[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 137 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. CON. RES. 137

Expressing the sense of Congress that the United States is committed to 
  ensuring a safe and healthy climate for future generations, and to 
             creating solutions for restoring the climate.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 25, 2018

  Mr. Raskin submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was 
            referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce

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                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
Expressing the sense of Congress that the United States is committed to 
  ensuring a safe and healthy climate for future generations, and to 
             creating solutions for restoring the climate.

Whereas humanity has a continuing obligation to provide future generations a 
        safe and healthy climate, similar to the climate of a hundred years ago;
Whereas the human species has never before lived with sustained atmospheric 
        carbon dioxide (CO<INF>2</INF>) levels above 300 parts per million 
        (ppm), which were exceeded in 1925;
Whereas current CO<INF>2</INF> levels are already about 410 ppm, and are 
        expected to rise to 450 ppm or higher by 2050, based on current Paris 
        Agreement goals;
Whereas the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has stated that 
        temperatures corresponding to CO<INF>2</INF> levels of 450 ppm or above 
        will lead to grave damage to ecosystems;
Whereas restoring CO<INF>2</INF> to levels of 300 ppm requires removing about 1 
        trillion tons of CO<INF>2</INF> from the atmosphere, and doing that in 
        20 to 50 years requires removing 50 gigatons (GT) of CO<INF>2</INF> 
        (which is equal to 50 billion tons) per year from the atmosphere;
Whereas multiple methods capable of CO<INF>2</INF> removal from the atmosphere 
        at 50 GT CO<INF>2</INF> per year have been demonstrated, and annual 
        costs for implementing these methods are expected to be less than 1 to 3 
        percent of global gross domestic product (GDP);
Whereas if known methods prove to be incapable of removing 50 GT CO<INF>2</INF> 
        per year, then we must develop other methods that will restore a safe 
        and healthy climate for future generations;
Whereas scientists have researched methods for keeping warming below 2C, but 
        have not yet researched the best methods to remove all excess 
        CO<INF>2</INF>, stop sea-level rise, and restore a safe and healthy 
        climate for future generations; and
Whereas declaring a goal of restoring a safe and healthy climate will encourage 
        scientists to research the most effective ways to restore safe 
        CO<INF>2</INF> levels, stop sea-level rise, and restore a safe and 
        healthy climate for future generations: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That it is the sense of Congress that the United States is committed to 
ensuring a safe and healthy climate for future generations, and to 
creating solutions for restoring the climate.
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