Farm Organizations May Shift Stance on Kyoto Protocol
From National Environmental Trust
Friday, November 17, 2000
Senate Ratification Chances Improve
THE HAGUE, NETHERLANDS – In a letter sent earlier this week to US
Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman, the American Farm Bureau and
other key farm organizations indicated that they may not oppose
the Kyoto Protocol, pointing to potential financial gains for
farmers and ranchers from the treaty.
"This is a critical shift which greatly improves the chances that
the Senate will ratify the Kyoto Protocol," Philip Clapp,
president of the National Environmental Trust, said today.
"Farm state senators are a block of about 20 votes, and no global
warming treaty can be ratified without the support of a majority
of them."
The shift by farm organizations is already being reflected among
Republican farm state senators. Senator Pat Roberts (R-KS), who
chaired the Agriculture Committee when he served in the House,
said recently, "We do have global warming.. agriculture should
stop saying, ‘wait a minute, do we have a problem?’" (The Capitol
Journal, June 2, 2000).
The farm organization shift follows shifts by businesses over the
past year away from opposition to the Protocol. Major companies
from the oil and automobile industries have left the Global
Climate Coalition, an industry -funded group opposed to the
treaty.
"By reconsidering its opposition to the Protocol, the Farm Bureau
is joining hundreds of other businesses, scientists and the
general public who all want the US to deal with global warming,"
concluded Clapp. "It is now up to the US negotiating team to
bring home a deal on the treaty that will stop global warming."
# # #
For a copy of the letter please contact Racine Tucker-Hamilton,
202-887-8800
For more information, contact:
Racine Tucker-Hamilton
Deputy Communications Director
National Environmental Trust
202-887-8800
rhamilton@environet.org
Web site: http://www.environet.org
SOURCE: Environmental News Network (ENN)
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