,,iv #aafth ,,congress #ast ,session ,h4 ,,con4 ,,res4 #eb ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,july #i1 #bjai ,mr4 ,blumenauer 7for himself1 ,ms4 ,ocasio-,cortez1 ,ms4 ,lee of ,california1 ,ms4 ,jayapal1 ,ms4 ,norton1 ,mr4 ,espaillat1 ,mrs4 ,watson ,coleman1 ,ms4 ,velzquez1 ,ms4 ,haaland1 ,mr4 ,neguse1 ,mr4 ,smith of ,washington1 ,mr4 ,grijalva1 ,ms4 ,pressley1 ,ms4 ,omar1 ,mrs4 ,napolitano1 ,mr4 ,heck1 ,mr4 ,de,fazio1 ,mr4 ,brendan ,f4 ,boyle of ,pennsylvania1 ,mr4 ,levin of ,michigan1 ,ms4 ,schakowsky1 ,mr4 ,ted ,lieu of ,california1 ,mr4 ,cohen1 ,mr4 ,nadler1 ,mr4 ,raskin1 ,mr4 ,serrano1 ,mr4 ,larson of ,connecticut1 ,ms4 ,clarke of ,new ,york1 ,mr4 ,higgins of ,new ,york1 ,ms4 ,barragn1 ,ms4 ,meng1 ,mr4 ,sherman1 ,mr4 ,mc,govern1 ,mrs4 ,lowey1 and ,mr4 ,suozzi7 submitted the following concurrent resolution2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,energy and ,commerce ,,concurrent ,,resolution ,expressing the sense of ,congress that there is a climate emergency which demands a massive-scale mobilization to halt1 reverse1 and address its consequences and causes4 ,whereas #bjae1 #bjaf1 #bjag1 and #bjah were the #d hottest years on record and the #bj warmest years on record have occurred within the past #bb years2 ,whereas global atmospheric concentrations of the primary heat-trapping gas1 or greenhouse gas1 carbon dioxide-- 7#a7 have increased by #dj percent since preindustrial times1 from #bhj parts per million to #dae parts per million1 primarily due to human activities1 including burning fossil fuels and deforestation2 7#b7 are rising at a rate of #b to #c parts per million annually2 and 7#c7 must be reduced to not more than #cej parts per million1 and likely lower1 if humanity wishes to preserve a planet similar to that on which civilization developed and to which life on ,earth is adapted1 according to former ,national ,aeronautics and ,space ,administration climatologist1 ,dr4 ,james ,hansen2 ,whereas global atmospheric concentrations of other greenhouse gases1 including methane1 nitrous oxide1 and hydrofluorocarbons1 have also increased substantially since preindustrial times1 primarily due to human activities1 including burning fossil fuels2 ,whereas current climate science and real-world observations of climate change impacts1 including ocean warming1 ocean acidification1 floods1 droughts1 wildfires1 and extreme weather1 demonstrate that a global rise in temperatures of #a degree ,celsius above preindustrial levels is already having dangerous impacts on human populations and the environment2 ,whereas the #bjah ,national ,climate ,assessment found that climate change due to global warming has caused1 and is expected to cause additional1 substantial interference with and growing losses to infrastructure1 property1 industry1 recreation1 natural resources1 agricultural systems1 human health and safety1 and quality of life in the ,united ,states2 ,whereas the ,national ,oceanic and ,atmospheric ,administration has determined that climate change is already increasing the frequency of extreme weather and other climate-related disasters1 including drought1 wildfire1 and storms that include precipitation2 ,whereas climate-related natural disasters have increased exponentially over the past decade1 costing the ,united ,states more than double the long-term average during the period of #bjad through #bjah1 with total costs of natural disasters during that period of approximately #ajj1jjj1jjj1jjj per year2 ,whereas the ,centers for ,disease ,control and ,prevention has found wide-ranging1 acute1 and fatal public health consequences from climate change that impact communities across the ,united ,states2 ,whereas the ,national ,climate and ,health ,assessment of the ,united ,states ,global ,change ,research ,program identified climate change as a significant threat to the health of the people of the ,united ,states1 leading to increased-- 7#a7 temperature-related deaths and illnesses2 7#b7 air quality impacts2 7#c7 extreme weather events2 7#d7 numbers of vector-borne diseases2 7#e7 waterborne illnesses2 7#f7 food safety1 nutrition1 and distribution complications2 and 7#g7 mental health and well-being concerns2 ,whereas the consequences of climate change already disproportionately impact frontline communities and endanger populations made especially vulnerable by existing exposure to extreme weather events1 such as children1 the elderly1 and individuals with pre-existing disabilities and health conditions2 ,whereas individuals and families on the frontlines