If we are forced to trade away those things we value most highly clean air, clean water, and wildlife, then trade rules become self-defeating. If we negotiate trade agreements to reflect our environmental values, our wildlife, environmental safeguards, and economic progress will flourish together. Your input can persuade President Bush to reform U.S. trade policy to incorporate environmental principles. The FTAA will also directly affect endangered species, habitat protection, clean air and water, and our forests. Recently, trade rules have affected the protection of sea turtles in the Gulf of Mexico, forests in the northeast U.S., and water in the Great Lakes.
Habitat loss is now the leading threat to wildlife in the Americas.
Trade and environment must go hand in hand. An improved quality of life, clean air, and clean water cannot be achieved by trade alone. It is critical that the American public plays a role in ensuring that endangered species like the sea turtles, and wildcats such as the ocelot, are not placed in harm's way by trade rules. Through citizen action, the public can work to make sure that environmental safeguards that protect our clean air and water are not weakened in the name of free trade. The ocelot is one of three endangered wild cats living in the US-Mexico border region.