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Adaptation Proposals from the 110th Congress

S. 1205:   Ratepayers Protection Act, which would require the Congressional Budget Office to report to Congress on the effect on certain disadvantaged individuals (e.g., low-income, disabled, and minority groups) of actions taken or considered by regulated electric utilities to reduce their CO2 emissions. The bill would also prohibit regulated electric utilities from recovering additional costs from ratepayers for reducing CO2 emissions, and prohibit state utility commissions from compelling ratepayers to pay any amount incurred by a regulated public utility for reducing CO2 emissions.

 

S. Amdt. 815:   Energy and Climate Change Act, which would provide for voluntary reporting of GHG emissions and reductions. If after 4 years, 60% of U.S. GHG emissions were not being reported voluntarily, reporting would become mandatory for the largest emitters. The bill would also establish a nation climate vulnerability and adaptation program at the Department of Commerce, a forest carbon sequestration program and an agricultural carbon sequestration measurement program at USDA, and a climate science program at DOE.

Sponsor: Sen. John Corzine (D-NJ)

 

S. