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It's short notice, but tomorrow there will be a <b>rally against
the TPP</b> ...<br>
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<blockquote><b>Rally against the Trans-Pacific Partnership</b><br>
noon Thursday, Feb. 4th (tomorrow!)<br>
US Rep. Rodney Davis' office<br>
2004 Fox Drive, Champaign IL <a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/2004+Fox+Dr,+Champaign,+IL+61820/@40.0906949,-88.252365,17z/data=%213m1%214b1%214m2%213m1%211s0x880cd12a0ef1ee7b:0x200ac1da16befde">(see
map)</a><br>
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<br>
We'll have a few signs, or bring your own. And if you'd like to
<b>write and bring a letter to Davis</b> about the issue, please
do - Lois Kain of Food and Water Watch is organizing a 'letter
drop' on the spot. Deb Schrishuhn of PDA will bring pieces of
paper, one letter per sheet, spelling out FLUSH THE TPP - if
enough of us are there, we can make a visible statement that way!<br>
<br>
This is part of a national mobilization against the TPP. There
may well be other local events over the coming weeks - they'll be
announced on the peace list if so.<br>
<br>
Though Rep. Davis has expressed support for the TPP, <a
href="http://citizen.typepad.com/eyesontrade/">Public Citizen</a>
is among many organizations opposing it, e.g.<br>
<br>
<a
href="http://citizen.typepad.com/eyesontrade/2016/01/icymi-trans-pacific-partnership-tpp-facts-and-figures-for-sotu-prep.html"><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://citizen.typepad.com/eyesontrade/2016/01/icymi-trans-pacific-partnership-tpp-facts-and-figures-for-sotu-prep.html">http://citizen.typepad.com/eyesontrade/2016/01/icymi-trans-pacific-partnership-tpp-facts-and-figures-for-sotu-prep.html</a></a><br>
<br>
and so is the Sierra Club (more detail below):<br>
<br>
<a moz-do-not-send="true" class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="http://www.sierraclub.org/trade/trans-pacific-partnership">http://www.sierraclub.org/trade/trans-pacific-partnership</a><br>
<br>
It's a dirty deal:<br>
<a moz-do-not-send="true" class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="https://www.sierraclub.org/sites/www.sierraclub.org/files/uploads-wysiwig/dirty-deal.pdf">https://www.sierraclub.org/sites/www.sierraclub.org/files/uploads-wysiwig/dirty-deal.pdf</a><br>
<br>
And as many have pointed out, <a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/22/opinion/paul-krugman-trade-and-trust.html?rref=collection%2Fcolumn%2Fpaul-krugman&_r=0">including
Paul Krugman, </a>it's <b>not even primarily a trade deal.</b><br>
<br>
<br>
A recent example of what the TPP will do for us, if Congress
passes it: its "investor-state dispute settlement" (ISDS)
provisions will extend those already created by other agreements
such as NAFTA, giving corporations great power to sue governments,
superceding democratic rights (see below). Right now, under
NAFTA, <a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://commondreams.org/news/2016/01/07/nafta-lawsuit-over-keystone-xl-proves-free-trade-deals-kill-democracy">TransCanada
is suing the US government </a>- for $15 billion - over its
rejection of the Keystone XL pipeline. <br>
<br>
===========<br>
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<p>The Sierra Club is deeply concerned about the lack of
transparency around the TPP and the deal's environmental
implications. Here's why:</p>
<ul>
<li><span style="line-height: 1.538em;"><strong>Extreme Secrecy.</strong>
The TPP negotiations took place in extreme secrecy. And
public input has been drowned out by dominant corporate
input; more than 600 corporate advisors have actively worked
to shape the agreement while the public is being kept in the
dark. </span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="line-height: 1.538em;"><strong>Threat to
Forests, Wildlife, and Fish.</strong> </span>While the TPP
environment chapter should set strong and binding rules to
address conservation challenges like illegal timber and
wildlife trade, its rules will likely be too weak to have an
impact on the ground and are unlikely to be enforced,
rendering the chapter essentially meaningless. <a
moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://www.sierraclub.org/compass/2015/05/far-progressive-trade-deal-trans-pacific-partnership-would-harm-our-environment"
target="_blank">Read more here</a>.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><strong style="line-height: 1.538em;">Unfettered Rights to
Corporations.</strong><span style="line-height: 1.538em;">
The TPP will include provisions that give corporations the
right to sue a government for unlimited cash compensation --
in private and non-transparent tribunals -- over nearly any
law or policy that a corporation alleges will reduce its
profits. Using similar rules in other free trade agreements,
corporations such as Exxon Mobil and Dow Chemical have
launched over 600 cases against more than 100 governments.
Dozens of cases attack common-sense environmental laws and
regulations, such as regulations to protect communities and
the environment from harmful chemicals or mining practices.
</span><a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="https://www.sierraclub.org/sites/www.sierraclub.org/files/uploads-wysiwig/Investor-State-Climate-FINAL.pdf"
target="_blank"><span style="line-height: 1.538em;">Read
more here</span></a><span style="line-height: 1.538em;">
about how harmful investment rules included in other trade
pacts have led to the attack of climate and environmental
policies.</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><strong style="line-height: 1.538em;">Increase in Dirty
Fracking.</strong><span style="line-height: 1.538em;"> The
TPP may allow for significantly increased exports of
liquefied natural gas without the careful study or adequate
protections necessary to safeguard the American public. This
would mean an increase of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking,
the dirty and violent process that dislodges gas deposits
from shale rock formations. It would also likely cause an
increase in natural gas and electricity prices, impacting
consumers, manufacturers, workers, and increasing the use of
dirty coal power. </span><span style="line-height:
1.538em;"><a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="https://www.sierraclub.org/sites/www.sierraclub.org/files/uploads-wysiwig/TPP-LNG_Factsheet_Updated.pdf"
target="_blank">Read our factsheet on the TPP and natural
gas exports here</a>!</span></li>
</ul>
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