Air Date: Week of December 10, 1999

Listeners responded this week to our coverage of the World Trade Organization summit and to the issue of logging in national forests.

Transcript

CURWOOD: Time for comments from our listeners.

(Music up and under)

CURWOOD: Our preview of the World Trade Organization summit in Seattle drew varied responses. From Billings, Montana, KEMC listener Averill Heath wrote, "I was glad to finally hear something of substance on NPR concerning the WTO. We need a seat at the table when such far-reaching decisions are being made that will affect all of us. I do not want these trade rules to be constructed only in service of the corporate bottom line."
On the other hand, Bob Kirby who hears us on KUOW in Seattle, found our coverage disappointing. Particularly John Ryan's commentary on the consumer impact on the global economy. "His notion about saving the world by buying recycled is just another excuse for not acting and still feeling good about yourself," writes Mr. Kirby. "No one says you can end corporate greed. Just stop the activities by law that are endangering the planet. That's how the Clean Air Act got passed."

Finally, our report on the debate over building more logging roads in the Tongass National Forest in Alaska drew this response from Huntsville, Alabama, and WLRH listener Dan Hale.

HALE: I'm very much against clear-cutting in the national forest, the people's forest. I've never seen cedar trees three feet thick. You probably haven't, either. But the few we have left, let's save them!

CURWOOD: Your comments on our program are always welcome. Call our listener line any time at 800-218-9988. That's 800-218-9988. Or write to 8 Story Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138. Our e-mail address is letters@loe.org. Once again, letters@loe.org. And visit our Web page at www.loe.org. Tapes and transcripts are $15.