Environmental group opposition was one of the major reasons for the defeat of Fast Track legislation in 1998. Ambassador Charlene Barshefsky has said that the next round of trade negotiations should expressly address environmental protection. It's partly a function of technology. Environmental groups have plugged aggressively into the Internet. Browse the web sites of almost any environmental group, and you'll see what I mean.
Any citizen follow a high-level environmental trade dispute on the Internet.
Let me tell my friends in the trade world something about my friends in the environmental world. I've worked with them for years. Sometimes on the same side, sometimes in disagreement. They are smart, dedicated, energetic, and aggressive. And they are very good at using the latest communications technology.