Enviros will take a swing at “free trade” today, releasing a report warning that the World Trade Organization may weaken forest protections this fall. The report argues that a U.S. proposal for zero tariffs on forest products would push logging up some 3 to 4 percent worldwide. The report, written primarily by staffers from the Earthjustice Legal Defense Fund and Northwest Ecosystem Alliance, also says that the WTO could strike down rules that require wood to be inspected for pests, which could lead to problems with invasive species.
