Whereas addressing the critical global environmental
issues of our time is of paramount importance;
Whereas advanced technology will be central to addressing
these environmental and energy challenges;
Whereas advanced technology represents a key element of
American comparative advantage in the worldwide marketplace;
Whereas the U.S. should strengthen and reform its policies
to encourage the use of environmental technologies and services;
Whereas obstacles to the global proliferation of
environmental technologies and services limits their accessibility and
affordability;
Whereas these obstacles thwart our policy of encouraging
the use of these types of products and services;
Whereas eliminating these obstacles would make these types
of products and services more accessible and more affordable;
Whereas the resulting increased use of these types of
products and services would reduce environmental damage, increase the
efficiency of energy consumption, reduce our dependence on fossil fuels,
enhance our national security, reduce costs for consumers, and increase job
creation;
Whereas full participation by the developed and developing
worlds in this effort is essential in order to realize the necessary level of
global proliferation of environmental technologies and services to achieve the
above-stated goals; and
Whereas the U.S. can pursue regional efforts to eliminate
these obstacles to the global proliferation of environmental technologies and
services as a way to build momentum for a global agreement: Now, therefore, be
it
That it is the sense of the House of
Representatives that—
(1)the U.S. should
pursue the global elimination of obstacles to the proliferation of technologies
and services that science has proven are necessary to address the most pressing
environmental problems of our time; and
(2)the U.S. has the
ability and the obligation to provide global leadership in advancing this
effort.