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.

IV 116TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. CON. RES. 35 Expressing the sense of Congress that the United States is committed to ensuring a safe and healthy climate for future generations, and to cre- ating solutions for restoring the climate. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES APRIL 22, 2019 Mr. RASKIN submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 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 re- storing the climate. Whereas humanity has a continuing obligation to provide fu- ture generations a safe and healthy climate, similar to the climate of a hundred years ago; Whereas the human species has never before lived with sus- tained atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) levels above 300 parts per million (ppm), which were exceeded in 1925; Whereas current CO2 levels are already about 410 ppm, and are expected to rise to 450 ppm or higher by 2050, based on current Paris Agreement goals; VerDate Sep 11 2014 20:05 Apr 22, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HC35.IH HC35 pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS 2 •HCON 35 IH Whereas the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has stated that temperatures corresponding to CO2 levels of 450 ppm or above will lead to grave damage to eco- systems; Whereas restoring CO2 to levels of 300 ppm requires remov- ing about 1 trillion tons of CO2 from the atmosphere, and doing that in 20 to 50 years requires removing 50 gigatons (GT) of CO2 (which is equal to 50 billion tons) per year from the atmosphere; Whereas multiple methods capable of CO2 removal from the atmosphere at 50 GT CO2 per year have been dem- onstrated, and annual costs for implementing these meth- ods 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 CO2 per year, then we must develop other meth- ods 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 CO2, 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 cli- mate will encourage scientists to research the most effec- tive ways to restore safe CO2 levels, stop sea-level rise, and restore a safe and healthy climate for future genera- tions: Now, therefore, be it Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 1 concurring), That it is the sense of Congress that the 2 United States is committed to ensuring a safe and healthy 3 VerDate Sep 11 2014 20:05 Apr 22, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\HC35.IH HC35 pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS 3 •HCON 35 IH climate for future generations, and to creating solutions 1 for restoring the climate. 2 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 20:05 Apr 22, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\HC35.IH HC35 pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS