[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 5 (Tuesday, February 3, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E76-E77]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             INTERNATIONAL TREATY ON GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JOE KNOLLENBERG

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 3, 1998

  Mr. KNOLLENBERG. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask that the following 
statement be included in the Congressional Record. The attached 
resolution was adopted by the Board of Commissioners of Oakland County, 
Michigan, regarding the recently passed international treaty on global 
climate change.
  I have already voiced my very strong concerns with this treaty, which 
will require legally binding cutbacks in greenhouse gas emissions. By 
exempting all developing nations, the treaty will create a two-tiered 
environmental obligation, forcing the entire burden to reduce 
greenhouse emissions on industrialized nations while turning the 
developing world into a pollution ``enterprise zone.'' This will have a 
devastating impact on American jobs. Oakland County agrees, and offers 
this resolution to express its grave concerns with the impact cutbacks 
will have on jobs and economic growth.
  Mr. Speaker, please accept this statement in the Congressional 
Record. Oakland County is sending us a powerful message about how these 
drastic cutbacks will affect our nation's local communities. As the 
current administration plans to implement the bureaucratic regulations 
needed to bring the U.S. in compliance with the recently adopted 
treaty, Congress must acknowledge this warning.

       The following is a representative copy containing all 
     amendments to:
     Miscellaneous Resolution #97227.
     By: Commissioner Shelley Taub, District #12; Commissioner 
         Donn L. Wolf, District #19.
     In re: United Nations Climate Change Treaty Opposition.
     To the Oakland County Board of Commissioners.
       Chairperson, Ladies and Gentlemen:
       Whereas the Michigan Association of Counties, the National 
     Association of Counties and SEMCOG have recommended support 
     for the following concepts in the main body of the 
     resolution; and
       Whereas the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate 
     Change was adopted in May, 1992 at the Earth Summit held in 
     Rio de Janeiro and calls upon industrialized nations to aim 
     towards voluntarily limiting their greenhouse gas emissions 
     to 1990 levels by the year 2000; and
       Whereas ongoing international negotiations are underway 
     aimed at finalizing a Climate Treaty by the end of 1997 that 
     is expected to require legally-binding cutbacks in energy 
     usage and emission targets that will be applicable to 
     developed nations only; and
       Whereas a growing body of economic studies indicate that 
     any U.S. effort to significantly limit greenhouse gas 
     emissions in a short time frame will slow economic growth, 
     cost hundreds of thousands of jobs in Oakland County and 
     throughout the United States, and discourage investments in 
     more energy-efficient technologies or facilities; and
       Whereas mandatory constraints on fossil fuel use would 
     raise the monthly cost to consumers for electricity, heating 
     and cooling bills. Projections also indicate that the 
     residents of Oakland County could experience a gasoline price 
     increase of up to $0.50 per gallon. This would be 
     particularly detrimental to those on fixed incomes, living in 
     rural areas or dependent on private vehicles to transport 
     their families to work, school and stores; and
       Whereas ill-advised policies on climate control change 
     could significantly limit personal mobility, seriously 
     disrupt the growing economy of Oakland County and would 
     negatively impact those businesses located in Oakland County 
     that could no longer compete effectively against their 
     foreign counterparts as a result of the higher cost of fuel; 
     and
       Whereas the exemption for developing countries is 
     inconsistent with the need for global action on climate 
     change, is environmentally flawed and imposes trade 
     disadvantages. The Climate Treaty will inflict serious harm 
     to Oakland County's economy with the loss of manufacturing 
     jobs, as the incentive to move industry abroad to exempt, 
     high-growth countries such as Mexico, China and Brazil is 
     heightened; and
       Whereas the Oakland County Board of Commissioners holds 
     that the United States should not agree to any international 
     global climate proposals that are not justified by sound 
     scientific and economic policies.
       NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Oakland County Board 
     of Commissioners strongly supports MAC, NACo and SEMCOG, and 
     urges that the United States not be signatory to any protocol 
     to, or other agreement regarding, the United Nations 
     Framework Convention on Climate Change of 1992, at negations 
     in Kyoto in December 1997, or thereafter, which would:
       (A) mandate new commitments to limit or reduce greenhouse 
     gas emissions for the United States, unless the protocol or 
     other agreement also mandates new specific scheduled 
     commitments to limit or reduce greenhouse gas emissions for 
     developing countries within the same compliance period, or
       (B) result in job loss or serious harm to the economy of 
     Oakland County, the State of Michigan and the United States; 
     and
       BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that any protocol to, or other 
     agreement regarding, the United Nations Framework Convention 
     on Climate Change of 1992, signed by the United States at 
     negotiations in Kyoto in December 1997, or thereafter, 
     should:
       (1) be voluntary as much as possible;
       (2) include all nations, developed and developing, under 
     comparable criteria and within the same compliance period;
       (3) assist developing nations in growing economically while 
     increasing energy efficiency; and
       (4) promote technology approaches that can reduce adverse 
     impacts on consumers and the economy.

[[Page E77]]

       BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the members of the United 
     States Senate are strongly urged not to consent to any 
     protocol or agreement regarding the Global Climate Change, 
     unless said protocol or agreement is:
       (i.) accompanied by an analysis of the detailed explanation 
     of any legislation or regulatory actions that would be 
     required to implement the protocol or agreement; and
       (ii.) accompanied by an analysis of the detailed financial 
     costs and other impacts on the economy of the United States 
     that would be incurred by implementation of the protocol or 
     agreement.
       BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this resolution be 
     forwarded to the President of the United States, the Vice 
     President of the United States, Senator Spencer Abraham, 
     Senator Carl Levin, Oakland County Legislators, the Governor 
     of the State of Michigan, and to Oakland County's Legislative 
     Agents.
       Chairperson, we move the adoption of the foregoing 
     resolution.
     Shelley Taub,
                                                     District #12.
     Donn L. Wolf,
                                                     District #19.
       Vote on resolution, as amended:
       AYES: Huntoon, Johnson, Law, McCulloch, McPherson, Moffin, 
     Obrecht, Palmer, Powers, Schmid, Taub, Wolf, Amos, Dingeldey, 
     Douglas, Garfield. (16)
       NAYS: Holbert, Jacobs, Jensen, Kingzett, Coleman. (5)
       A sufficient majority having voted therefor, the 
     resolution, as amended, was adopted.

     

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