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For the week of November 29 through December 5, 2000

Lectures to examine globalization impacts


By GREG STAHL
Express Staff Writer

As Planet Earth enters the 21st century, it becomes subject to an increasingly worldwide economy, culture and technology.

Titled Globalization and the Environment: What Are the Tradeoffs?, the second annual Frank Church Lectures will feature an extensive group of speakers at Elkhorn Resort on Dec. 2.

The lecture series, sponsored by the Environmental Resource Center (ERC) in Ketchum, is designed to honor the late Sen. Frank Church by exploring topics connecting the humanities and the environment. Last year’s event, the first, was well attended.

"Today, everyone seems to consider themselves an environmentalist," ERC board member and Frank Church Lectures project director Nikki Potts said, "and now, the globalization of trade, technology and culture is part of the environmental debate."

At the forefront of the globalization debate is the World Trade Organization (WTO). The WTO made worldwide headlines last November when thousands of protesters converged on Seattle to rally against the WTO’s trade policies.

WTO uses a one-country, one-vote democratic system to promulgate trade regulations for its 139 member countries.

Among the issues protesters rallied against in Seattle were lack of environmental regulations on the worldwide trading network. Potts said lecture speakers are sure to offer views on the WTO’s policies on the environment.

ERC executive director Molly Goodyear said Idaho is far from isolated from these world trade issues.

"It really does affect us right here in our backyard," she said. "We have companies in our backyard who are worldwide. We’re certainly not isolated from that global marketplace.

"Hopefully one of the things we can learn to export is our sense of environmental stewardship."

Keynote speaker Tim Wirth, president of the United Nations Foundation, will speak on how the environmental effects of globalization affect individuals.

Roderick Nash, professor emeritus at the University of California at Santa Barbara, will make his second appearance at the lectures, speaking about the Earth’s historic milestones.

The views presented will not be limited to those of environmental activists.

Bob Heine, representing DuPont, and Oscar Avalle, representing the World Bank, will give presentations.

"The ERC’s mission is to educate people to be able to make informed decisions about environmental issues," Goodyear said. "We are hoping to educate the public on this important global issue."

The Frank Church Lectures are free and will run from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

 

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