III 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. CON. RES. 47 

Recognizing that the climate crisis is disproportionately affecting the health, 

economic opportunity, and fundamental rights of children, expressing 

the sense of Congress that renewed leadership by the United States 

is needed to address the climate crisis, and recognizing the need of 

the United States to develop a national, comprehensive, and sciencebased climate recovery plan to phase out fossil fuel emissions, protect 

and enhance natural sequestration, and put the United States on a 

path toward stabilizing the climate system. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

SEPTEMBER 23, 2020 

Mr. MERKLEY (for himself, Mr. BOOKER, Mr. MARKEY, Mr. WYDEN, Mr. VAN

HOLLEN, Mrs. MURRAY, Mr. HEINRICH, and Mr. WHITEHOUSE) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the 

Committee on Environment and Public Works 

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 

Recognizing that the climate crisis is disproportionately affecting the health, economic opportunity, and fundamental rights of children, expressing the sense of Congress that renewed leadership by the United States is 

needed to address the climate crisis, and recognizing 

the need of the United States to develop a national, 

comprehensive, and science-based climate recovery plan 

to phase out fossil fuel emissions, protect and enhance 

natural sequestration, and put the United States on a 

path toward stabilizing the climate system. 


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Whereas a stable climate system at the founding of the 

United States allowed human life and human civilization 

to flourish; 

Whereas the United States was founded on the deeply rooted 

principle of securing ‘‘the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity’’; 

Whereas the Constitution of the United States protects the 

fundamental rights to life, liberty, property, and equal 

protection of the laws; 

Whereas a climate system capable of sustaining human life— 

(1) is fundamental to a free and ordered society; and 

(2) is preservative of fundamental rights, including 

the rights to life, liberty, property, personal security, 

family autonomy, bodily integrity, and the ability to 

learn, practice, and transmit cultural and religious traditions; 

Whereas the Federal Government sets the energy policy of 

the United States, which has resulted in a national energy system in which approximately 80 percent of the energy in the United States comes from fossil fuels; 

Whereas the national fossil fuel-based energy system has led 

to carbon dioxide emissions from the United States constituting more than 1⁄4 of cumulative global carbon dioxide emissions; 

Whereas the United States is the largest producer of oil and 

gas in the world, due in substantial part to the Federal 

Government— 

(1) opening up Federal public land and water for 

fossil fuel extraction; and 

(2) actively supporting fossil fuel energy; 

Whereas there is an overwhelming scientific consensus that— 


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(1) human-caused climate change is occurring; and 

(2) the rate of global heating and ocean acidification 

as of September 2020 is a result of the buildup of atmospheric greenhouse gas emissions, primarily carbon dioxide 

emissions, largely from the combustion of fossil fuels; 

Whereas atmospheric carbon dioxide levels of over 400 parts 

per million as of September 2020 have caused a dangerous planetary energy imbalance, equivalent to the 

quantity of energy of exploding more than 400,000 atomic bombs of the kind dropped on Hiroshima, Japan, per 

day, 365 days per year, across the planet; 

Whereas the latest climate science and real-world observations of that energy imbalance demonstrate that the approximately 1 degree Celsius of warming that has already 

occurred as a result of human-caused climate change is 

already dangerous and negatively affecting all aspects of 

society and the economy of the United States; 

Whereas the last time that atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide were over 400 parts per million— 

(1) the seas were 70 to 90 feet higher; 

(2) Greenland had no ice; and 

(3) coral reefs suffered a major extinction; 

Whereas similar conditions will result if the United States 

does not drastically reduce carbon dioxide emissions and 

naturally sequester excess concentrations of atmospheric 

carbon dioxide during the 21st century; 

Whereas climate change is a threat to national security, as 

climate change contributes to and exacerbates global instability and conflict; 


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Whereas the generation of today’s children was born into a 

climate system made hazardous to their health and wellbeing because of human-caused climate change; 

Whereas children are uniquely vulnerable to human-caused 

climate change because of their developing bodies, higher 

exposure to air, food, and water per unit of body weight, 

unique behavior patterns, dependence on caregivers, and 

longevity on the planet; 

Whereas human-caused climate change is a public health 

emergency that is adversely impacting the physical and 

mental health of children through— 

(1) extreme weather events; 

