[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S.J. Res. 5 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







109th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. J. RES. 5

 Expressing the sense of Congress that the United States should act to 
                    reduce greenhouse gas emissions.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           February 16, 2005

 Mrs. Feinstein (for herself, Ms. Snowe, Mr. McCain, Mr. Chafee, Mrs. 
    Murray, Mr. Jeffords, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Lieberman, Mr. Leahy, Mr. 
    Lautenberg, Mrs. Boxer, Ms. Cantwell, Mr. Akaka, and Mr. Reed) 
  introduced the following joint resolution; which was read twice and 
             referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                            JOINT RESOLUTION


 
 Expressing the sense of Congress that the United States should act to 
                    reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Whereas in May 1992, the Senate gave advice and consent to the ratification of 
        the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change with the 
        intent of reducing global manmade emissions of greenhouse gases, which 
        committed the United States (along with other developed countries) to a 
        nonbinding target of containing emissions levels at 1990 rates by 2000;
Whereas the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change was signed by 
        President George Herbert Walker Bush and took effect in March 1994;
Whereas in December 1997, at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate 
        Change conference of the parties, the Kyoto Protocol, which set targets 
        for reductions in the greenhouse gas emissions of industrialized 
        countries, was established based on principles described in the 1992 
        framework agreement;
Whereas on February 16, 2005, the Kyoto Protocol will take effect, at which time 
        more than 30 industrialized countries will be legally bound to meet 
        quantitative targets for reducing or limiting the greenhouse gas 
        emissions of those countries, an international carbon trading market 
        will be established through an emissions trading program (which was 
        originally proposed by the United States and enables any industrialized 
        country to buy or sell emissions credits), and the clean development 
        mechanism, which provides opportunities to invest in projects in 
        developing countries that limit emissions while promoting sustainable 
        development, will begin full operation;
Whereas 141 nations (including Canada, China, the European Union, India, Japan, 
        and Russia) have ratified the Kyoto Protocol;
Whereas the United States is the only member of the Group of 8 that has not 
        ratified the Kyoto Protocol;
Whereas, according to the National Academy of Sciences, ``Greenhouse gases are 
        accumulating in Earth's atmosphere as a result of human activities, 
        causing surface air temperatures and subsurface ocean temperatures to 
        rise . . . Human-induced warming and associated sea level rises are 
        expected to continue through the 21st century.'';
Whereas the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency stated that 
        ``Scientists know for certain that human activities are changing the 
        composition of Earth's atmosphere. Increasing levels of greenhouse 
        gases, like carbon dioxide, in the atmosphere since pre-industrial times 
        have been well documented. There is no doubt this atmospheric buildup of 
        carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases is largely the result of human 
        activities.'';
Whereas major scientific organizations (including the American Association for 
        the Advancement of Science, the American Meteorological Society, and the 
        American Geophysical Union) have issued statements acknowledging the 
        compelling scientific evidence of human modification of climate;
Whereas in 2001, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change estimated that 
        global average temperatures have risen by approximately 1 degree 
        Fahrenheit in the past century;
Whereas the report entitled ``Our Changing Planet: The U.S. Climate Change 
        Science Program for Fiscal Years 2004 and 2005'' states that 
        ``Atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide and methane have been 
        increasing for about two centuries as a result of human activities and 
        are now higher than they have been for over 400,000 years.'';
Whereas according to the Arctic climate impact assessment published in November 
        2004, the Arctic is warming almost twice as fast as the rest of the 
        planet, and winter temperatures in Alaska have increased approximately 5 
        to 7 degrees Fahrenheit over the past 50 years;
Whereas scientists at the Hadley Centre for Climate Prediction and Research in 
        the United Kingdom have estimated that manmade climate change has 
        already doubled the risk of heat waves, such as the heat wave that 
        caused more than 15,000 deaths in Europe in 2003;
Whereas scientists at the international conference entitled ``Avoiding Dangerous 
        Climate Change'', held in Exeter, England, from February 1, 2005, 
        through February 3, 2005, predicted that an increase in temperature of 
        1.8 degrees Fahrenheit (which could occur within 25 years) would cause a 
        decline in food production, water shortages, and a net loss of gross 
        domestic product in some developing countries;
Whereas scientists at the international conference entitled ``Avoiding Dangerous 
        Climate Change'' predicted that an increase in temperature of 3.6 
        degrees Fahrenheit (which could occur before 2050) could cause a 
        substantial loss of Arctic Sea ice, widespread bleaching of coral reefs, 
        an increased frequency of forest fires, and rivers to become too warm to 
        support trout and salmon, and, in developing countries, would cause an 
        increased risk of hunger, water shortages that would affect an 
        additional 1,500,000,000 people, and significant losses of gross 
        domestic product in some countries;
Whereas scientists at the international conference entitled ``Avoiding Dangerous 
        Climate Change'' predicted that an increase in temperature of 5.4 
        degrees Fahrenheit (which could occur before 2070) would cause 
        irreversible damage to the Amazon rainforest, destruction of many coral 
        reefs, a rapid increase in hunger, large losses in crop production in 
        certain regions, which could affect as many as 5,500,000,000 people, and 
        water shortages that would affect an additional 3,000,000,000 people;
Whereas scientists at the international conference entitled ``Avoiding Dangerous 
        Climate Change'' predicted that an increase in temperature of greater 
        than 5.4 degrees Fahrenheit (which could occur after 2070) would cause 
        certain regions to become unsuitable for food production, and have a 
        substantial effect on the global gross domestic product;
Whereas in the United States, multiple mechanisms (including market cap and 
        trade programs) exist to carry out mitigation of climate change, 
        sequestration activities in agricultural sectors, and development of new 
        technologies such as clean coal and hydrogen vehicles; and
Whereas, because the United States has critical economic and other interests in 
        international climate policy, it is in the best interest of the United 
        States to play an active role in any international discussion on climate 
        policy: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United 
States of America in Congress assembled,
    Section 1. That it is the sense of Congress that the United States 
should demonstrate international leadership and responsibility 
regarding reducing the health, environmental, and economic risks posed 
by climate change by--
            (1) carrying out reasonable and responsible actions to 
        ensure significant and meaningful reductions in emissions of 
        all greenhouse gases;
            (2) generating climate-friendly technologies by enacting 
        and implementing policies and programs to address all 
        greenhouse gas emissions to promote sustained economic growth;
            (3) participating in international negotiations under the 
        United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change to 
        achieve significant, long-term, cost-effective reductions in 
        global greenhouse gas emissions; and
            (4) supporting the establishment of a long-term objective 
        to prevent the global average temperature from increasing by 
        greater than 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit above preindustrial levels.
    Sec. 2. The Secretary of State is authorized to and shall engage in 
efforts with other Federal agencies to lead international negotiations 
to mitigate impacts of global warning.
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