of climate change across the ,united ,states1 including territories1 living with income inequality and poverty1 institutional racism1 inequity on the basis of gender and sexual orientation1 poor infrastructure1 and lack of access to health care1 housing1 clean water1 and food security are often in close proximity to environmental stressors or sources of pollution1 particularly communities of color1 indigenous communities1 and low-income communities1 which-- 7#a7 experience outsized risk because of the close proximity of the community to environmental hazards and stressors1 in addition to collocation with waste and other sources of pollution2 7#b7 are often the first exposed to the impacts of climate change2 and 7#c7 have the fewest resources to mitigate those impacts or to relocate1 which will exacerbate preexisting challenges2 ,whereas1 according to ,dr4 ,robert ,bullard and ,dr4 ,beverly ,wright1 environmental and public health threats from natural and human-made disasters are not randomly distributed1 therefore a response to the climate emergency necessitates the adoption of just community transition policies and processes available to all communities1 which include policies and processes rooted in principles of racial equity1 self-determination1 and democracy1 as well as the fundamental human right of all people to clean air and water1 healthy food1 adequate land1 education1 and shelter2 ,whereas climate change holds grave and immediate consequences not just for the population of the ,united ,states1 including territories1 but for communities across the world1 particularly those communities in the ,global ,south on the frontlines of the climate crisis that are at risk of forced displacement2 ,whereas communities in rural1 urban1 and suburban areas are all dramatically affected by climate change1 though the specific economic1 health1 social1 and environmental impacts may be different2 ,whereas the ,department of ,state1 the ,department of ,defense1 and the intelligence community have identified climate change as a threat to national security1 and the ,department of ,homeland ,security views climate change as a top homeland security risk2 ,whereas climate change is a threat multiplier-- 7#a7 with the potential to exacerbate many of the challenges the ,united ,states already confronts1 including conflicts over scarce resources1 conditions conducive to violent extremism1 and the spread of infectious diseases2 and 7#b7 because climate change has the potential to produce new1 unforeseeable challenges in the future2 ,whereas1 in #bjah1 the ,united ,nations ,intergovernmental ,panel on ,climate ,change projected that the ,earth could warm #a4e degrees ,celsius above preindustrial levels as early as #bjcj2 ,whereas the climatic changes resulting from global warming above #a4e degrees ,celsius above preindustrial levels1 including changes resulting from global warming of more than #b degrees ,celsius above preindustrial levels1 are projected to result in irreversible1 catastrophic changes to public health1 livelihoods1 quality of life1 food security1 water supplies1 human security1 and economic growth2 ,whereas1 in #bjai1 the ,united ,nations ,intergovernmental ,science-,policy ,platform on ,biodiversity and ,ecosystem ,services found that human-induced climate change is pushing the planet toward the sixth mass species extinction1 which threatens the food security1 water supply1 and well-being of billions of people2 ,whereas1 according to climate scientists1 limiting global warming to not more than #a4e degrees ,celsius above preindustrial levels1 and likely lower1 is most likely to avoid irreversible and catastrophic climate change2 ,whereas1 even with global warming up to #a4e degrees ,celsius above preindustrial levels1 the planet is projected to experience-- 7#a7 a significant rise in sea levels2 7#b7 extraordinary loss of biodiversity2 and 7#c7 intensifying droughts1 prodigious floods1 devastating wildfires1 and other extreme weather events2 ,whereas1 according to climate scientists1 addressing the climate emergency will require an economically just and managed phase-out of the use of oil1 gas1 and coal to keep fossil fuels in the ground2 ,whereas the ,united ,nations ,intergovernmental ,panel on ,climate ,change has determined that limiting warming through emissions reduction and carbon sequestration will require rapid1 and immediate1 acceleration and proliferation of far-reaching1 multilevel1 and cross-sectoral climate mitigation and transitions in energy1 land1 urban and