(2) rising temperatures and increased heat exposure; 

(3) decreased air quality; 

(4) altered infectious disease patterns; 

(5) food and water insecurity; and 

(6) other effects; 

Whereas infant mortality increases 25 percent on extremely 

hot days, with the first 7 days of life representing a period of critical vulnerability; 

Whereas heat illness is a leading cause of death and illness 

in high school athletes, with nearly 10,000 episodes of 

heat illness occurring annually; 

Whereas 8.4 percent of children suffer from allergic rhinitis, 

and the ragweed pollen season in North America has 

grown 13 to 27 days longer since 1995 due to higher 

temperatures and greater atmospheric carbon dioxide levels; 

Whereas children exposed to wildfires suffer substantial— 

(1) eye symptoms; and 


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•SCON 47 IS 

(2) upper and lower respiratory symptoms that lead 

to increased rates of asthma-related hospitalizations and 

emergency room visits; 

Whereas extreme weather events can negatively impact the 

mental health of children due to— 

(1) family loss or separation; 

(2) school interruption; 

(3) scarcities of food, water, and shelter; and 

(4) public service outages; 

Whereas, without immediate steps to address human-caused 

climate change, the health effects of climate change on 

children will— 

(1) increase in severity and in terms of the number 

of children impacted; and 

(2) cost the United States billions of dollars per year 

by the end of the 21st century; 

Whereas children will largely shoulder the costs of humancaused climate change; 

Whereas further increases in global temperature will saddle 

children with an enormous, perhaps incalculable, cost 

burden, undermining their economic security and the economic security of the United States; 

Whereas children are deserving of special consideration and 

protection with respect to human-caused climate change; 

Whereas children on the frontlines of human-caused climate 

change across the United States and globally have risen 

up and called upon government leaders around the world 

to take concrete, science-based, and equitable action— 

(1) to address human-caused climate change; and 

(2) to ensure climate justice for their generation, future generations, and frontline and vulnerable commuVerDate Sep 11 2014 18:06 Sep 24, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SC47.IS SC47

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nities, including communities of color, low-income communities, and indigenous peoples; 

Whereas global atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations 

must be reduced to below 350 parts per million by the 

end of the 21st century, with further reductions thereafter, to restore the energy balance of the planet, stabilize the climate system, and protect the ice sheets and 

oceans for posterity; 

Whereas existing and future adverse public health and other 

impacts and costs to children and the United States can 

be significantly mitigated if the United States acts 

promptly to reduce emissions from fossil fuels in the 

United States; 

Whereas numerous experts have concluded that there are 

multiple technically and economically feasible pathways to 

place all sectors of the economy of the United States on 

an emissions-reduction path consistent with returning 

global atmospheric carbon dioxide to 350 parts per million by 2100; 

Whereas producing energy in the United States with noncarbon-emitting sources will result in energy costs within 

the range of recent experience, ultimately saving consumers money and stabilizing the cost of energy, while 

increasing the number of jobs in the energy sector; and 

Whereas multiple Federal departments and agencies can exercise authority delegated by Congress to prevent and respond to climate change, including— 

(1) the Department of Energy; 

(2) the Department of the Interior; 

(3) the Department of Agriculture; 

(4) the Environmental Protection Agency; 


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(5) the Department of Commerce; and 

(6) the Department of State: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives 

2 concurring), That it is the sense of Congress that— 

3 (1) renewed leadership by the United States is 

4 needed immediately to address the human-caused 

5 climate crisis that is disproportionately affecting the 

6 health, economic opportunity, and fundamental 

7 rights of the children of the United States; and 

8 (2) there is a human-caused climate crisis 

9 that— 

10 (A) has inspired children across the United 

11 States to organize and demand immediate gov12 ernment action to protect their fundamental 

13 rights from the perils of climate change; and 

14 (B) demands a national, comprehensive, 

15 science-based, and just climate recovery plan 

16 that— 

17 (i) is prepared by Federal depart18 ments and agencies pursuant to delegated 

19 authority over energy and climate policy; 

20 and 

21 (ii) to uphold the fundamental rights 

22 of children, puts the United States on a 

23 trajectory consistent with reducing global 


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1 atmospheric carbon dioxide to below 350 

2 parts per million by 2100. 

Æ 


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