Coming as a pleasant surprise, the UN reported today that open trade and economic growth helps, rather than hurts, the environment.

Contrary to conventional wisdom, further liberalization of international trade can help combat climate change and support a low carbon economy, said a joint United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and World Trade Organization (WTO) report launched today in Geneva.

The “Trade and Climate Change” report stressed that an increase and opening of trade could have a positive impact on greenhouse gases emissions by accelerating the spread of clean technology and providing opportunities for developing economies to adapt those technologies.

Many of us have always challenged the “conventional wisdom” on economic growth – that it was destructive to the environment.  The reality is quite the opposite, as new technology is almost always cleaner than the old; so the faster new technology is adopted, the better.  If Barack Obama and the Democrats are serious about their goal of thwarting global warming, they should dump trade protectionism and their economically destructive cap and trade bill.

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