[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 97 (Thursday, June 27, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1208-E1209]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     STATECRAFT AND THE ENVIRONMENT

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. ANNA G. ESHOO

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 27, 1996

  Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, on April 11, 1996, Secretary of State Warren 
Christopher delivered a major policy address at Stanford University 
regarding efforts to couple environmental objectives with out Nation's 
diplomatic efforts and set forth our priorities for the future.
  During the House of Representatives recent debates on bills providing 
funds for environmental protection, I was reminded of Secretary 
Christopher's timely message that in order to defend our Nation, we 
must protect and defend our collective environment. As the United 
States seeks to be a global leader in promoting peace and prosperity, 
as Secretary Christopher points out, `` * * * we must also lead in 
safeguarding the global environment on which that prosperity and peace 
ultimately depend.''
  The United States has a responsibility to address global 
environmental concerns because pollution respects no boundaries. The 
greenhouse gases emitted by our powerplants and automobiles affect the 
health and climate of

[[Page E1209]]

billions of people around the world. We are affected by the actions of 
other countries that create ozone depleting substances, overfish and 
dump low-level radioactive waste in the world's oceans, deplete our 
world's rainforests, and stress our Earth's ecosystem through 
overpopulation.
  Secretary Christopher pointed out that the needs of the American 
people are not well served if our foreign policy does not address these 
global concerns--we may be ``Americans,'' but we live on a planet that 
does not recognize geopolitical boundaries.
  In his speech, Secretary Christopher pointed out that environmental 
forces not only ``transcend borders and oceans to threaten directly the 
health, prosperity and jobs of American citizens,'' but that 
``addressing natural resource issues is frequently critical to 
achieving political and economic stability and to pursuing our 
strategic goals around the world.'' He then outlined a series of 
initiatives the State Department will undertake to advance America's 
global environmental goals.
  Through the State Department and Secretary Christopher's leadership, 
the United States is working to reform and strengthen the U.N.'s key 
environmental and sustainable development programs. We have joined 
forces with the World Bank to incorporate sound environmental policies 
in lending programs, and to fund projects through the global 
environmental facility that directly benefit our health and prosperity. 
In addition, we are striving through the new World Trade Organization 
to reconcile the complex tensions between promoting trade and 
protecting the environment.
  We can look forward to a cleaner and healthier global environment in 
1997. The State Department has begun negotiating global agreements to 
make further cuts in greenhouse gases, to address problems caused by 
migrating toxic chemicals, to promote sustainable management of our 
world's forests, to preserve biodiversity, and to safeguard ocean 
resources. The State Department is also taking steps to address scarce 
resource and overpopulation issues that are putting further stress on 
our environment and the environment our children will inherit.

  Through the State Department the United States is recognizing the 
importance of working bilaterally with key private, government, and 
nongovernment partners around the world to jointly address 
environmental concerns. In India, we are investing in environmental 
technologies and controlling pesticides. In Brazil, we are working to 
improve the management of forest resources. In Russia, we are promoting 
the safe operation of nuclear reactors and safe storage of nuclear 
waste. In fact, we are even using satellite imagery once used to spot 
missiles and tanks to help clean up military bases and track ocean 
pollution.
  As Secretary Christopher so eloquently stated:

       Our strength as a nation has always been to harness our 
     democracy to meet new threats to our security and prosperity. 
     Our creed as a people has always been to make tomorrow better 
     for ourselves and for our children.

  For the sake of future generations, we must meet the challenge of 
making global environmental issues a vital part of our foreign policy. 
By advancing these environmental goals, we have the opportunity to 
protect our Nation and make it truly free. The policies set forth by 
Secretary Christopher are far reaching. They are the necessary mission 
for the United States to carry forward. I rise in recognition and with 
deep respect for what Secretary Christopher has set forth. It is 
environmental statecraft.

                          ____________________