[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1145 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 1145

Expressing the need for bold climate action in response to the release 
  of the United Nations report titled ``Global Warming of 1.5 degrees 
Celsius, an IPCC special report on the impacts of global warming of 1.5 
    degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels and related global 
 greenhouse gas emission pathways in the context of strengthening the 
     global response to the threat of climate change, sustainable 
            development, and efforts to eradicate poverty''.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           November 13, 2018

  Mr. Quigley (for himself, Ms. Matsui, Mr. Tonko, Mr. Connolly, Mr. 
  Polis, Ms. Pingree, Mr. Cartwright, Mr. Lowenthal, Mr. Huffman, Ms. 
 Barragan, Mr. McNerney, Mr. Kilmer, Mr. Thompson of California, Mrs. 
 Carolyn B. Maloney of New York, Mr. Welch, Mr. Engel, Mr. DeSaulnier, 
 Ms. Bonamici, Ms. Kaptur, Mrs. Watson Coleman, Mr. Khanna, Mr. Beyer, 
Mr. Grijalva, Mr. Langevin, Ms. Schakowsky, Ms. Wasserman Schultz, Mrs. 
Dingell, Mr. Carbajal, Mr. Lipinski, Mr. Moulton, Mr. Ben Ray Lujan of 
 New Mexico, Mrs. Davis of California, Mr. McGovern, Ms. McCollum, Mr. 
 Price of North Carolina, Ms. Lee, Mr. Krishnamoorthi, Ms. Velazquez, 
   Mr. Pocan, Mr. McEachin, Mr. Pallone, Mr. Cleaver, Ms. Adams, Ms. 
 Roybal-Allard, Mr. Panetta, Mr. Smith of Washington, Ms. DeGette, Ms. 
Shea-Porter, Ms. Meng, Mr. Rush, Mr. Higgins of New York, Mr. Soto, Mr. 
Hastings, Mr. Espaillat, Mr. Sires, Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson of Texas, 
 Mr. Garamendi, Mr. Peters, Mr. Blumenauer, Ms. Hanabusa, Ms. Gabbard, 
  Ms. Eshoo, Ms. Judy Chu of California, Mr. Raskin, Mr. Kildee, Ms. 
Castor of Florida, Mr. Gallego, Mrs. Lawrence, Ms. DeLauro, Mr. Schiff, 
Ms. Jayapal, Ms. Sewell of Alabama, Ms. Tsongas, Mr. Ryan of Ohio, Mr. 
  Nolan, Ms. DelBene, Mr. Johnson of Georgia, Mr. Ruppersberger, Ms. 
 Frankel of Florida, Mr. Nadler, Ms. Lofgren, Mr. Brendan F. Boyle of 
  Pennsylvania, Mr. Larsen of Washington, Ms. Norton, and Mr. Evans) 
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 
  on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Foreign 
Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in 
   each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the 
                jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
Expressing the need for bold climate action in response to the release 
  of the United Nations report titled ``Global Warming of 1.5 degrees 
Celsius, an IPCC special report on the impacts of global warming of 1.5 
    degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels and related global 
 greenhouse gas emission pathways in the context of strengthening the 
     global response to the threat of climate change, sustainable 
            development, and efforts to eradicate poverty''.

Whereas the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released on Monday, 
        October 8, 2018, a report in response to an invitation from the United 
        Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change;
Whereas the IPCC report was written by 91 authors and review editors from 40 
        countries, including the United States, and was reviewed by thousands of 
        expert and government reviewers from around the world;
Whereas the IPCC report found that increases in global temperature above 
        preindustrial levels are overwhelmingly the result of anthropogenic 
        sources of atmospheric carbon and other greenhouse gases;
Whereas the IPCC report found that the last 50-year period in the Northern 
        Hemisphere has the warmest average temperature of any 50-year period in 
        500 years;
Whereas the IPCC report found that Earth is already seeing the consequences of 1 
        degree Celsius warming above preindustrial levels in the form of extreme 
        weather, rising sea levels, longer and more severe droughts, diminishing 
        Arctic sea ice, and diminished glacial and snow cover, among other 
        impacts;
Whereas the IPCC report found that as the global temperature continues to warm, 
        the impacts of a warming atmosphere increase in severity;
Whereas the report found that the difference between warming of 1.5 and 2 
        degrees Celsius is substantial, and that limiting warming to 1.5 degrees 
        is affordable, feasible, and necessary to protecting people from the 
        worst impacts of climate change, including extreme heat, drought, 
        floods, and increased poverty and instability;
Whereas the IPCC report found that, compared to warming of 1.5 degrees Celsius, 
        warming at or above 2 degrees Celsius could result in 10 centimeters 
        more global sea level rise and substantially more summers without Arctic 
        sea ice;
Whereas the IPCC report found that, compared to warming of 1.5 degrees Celsius, 
        warming at or above 2 degrees could worsen impacts to terrestrial, 
        freshwater, coastal, and marine ecosystems, and increase the risk of 
        species loss and extinctions;
Whereas the IPCC report found that warming at or above 2 degrees Celsius could 
        lead to a loss of greater than 99 percent of all of Earth's coral reefs;
Whereas the IPCC report found that warming at or above 2 degrees Celsius could 
        lead to mass migration from regions most impacted by atmospheric 
        changes;
Whereas the IPCC report found that at a 1.5 degree temperature rise, the global 
        population exposed to water stress could be 50 percent lower than if the 
        global temperature rises 2 degrees Celsius;
Whereas the IPCC report found that the amount of people exposed to extreme heat 
        waves rises substantially under a world warmed by 2 degrees Celsius 
        rather than 1.5 degrees Celsius;
Whereas the IPCC report found that at current rates of greenhouse gas emissions 
        Earth will warm by 1.5 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels by 
        2040;
Whereas the IPCC report found that to avoid the impacts of a 1.5 degree Celsius 
        warmer world by 2040, net global greenhouse gas emissions must be 
        reduced by 45 percent below 2010 levels by 2030 and 100 percent below 
        2010 levels by 2050;
Whereas the United States is a global leader;
Whereas the United States is a member of the global community and is affected by 
        climate impacts such as those outlined in the IPCC report;
Whereas the United States is already suffering from the impacts of climate 
        change;
Whereas it is possible and economically beneficial to transition to a low-carbon 
        economy that would not contribute to global climate change and would 
        result in sustainable economic growth; and
Whereas the Government of the United States has failed to enact policies to 
        effectively transition to a low-carbon economy or reduce greenhouse gas 
        emissions in line with scientific recommendations to reduce global 
        temperature changes: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) recognizes and accepts the findings of the 
        Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change;
            (2) expresses that it is the sense of the House of 
        Representatives that reducing greenhouse gas emissions in line 
        with IPCC recommendations would help avoid the most devastating 
        climate change impacts and would be good for every American; 
        and
            (3) expresses that it is the sense of the House of 
        Representatives that immediate action by Congress and the 
        Administration is needed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 
        45 percent below 2010 levels by 2030 and net zero emissions by 
        2050.
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