IV 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 589 

Expressing the need for immediate climate action in response to the United 

Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Special Report on 

the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

SEPTEMBER 25, 2019 

Ms. BONAMICI (for herself, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. DEFAZIO, Mr. HUFFMAN, Mr. 

LOWENTHAL, Ms. PINGREE, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Mrs. DINGELL, Mr. KILMER, Mr. BLUMENAUER, Mr. MCNERNEY, Mr. PAPPAS, Mr. LEVIN of 

Michigan, Mr. CARSON of Indiana, Mr. DEUTCH, Ms. CASTOR of Florida, 

Mr. QUIGLEY, Mr. ROUDA, Mr. KEATING, Mr. SWALWELL of California, 

Ms. BROWNLEY of California, Ms. SHALALA, Mr. LEVIN of California, 

Ms. JAYAPAL, Mr. CASE, Mr. TAKANO, Mrs. HAYES, Ms. WASSERMAN

SCHULTZ, Mr. COURTNEY, Ms. SCHRIER, Mr. CASTEN of Illinois, Mr. 

ESPAILLAT, Mr. BEYER, Mr. LANGEVIN, Ms. PORTER, Mr. NEGUSE, 

Mrs. DAVIS of California, and Mr. MORELLE) submitted the following 

resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Foreign Affairs, Natural 

Resources, and Science, Space, and Technology, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such 

provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing the need for immediate climate action in response 

to the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Special Report on the Ocean and 

Cryosphere in a Changing Climate. 

Whereas every person on the planet benefits from a healthy 

ocean and a stable cryosphere; 


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•HRES 589 IH 

Whereas the ocean covers more than 70 percent of the 

Earth’s surface; 

Whereas the cryosphere includes the frozen components of 

the Earth’s system, including snow, glaciers, ice sheets, 

ice shelves, icebergs, sea ice, and permafrost; 

Whereas glaciers, ice sheets, and permanent snow hold approximately 69 percent of Earth’s freshwater; 

Whereas the ocean generates the oxygen that we breathe, regulates our climate and weather patterns, supplies food, is 

a source of cultural value, supports tourism and trade, 

and is an untapped renewable energy resource; 

Whereas the ocean and cryosphere support biodiversity and 

regulate the global exchange of water, energy, and carbon; 

Whereas, on September 25, 2019, the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released 

the Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a 

Changing Climate (SROCC); 

Whereas the SROCC is the most comprehensive scientific assessment of the effects of climate change on our ocean 

and coasts, and polar and mountain ecosystems to date; 

Whereas more than 100 scientists from 36 countries produced the SROCC and it was reviewed by thousands of 

scientific experts from around the world; 

Whereas according to the SROCC— 

(1) the ocean has taken up more than 90 percent of 

excess heat in the climate system since 1970 and has 

warmed as a direct result of anthropogenic greenhouse 

gas emissions; 


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•HRES 589 IH 

(2) marine heatwaves have very likely doubled in frequency from 1982 to 2016 and are very likely to become 

longer-lasting, more intense, and more extensive; 

(3) the rate of ocean warming has more than doubled since 1993; 

(4) the ocean has very likely absorbed up to 30 percent of total anthropogenic carbon since the 1980s, causing the ocean to become more acidic; 

(5) the ocean is losing oxygen at an unprecedented 

rate, and oxygen loss will very likely emerge over 59 to 

80 percent of the ocean surface by 2031–2050; 

(6) harmful algal blooms have expanded and increased in frequency in coastal environments since the 

1980s as a result of ocean warming, acidification, and oxygen loss; 

(7) in some regions, fish and shellfish stocks are already on the brink of collapsing; 

(8) environmental stressors like ocean acidification, 

oxygen loss, and warming ocean temperatures are expected to further compromise the abundance, productivity, and food-web interactions of species; 

(9) the decrease in biodiversity, and decline and 

shifts in distribution of fisheries will affect the livelihoods 

and food-security of coastal communities; 

(10) warmer ocean temperatures are fueling extreme 

weather events; 

(11) currently rare extreme sea level events are expected to occur frequently by 2050; 

(12) in the absence of significant adaptation efforts, 

extreme events associated with sea level rise, like erosion, 

flooding, and salinization, are expected to significantly increase; 


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(13) nearly 50 percent of coastal wetlands have been 

lost over the 20th century, and 20 to 90 percent of coastal wetlands are projected to be lost by 2100 as a result 

of sea level rise and habitat degradation; 

(14) coastal blue carbon ecosystems can contribute 

to climate mitigation by storing carbon; 

(15) river runoff in snow-dominated and glacier-fed 

basins are projected to change in response to projected 

snow cover and glacier decline; 

(16) glacial and snow meltwater reductions have resulted in reduced water supply, declined agriculture productivity, and increased wildfires in mountain regions 

and the Arctic; 

(17) tourism and outdoor recreation activities have 

been negatively affected by the cryosphere decline; 

(18) Arctic sea ice is declining in all months of the 

year and sea-ice free summers are increasingly likely 

under 2°C of global warming; 

(19) Arctic surface air temperatures have likely increased by more than double the global average in the 

last two decades, resulting in more sea ice and snow 

cover loss; and 

(20) widespread thaw and degradation of permafrost 

is projected to occur this century and is anticipated to release tens to hundreds of billions of tons of carbon dioxide and methane into the atmosphere; 

Whereas the United States is already facing the consequences 

of inaction on climate change; 

Whereas communities of color, Indigenous communities, and 

low-income communities often face the disproportionate 

effects of inaction on climate change; 


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•HRES 589 IH 

Whereas reducing greenhouse gas emissions, transitioning to 

a clean energy economy, and investing in climate adaptation efforts can support good-paying jobs; 

Whereas, in 2018, the IPCC released a special report titled 

‘‘Global Warming of 1.5°C’’ which found that to limit 

global warming to 1.5°C, net global greenhouse gas emissions must be reduced to 45 percent below 2010 levels by 

2030 and 100 percent below 2010 levels by 2050; 

Whereas the United States has a responsibility to enact policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 45 percent 

below 2010 levels no later than 2030 and achieve net 

zero emissions no later than 2050; and 

Whereas as Congress enacts policies to put the country on a 

path to net zero emissions, there is an opportunity for 

the ocean to be part of the climate solution: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) recognizes and accepts the findings of the 

3 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Special 

4 Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing 

5 Climate; 

6 (2) commits to supporting ocean-centric solu7 tions to the climate crisis in conjunction with poli8 cies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions including— 

9 (A) strengthening, restoring, and pro10 tecting our wetlands, such as mangroves, tidal 

11 salt marshes, and seagrass meadows to store 

12 blue carbon; 


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1 (B) investing in ocean driven renewable en2 ergy, including offshore wind, tidal, and wave 

3 energy, that is responsibly sited and does not 

4 jeopardize the integrity of marine ecosystems; 

5 (C) supporting the electrification of the 

6 maritime industry and our ports; 

7 (D) advancing the exploration of the se8 questration potential of the deep sea; 

9 (E) permanently safeguarding our coasts 

10 from offshore oil and gas drilling; 

11 (F) designing Marine Protected Areas that 

12 safeguard ecosystems; and 

13 (G) strengthening scientific research and 

14 monitoring to improve adaptation efforts to 

15 changing ocean conditions; and 

16 (3) affirms that immediate action is needed to 

17 reduce greenhouse gas emissions to protect the 

18 health of our ocean and the stability of the 

19 cryosphere. 

Æ 


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