RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has concluded that the global climate is warming and projects an increase in global mean surface temperatures of two to six degrees Fahrenheit by the end of the 21st century, leading to an increase in sea level of six to thirty-seven inches; and

WHEREAS, four of the five warmest years on record occurred in the early 2000s, and a 20 percent increase in extreme precipitation, such as floods and storms, has been seen in the last 100 years, exemplifying situations that are expected to become more frequent as the average worldwide climate warms; and

WHEREAS, the expected loss of wetlands areas due to sea level rise, the loss of forests due to the stress of increasing temperatures, the loss of wildlife populating these forests and wetlands areas, and loss of crop yields will have a negative impact on our quality of life and the lives of future generations; and

WHEREAS, climate change is already threatening the planet with the spread of infectious diseases, which will move further northward and to higher elevations, and the World Health Organization projects tens of millions more cases of malaria and other infectious diseases as a result; and

WHEREAS, specifically in Hawaii, the sea level has risen 6-14 inches per century, and is expected to rise another 17-25 inches by 2100, resulting in flooding of low-lying property, erosion of beautiful beaches, saltwater contamination of our drinking water, and decreased longevity of low-lying roads, causeways, and bridges; and

WHEREAS, practices leading to excess emission of climate-changing chemicals are both local and global in nature, and the State of Hawaii recognizes that its long-term well-being cannot be secured without action at both levels; and

WHEREAS, the State of Hawaii has begun to address its local contribution to global climate change by:

WHEREAS, the best efforts of the State to reduce its contribution to the climate change problem will make little difference unless efforts are also made at the national and international levels; and

WHEREAS, in December 1997, at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change conference of the parties, the Kyoto Protocol was established based on principles described in the 1992 framework agreement; and

WHEREAS, the Kyoto Protocol sets targets to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions of industrialized countries, specifically, a seven percent reduction in carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions from 1990 emissions levels to be achieved by the United States between 2008 and 2012; and

WHEREAS, in November 1998, then-President Bill Clinton signed the Kyoto Protocol amidst criticism from members of Congress due to the lack of requirements for emissions limitations by developing countries, and the potential economic damage to the United States economy required by compliance; and

WHEREAS, in 2001, ratification of the Kyoto Protocol was dismissed by President George W. Bush, in light of the expected economic cost of compliance to the United States; and

WHEREAS, by February 2005, the Kyoto Protocol had been ratified by 141 countries, including Canada, China, the European Union, India, Japan, and Russia, satisfying the required 55 percent of world greenhouse gas emissions for the Kyoto Protocol to take effect; and

WHEREAS, the United States is the only member of the Group of 8, the eight most advanced countries measured by economic output, currently the United Kingdom, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, and the United States, that has not ratified the Kyoto Protocol; and

WHEREAS, because the United States has critical economic and other interests in international climate policy, such as avoiding long-term drought, famine, mass migration, and abrupt climate shifts leading to international tensions and instability in affected regions, it is in the best interests of the United States to play an active role in any international discussion on climate policy; and

WHEREAS, the United States, as the largest economy in the world, is also the largest greenhouse gas emitter, and the future emissions are projected to continue to rise; and

WHEREAS, in the United States, multiple mechanisms, including market cap and trade programs exist to carry out mitigation of climate change, sequestration activities in agricultural sectors, and development of new technologies such as clean coal and hydrogen vehicles; and

WHEREAS, the development and sale of climate-friendly technologies in the United States and internationally present economic opportunities for workers and businesses in the United States; and

WHEREAS, the United States remains a party to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change signed in 1992 and entered into force in 1994, which sets a long-term objective of stabilizing greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2006, the Senate concurring, that the Legislature support the provisions of the Kyoto Protocol on climate change as a significant means to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and stabilize the global atmosphere, and as a necessary first step toward maintaining the health and quality of life for future generations of Hawaii residents; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Governor is urged to adopt the provisions of the Kyoto Protocol and guide state agencies toward initiating efforts that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions to seven percent below 1990 emissions levels by 2012; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Governor is urged to request the President of the United States to pursue and demonstrate United States' international leadership and responsibility regarding the negative risks posed by climate change by the ratification of the Kyoto Protocol by the United States Senate; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Governor and members of Hawaii's Congressional delegation.

Report Title:

Supporting the Kyoto Protocol on Climate Change and urging the Governor to pursue ratification of this agreement.