During last Nox ’s Democratic presidential debate on CNN , a moderator asked candidates about their position on the U.S.-Mexico - Canada Agreement ( USMCA ) . Senator Bernie Sanders explained he did n’t support the controversial trade deal because it does n’t take the clime crisis , “ the greatest terror facing this major planet , ” into retainer . But the moderator cut back him off , saying , “ we ’re going to get to climate , but we need to remain on trade . ”
“ They ’re the same , ” Sanders responded .
And here ’s the affair : He ’s right . Trade is a climate issue . And the popular debates should address that , peculiarly because voters harmonize . Arecent poll by Data for Progressfound that a majority of voters trust that swap correspondence should address the climate crisis . We should try if and how candidates will make that a reality .
Image: Getty
Historically , trade deals have been Brobdingnagian driver of climate change . NAFTA , for instance , incentivized the expansion of industriousness with high C footprints , like energy and farming , over environmental regulation . U.S. natural gas yield , for example , hassoaredin the preceding three decade . That ’s due to fracking invention , but it ’s also because NAFTAincentivizedgas production .
That trend will extend under UMSCA , especially because it preserve a provision that requires the U.S. government to automatically approve all instinctive gasoline exports to Mexico ( which are alreadyfive timeshigher than they were in 2010 ! ) , even though another rule mandates that regulator consider the public interest .
swop deals are also a nightmare for environmental justice . NAFTA led total industries to outsource their befoulment to countries where environmental protections are weak . The U.S. is theworst offender . When the Union authorities tightened its rules on wind emission , for instance , many companiesmoved their operations to Mexico . In general , American companies have evaded regularisation at rest home while forcing communities elsewhere to cover with the negative wellness impacts of increased line , Edwin Herbert Land , and water contamination . UMSCA does n’t change that .
The new trade deal alsoallowscompanies — include ace peddling vegetable oil and gas — to librate in on proposed external regulations . Because we should totally intrust contaminate company to protect the interests of the planet over their profits , right ?
And as Sanders said at the disputation , USMCA does n’t even mention climate change . The good deal requires political party to dramatize several many-sided agreements , but the Paris Agreement is n’t one of them . It ’s no wonderment that , like Sanders said , every major environmental organizationopposesthe correspondence .
It ’s not just USMCA , either . Today , President Trump is expected to sign atrade dealwith China that ’s similarly shitty for the planet . China is bear to sign up for at least$50 billion ’s worth of U.S. Department of Energy , including fossil oil and liquefied natural gaseous state . We should bewinding downthese industries , but these agreement are incentivizing their expansion .
Trade deals do n’t have to be like this . They could require parties to adopt binding climate standard and deoxidize carbon copy emissions , which , if survival of the fittest is your affair , is extremely fuckingurgent . nation could also penalize climate laggard with carbon tariffs , somethingEuropean countries are consideringfor countries that are n’t sign onto the Paris Agreement ( that wouldonly be the U.S. come 2020 ) .
But for now , trade illustration are still willing to sell out the planet . And presidential candidates are n’t even presuppose to talk about that at argumentation . Okay , CNN .
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