rural infrastructure 7including transport and buildings71 and industrial systems2 ,whereas1 in the ,united ,states1 massive1 comprehensive1 and urgent governmental action is required immediately to achieve the transitions of those systems in response to the severe existing and projected economic1 social1 public health1 and national security threats posed by the climate crisis2 ,whereas the massive scope and scale of action necessary to stabilize the climate will require unprecedented levels of public awareness1 engagement1 and deliberation to develop and implement effective1 just1 and equitable policies to address the climate crisis2 ,whereas failure to mobilize and solve the climate emergency is antithetical to the spirit of the ,declaration of ,independence in protecting unalienable ,rights that include ,life1 ,liberty and the pursuit of ,happiness2 ,whereas the ,united ,states has a proud history of collaborative1 constructive1 massive-scale ,federal mobilizations of resources and labor in order to solve great challenges1 such as the ,interstate ,highway ,system1 the ,apollo #aa ,moon landing1 ,reconstruction1 the ,new ,deal1 and ,world ,war ,,ii2 ,whereas the ,united ,states stands uniquely poised to substantially grow the economy and attain social and health benefits from a massive mobilization of resources and labor that far outweigh the costs of inaction2 ,whereas millions of middle class jobs can be created by raising labor standards through project labor agreements and protecting and expanding the right of workers to organize so that workers in the ,united ,states and the communities of those workers are guaranteed a strong1 viable economic future in a zero-emissions economy that guarantees good jobs at fair union wages1 with quality benefits2 ,whereas frontline communities1 ,tribal governments and communities1 people of color1 and labor unions must be equitably and actively engaged in the climate mobilization and prioritized through local climate mitigation and adaptation planning1 policy1 and program delivery so that workers in the ,united ,states1 the communities of those workers1 are guaranteed a strong1 viable economic future2 ,whereas a number of local jurisdictions and governments in the ,united ,states1 including ,new ,york ,city and ,los ,angeles1 and across the world1 including the ,united ,kingdom1 the ,republic of ,ireland1 ,portugal1 and ,canada1 have already declared a climate emergency1 and a number of ,state and local governments are considering declaring a climate emergency in response to the massive challenges posed by the climate crisis2 ,whereas ,state1 local1 and ,tribal governments must be supported in efforts to hold to account actors whose activities have deepened and accelerated the climate crisis and who have benefitted from delayed action to address the climate change emergency and to develop a fossil fuel-free economy2 ,whereas a collaborative response to the climate crisis will require the ,federal ,government to work with international1 ,state1 and local governments1 including with those governments that have declared a climate emergency1 to reverse the impacts of the climate crisis2 and ,whereas the ,united ,states has an obligation1 as a driver of accelerated climate change1 to mobilize at emergency speed to restore a safe climate and environment not just for communities of the ,united ,states1 including territories1 but for communities across the world1 particularly those on the frontlines of the climate crisis who have least contributed to the crisis1 and to account for global and community impacts of any actions it takes in response to the climate crisis3 ,now1 therefore1 be it ,that it is the sense of ,congress that-- 7#a7 the global warming caused by human activities1 which increase emissions of greenhouse gases1 has resulted in a climate emergency that-- 7,a7 severely and urgently impacts the economic and social well-being1 health and safety1 and national security of the ,united ,states2 and 7,b7 demands a national1 social1 industrial1 and economic mobilization of the resources and labor of the ,united ,states at a massive scale to halt1 reverse1 mitigate1 and prepare for the consequences of the climate emergency and to restore the climate for future generations2 and 7#b7 nothing in this concurrent resolution constitutes a declaration of a national emergency for purposes of any ,act of ,congress authorizing the exercise1 during the period of a national emergency or other type of declared emergency1 of any special or extraordinary power4