hazardous waste.
>>WALHI/FoE Indonesia, the Jakarta Social Institute and scavenger
>>groups are concerned by the impact of waste imports not only bon
>>the environment and public health, but also on the incomes of
>>2000,000 local scavengers, which have decreased by 50 to 75
>>percent since Indonesia began to import waste in 1988.  The irony
>>is that scavengers provide Indonesian cities with free recycling
>>services which keep the environment clean and save the cities
>>millions of dollars annually in waste disposal costs.
>>
>>The recycling potential of the waste industry makes it an
>>extremely lucrative business.  Waste imports are paid substantial
>>sums to receive materials for recycling in Indonesia which are
>>considered waste by the exporting countries. US $40 and $60 per
>>tonne for toxic and hazardous imports are not uncommon sums,
>>whereas countries in Europe demand $160 to $100 pr tonne to
>>receive such waste.  From these figures it is easy to see where
>>the waste ends up.
>>
>>Controversy surrounding the waste imports intensified after the
>>Government scheduled an auction to disperse the 5,000 tonnes of
>>waste imported illegally since the ban went into  effect. 
>>However, just one week before the event, President Suharto
>>ordered that the imported waste be destroyed.  Government
>>officials were not interested in pursing alternatives to the
>>President's directives,  and balked at WALHI's suggestion that
>>the wastes be returned to their countries of origin.
>>
>>WALHI has not so far met with success with appeals to embassies
>>requesting that governments take full responsibility for the
>>waste imports originating int heir respective countries and cover
>>the costs of shipping the waste back.
>>
>>Indonesian NGOs and scavenger communities continue their efforts
>>to re-export waste to its country of origin, and are
>>simultaneously working to put an end to the water trade to
>>Indonesia.  WALHI is launching a letter-writing campaign to
>>Indonesian President Suharto urging the government to enforce the
>>existing ban on plastic imports and to return the illegal
>>imports. This should send a clear message that developing
>>countries in the Southern hemisphere and eastern Europe are not
>>dumping grounds.
>>-----
>>
>>APEC INVESTMENTS THREATEN RUSSIAN TAIGA
>>
>>Numerous developing countries in the Pacific Rim, who are members
>>of the Asian Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), face the burden
>>of servicing enormous foreign debts.  In a struggle to gain hard
>>currency to meet debt payments these countries have been forced
>>to export natural resources such as timber and valuable minerals
>>in an unsustainable manner.
>>
>>Although Russia is not a member of APEC it serves as an excellent
>>example of unsustainable resource management in the Pacific Rim. 
>>Russia's current economic malaise and need to service its debt
>>threats to accelerate destruction of the Taiga, Russia's boreal
>>forest in Siberia.
>>
>>The Taiga
>>
>>The Taiga is situated in the sub-Arctic region of Siberian
>>Russia.  Its size is unparalleled measuring 1.6 billion acres and
>>is about three times the size of Brazil's rainforest.  There are
>>about 30 million inhabitants, including 24 indigenous groups
>>numbering one million people.  The Taiga has 54% of the world's
>>coniferous forests, 37% of the world's temperate forests and
>>makes up 21% of the world's total forest area.  The Taiga is also
>>home to many rich mineral resources such as deep reserves of oil,
>>natural gas, coal, diamonds and gold.
>>
>>Besides being endowed with valuable economic resources, the Taiga
>>also serves an important global environmental function.  Combined
>>with the Tundra, the Taiga contains well over one-half of the
>>total amount of carbon held in forests and soils globally, far
>>grater than the amount stored in the Amazon.  The Taiga is home
>>to numerous rare animal species such as the Siberian tiger, the
>>great grey owl and reindeer.
>>
>>Unfortunately the Taiga is undergoing unprecedented development. 
>>The Taiga is currently being cut at the rate of 5 million acres
>>per year.  This deforestation is a substantial contributor to
>>global warming and a threat to its biodiversity.
>>
>>The rare animal species will continue to be displaced and are in
>>danger of extinction if this destructive development pattern
>>continues unabated.
