47 



to the LDCs [lesser developed countries]." It is within this niix that we dwell when 

 consider Africa's environmental future. 



Fortunately, some of this mentality appears to be changing. In April of this year 

 Secretary of State Warren Christopher in a speech at Stanford University armounced his 

 intention to place enviroimiental issues in the mainstream of American foreign policy. 

 He said that "enviroimiental forces transcend borders and oceans to threaten directly the 

 health, prosperity and jobs of American citizens." He noted that "addressing natural 

 resource issues is frequently critical to achieving political and economic stability, and 

 pursuing our strategic goals around the world." 



That day in California, Secretary Christopher aimounced a series of initiatives that 

 will not only help protect the environment, but also protect U.S. interests. After all, it is 

 certainly in America's best interest to help encourage economic development in Africa's 

 developing coimtries. Very few poor Africans can afford to buy expensive American 

 products. 



The Sierra Club commends Secretary Christopher for aimoimcing these new 

 environmental initiatives and we look forward to assisting in their implementation. We 

 will urge, however, that the State Department's new initiatives extend additionally to 

 individual citizens in their right to protect the environment, and their right to clean water 

 and clean air. This is because the Sierra Club believes that environmental rights are 

 directly linked to himian rights - that everyone has a right to a clean and healthy 

 environment. 



We beUeve that no country can feign environmental awareness when its citizens 

 are forbidden to speak freely, when they are forbidden to assemble, or when they are 

 persecuted, and as I will later discuss, in some instances executed, for protecting the 

 environment. 



For more than 100 years, the Sierta Club has worked to preserve and protect 

 North America's environment by empowering individuals at the local and national level. 

 Part of the organization's strength has been the political activism in its grassroots 

 campaigns for strong enviroimiental protection laws. While the Club's first priority has 

 always been to urge the United States to get its own house in order, it is also imperative 

 that we keep the U.S., other wealthy nations, and multinational corporations, from 

 preying on indigenous co mm unities in the developing world. 



When enviroimientalists like Chico Mendes of Brazil are murdered, or like 

 Wangari Maathai of Kenya are harassed and beaten, or like Ken Saro-Wiwa of Nigeria, 

 are hanged because of their political and environmental activism, the relationship 

 between human rights and enviroimiental protection becomes all too clear. 



Madam Chairman, I am certain that this subcommittee has been following the 



