The Greening of the WTO

came at its 1999 meeting in Seattle, where antiglobalization demon strators dressed as sea turtles to highlight the alleged damage wrought by the organization's policies. Similar protests have dogged multilateral trade meetings ever since. But a careful look at the wto's record shows that such attacks are unwarranted. The organization is in fact developing constructive principles for accommodating both trade and environmental concerns. A series of rulings by the wto's dispute resolution bodies?judicial panels that settle conflicts among member states?has established the principle that trade rules do not stand in the way of legitimate environmental regulation. The gradual greening of the wto throughout its seven-year life reflects changes made to international rules when the organization was created in 1994. In particular, the preamble to the wto agreement noted the importance of protecting the environment and the need for enhanced means of doing so. Environmental sensitivity has also been heightened by the stalwart efforts of environmentalists in and out of