>>
>>APEC Countries and the Taiga
>>
>>Deforestation of Southeast Asia and the depletion of forests in
>>the United States have forced foreign countries to search
>>elsewhere for a constant supply of timber.  The Taiga with its
>>expansive quantity of wood has been an attractive location for
>>foreign timber companies, mainly from APEC member countries, to
>>supply their timber and paper industries.  In fact, after the
>>fall of the Soviet Union, timber and paper companies from the
>>United States, Japan and South Korea began offering Russia modern
>>equipment, expertise and hard foreign currency in the Taiga
>>region:
>>
>>* The Russian Supreme Court recently blocked operations by the
>>Hyundai Corporation from South Korea.  Hyundai had a contract to
>>cut 6000,000 of Siberian timber over the next 30 years beginning
>>in 1991.  However, Russia's Regional Committee on Ecology and
>>Natural Resources (RCENR) reported that South Korean loggers had
>>been poaching wildlife, reneging on their obligation to reforest
>>and overcutting in some areas of the region.  Hyundai had also
>>received numerous negative environmental impact assessments on
>>their activities from the local Goskompiroda, the State Committee
>>on Nature Protection.
>>
>>* Weyerhaeuser, from the United States, is discussing the
>>possibility of a logging, processing and replanting operation in
>>the region.  In exchange for a nursery and restoration project,
>>Weyerhaeuser wants a 20 year lease to cut on more than 40,000
>>acres in the region.
>>
>>*  U.S. timber companies Louisiana Pacific and Georgia Pacific
>>have also approached the Russians for timber contacts in the near
>>future.
>>
>>Russian cannot afford to continue to rely on the fragile Taiga as
>>a source of hard currency to relieve its debt burden of 80
>>billion U.S. dollars.  The increased deforestation presents a
>>special problem for the Taiga region.  The clearcutting methods
>>employed by timber companies make it more difficult for the Taiga
>>region to reforest due to its severe conditions.  Roughly half of
>>all forests similar to the Taiga become swamps after enormous
>>timber harvests.  The resulting damage from such unchecked
>>development is unfathomable and counters Russia's ability to
>>achieve sustainable development.
>>--------
>>
>>YOU ARE INVITED:
>>
>>In the absence of a Pacific Rim town meeting hosted by President
>>Clinton, the Seattle Citizens Host Committee invites people to
>>the following rallies:
>>
>>FRIDAY NOVEMBER 19th - NOON -
>>"CLEARCUT COSTS OF PACIFIC TRADE"
>>
>>Pike Place Market/Victor Steinbreuck Park with:
>>
>>MITCH FRIEDMAN - Director, Greater Ecosystem Alliance
>>MICHAEL DONNELLY - Friends of Breiten Bush Cascades, Oregon
>>PAUL CIENFUEGOS - Friends of Clayoquot Sound, B.C.
>>PETE KNUTSEN- Puget Sound Gillnetters Association/ AND MORE. . .
>>Contact: Josh Marks, Western Ancient Forest Campaign  632-6041
>>
>>SATURDAY - 20th NOVEMBER - 7:00 am.  PIER 62 off of Alaskan Way
>>"FAIR TRADE FLOTILLA"
>>
>>APEC BLACK ISLAND SUNRISE SENDOFF RALLY
>>
>>Come and watch Greenpeace and the Puget Sound Gillnetters
>>Association FLOTILLA. Depart 7:30 pm. FLOTILLA RETURNS at 10:30
>>am and will join the BIG RALLY AT WESTLAKE CENTER AT NOON. 
>>Contact: Cynthia Rust or Nick Morgan, Greenpeace 632-4326
>>
>>SATURDAY - 20th NOVEMBER - 11:30 am March from IBEW Local 46 Hall
>>- 2700 First Ave, Seattle, to a NOON Rally- WESTLAKE PLAZA - Down
>>Town Seattle
>>THE HIDDEN COSTS OF FREE TRADE- PEOPLE'S APEC RALLY HUMAN
>>RIGHTS - ENVIRONMENT - LABOR FAIRNESS
>>
>>Speakers: Dolores Huerta, Co-founder and first vice president,
>>United Farm Workers of America, AFL-CIO -  Rev. Dr. Robert L.
