TTIP deal threatens climate

This video from Britain says about itself:

Vivienne Westwood, Climate Revolution at Democracy Vs. TTIP

18 April 2015

At its heart, the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership is an assault on democracy. So, on the international day of action on 18 April, we are responding to this corporate power grab through enacting democracy ourselves – let this be our Day of Dissent!

‘Democracy vs TTIP’ will feature an open, participatory assembly on TTIP, followed by a series of creative actions to highlight the threat TTIP poses to our NHS, food and environmental protection. We will use the day to reach out widely to the public, bringing to light an issue that is so crucial to us all but invisible to so many.

Speakers at the assembly will include John Hilary (War on Want), Jean Lambert MEP (Green Party), Guy Taylor (Global Justice Now), Blanche Jones (38Degrees), Sam Lowe (Friends of the Earth), Gay Lee (Keep Our NHS Public), and more TBC.

From daily The Morning Star in Britain:

TTIP ‘will make it harder to protect our climate‘

Tuesday 8th December 2015

Global Justice Now warns trade deals pose ‘massive dangers’

by Our News Desk

TRADE deals such as TTIP being negotiated by the European Union will make it even harder to stave of catastrophic climate change, campaign group Global Justice Now warned yesterday.

It follows the leaking last week of Trade in Services Agreement (Tisa) files which implied that governments could be sued by dirty corporations for backing the renewable energy that is desperately needed to avert a nightmare climate scenario.

And a leaked EU document suggested the bosses’ bloc would try its hardest to keep trade off the agenda in the ongoing Paris climate negotiations.

“Free trade deals like TTIP (with the US) and Ceta (with Canada) pose an enormous threat to our ability to address the climate crisis,” warned Global Justice Now director Nick Dearden.

The deals would give fossil fuel firms “wide range of powers to inhibit or even prevent governments” from pursuing green schemes.

“The fact the European Commission wants to ensure that there is no mention of trade or trade-related issues in the UN climate talks belies the fact that they know very well about the disastrous climate impacts of these trade deals, but they are pushing ahead regardless,” Mr Dearden said.

Kenneth Haar, a researcher and campaigner at Corporate Europe Observatory, said: “The leaked document shows the EU priorities pretty clearly. There is no will to safeguard clean energy policies from trade deals.”

The risks posed by the deals, Global Justice Now said, are that they will put trade before the environment while letting firms challenge and meddle in environmental laws.

They also push high-emissions agriculture over more sustainable methods and prevent governments from placing restrictions on fossil fuels.

The warning came as UN secretary-general Ban Ki Moon told negotiators in Paris that “the clock is ticking towards climate catastrophe” and that they must come up with more than “half-measures.”

And environmental activists pointed out that climate change would lead to more extreme weather, such as the floods which have inundated northern England, Scotland and Wales.

“The science is clear. Rising temperatures are expected to bring heavier rainfalls to the UK, which in turn are likely to increase flood risks right across the country,” Greenpeace climate campaigner Pat Venditti said.

SO, GERMAN MPs are finally to have access to documents relating to the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). It’s a relief to know that, when the United States and European Union are negotiating an important trade deal, at least some elected representatives of the people are allowed a look in. Except they’re not — not really: here.