IV
105TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. CON. RES. 157
Expressing the sense of the Congress regarding the effects of global warming-
induced climate disruption on the Pacific nations that are allies of
the United States and the resulting threat to the global interests of
the United States.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
SEPTEMBER 24, 1997
Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was
referred to the Committee on Internaional Relations
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
Expressing the sense of the Congress regarding the effects
of global warming-induced climate disruption on the Pa-
cific nations that are allies of the United States and
the resulting threat to the global interests of the United
States.
Whereas the world’s leading climate experts who comprise the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (hereafter in
this preamble referred to as the ‘‘IPCC’’) have reported
that ‘‘the balance of evidence suggests a discernible
human influence on global climate’’;
Whereas the IPCC has concluded that the effects of global
climatic disruption due to increased greenhouse gas emis-
sions could result in (1) a global temperature increase of
1.8 to 6.3 degrees Fahrenheit by the year 2100; (2) a
•HCON 157 IH
rise in sea level of 6 inches to 3 feet by the year 2100;
(3) extreme weather events due to a more vigorous
hydrological cycle, such as increased flooding in some
areas and more severe droughts in others; (4) saltwater
intrusion into freshwater supplies; and (5) the spread of
infectious diseases, including malaria and dengue fever;
Whereas the IPCC estimates that today’s carbon emissions
will remain in our atmosphere for a century or more;
Whereas more than 2,600 scientists recently signed the Sci-
entists’ Statement on Global Climatic Disruption calling
on the United States, as the world leader in greenhouse
gas emissions, to provide leadership this December in
Kyoto, Japan, where an international protocol to the
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate
Change, to which the United States is party, is scheduled
to be signed;
Whereas relations between the United States and Pacific is-
land nations historically have been marked by a spirit of
mutual understanding and cooperation on a wide range
of issues;
Whereas Pacific island nations and the United States share
a commitment to world peace, and the Pacific islands
have traditionally been supportive of major United States
initiatives, including United States positions at the Unit-
ed Nations;
Whereas at the Seventh Economic Summit of Smaller Island
States (SIS), held September 17, 1997, in the Cook Is-
lands, a statement was issued to reaffirm, recognize, and
endorse the Second Assessment Report of the Inter-Gov-
ernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) of 1996;
•HCON 157 IH
Whereas the United States is a Forum Dialogue Partner in
the South Pacific Forum and is a participant or contrib-
utor to other regional organizations, including the South
Pacific Regional Environment Programme, the South Pa-
cific Commission, the Forum Fisheries Agency, the El
Nino research in conjunction with the United States Na-
tional Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
the South Pacific Geoscience Commission (SOPAC), the
Joint Commercial Commission (JCC), the U.S. Studies
Country Program (USSCP), in connection with the Inte-
grated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) Program, the
International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI), the South Pa-
cific Nuclear-Free Zone (SPNFZ) Treaty, the Asia-Pa-
cific Economic Cooperation (APEC), the World Bank,
and the Asian Development Bank;
Whereas the bonds of cooperation are established between the
United States and Pacific island nations either through
independent territorial, commonwealth, or free associa-
tion relationships;
Whereas certain Pacific island nations, in alliance with the
United States, have historically provided for an impor-
tant U.S. regional strategic presence and have continued
to provide such vital assistance in recent years;
Whereas the world is becoming more politically and socially
volatile, with growing security threats in proximity to the
Pacific region and in other potentially hostile global thea-
ters;
Whereas Pacific island nations, with many inhabited atolls,
lie only a few feet above sea level and are faced with the
constant threat of flooding and the possible loss of their
nations due to a rise in sea level induced by global warm-
ing;
•HCON 157 IH
Whereas Pacific island nations such as Nauru, Tuvalu,
Kiribati, Niue, Tonga, the Cook Islands, the Marshall Is-
lands, and the Federated States of Micronesia are al-
ready experiencing the effects of an accelerated sea level
rise, such as salinization of soil and water, erosion, and
rising tides;
Whereas the National Academy of Sciences has determined
that the efficiency of nearly every United States energy
use can be improved and that the United States could re-
duce its greenhouse gas emissions significantly at low
cost or potential savings; and
Whereas research and development into advanced energy sav-
ing technologies would position the United States as the
leading exporter of these technologies, reduce the depend-
ency of the United States on foreign oil, and help balance
the trade deficit: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate
concurring), That it is the sense of the Congress that—
(1) the United States, with its advanced tech-
nologies and comprehensive studies on global climate
conditions, should be committed to the proposition
that global warming is a very serious international
issue, and the United States take appropriate meas-
ures to consult closely with the nations of the world
to address this serious problem; and
(2) the leaders and peoples of Pacific island na-
tions should be commended for their efforts to en-
hance the consciousness and sensitivity of the world