>>Jeffrey, Sr., Executive Director, Black Dollar Days Task Force -
>>Run Judd, Executive Secretary, King County Labor Council, AFL-
>>CIO, Mark Dubois, Ex. Director, WorldWise
>>Contact: Washington State Jobs with Justice, 206-448-7348
>>-----
>>  
>>GREMLIN
>>
>>* The best technology war does not go to Boeing, but to the push
>>button espresso/latte machine in the Press Lounge.  A bit large
>>for your kitchen, but it might fit on Air Force One.
>>
>>*  Gremlin is no weather forecaster, but notes that Seattle and
>>your home city have this in common: Mount Rainier can't be seen
>>from either place.
>>
>>* Gremlin is no tour guide, either, but before you leave check
>>out the famous Underground Seattle tour of Pioneer Square. 
>>Approximately 40 square blocks of Seattle that lie beneath your
>>feet, a portion of which you can explore as a part of a guided
>>tour.  While your are down in the deep depths of this fir city,
>>see if you can find some of these missing APEC terms:  STAINABLE
>>DEVELOPMENT - POLLUTER PAYS - GLOBAL WARMING - GREENING OF THE
>>GATT - RIO EARTH SUMMIT.
>>
>>* Gremlin salutes this week's "Great American Smokeout" designed
>>to help U.S. citizens quit smoking.  How ironic that in 1992
>>Washington State's eighth biggest export was CIGARETTES,
>>accounting for $451.6 million dollars.  There is something wrong
>>with a trade system that values products that kill the same way
>>as medicine that heals.
>>-----
>>
>>
>>JAPANESE REACTION TO NAFTA AND APEC
>>
>>"The Debate about the NAFTA included the environmental impact of
>>the agreement as a high priority.  But APEC is virtually ignoring
>>the environment in its discussions.  Let's see a bit more
>>commitment to the long-term well-being of the Asia Pacific
>>region, not just to trade growth.
>>
>>"We are disappointed that this meeting of APEC has committed no
>>time to cover environmental concerns.  It is only a year after
>>the UNCED meeting in Rio de Janeiro, where governments expressed
>>their commitment to solving environmental problems.  The next
>>meeting of APEC in Indonesia would ensure that environment is
>>high on the agenda."
>>
>>Aya Saitoh, Friends of the Earth Japan
>>
>>-----------------------------------------------------------------
>>ECO is a publication of the Non-Governmental Organizations
>>present at the APEC Meeting to present alternative trade models
>>that incorporate sustainable development, poverty alleviation
>>measures and the protection of the environment.
>>
>>Staff:
>>
>>Karen Fant
>>Alex Hittle
>>Emily Kaplan
>>Hug Llamas
>>Nick Morgan
>>David E. Ortman
>>Ita Rachmita
>>John Reese
>>
>>The editorial office can be reached at 206-XXX-XXXX, FAX XXX-XXXX
>>e-mail: foewase at igc.apc.org
>>
>>ECO wishes to thank the organizers of the Seattle Citizens' Host
>>Committee, who seized the opportunity to work together as members
>>of an umbrella coalition of environmental groups, human rights
>>advocates and labor organizations under the theme - THE HIDDEN
>>COSTS OF FREE TRADE.
>>
>>
>>
>#########@@@@@@@@@@@{{{{{{{{{{+++++++++++++++++*******************
>Street parties coming up:
>
>October 10 15:00 hours: Chasseveld Breda (Netherlands)
>'streetrave against militarist bullshit propaganda'
>Sydney, Saturday 31 October
>
>For instant relief, take T£R£A£N£S£N£A£T£I£O£N£A£L R$E$S$I$S$T$A$N$C$E
>&
>Go here today: http://www.gn.apc.org/rts/
>88888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888
>
>Mark Brown  (markb at gn.apc.org)
>
>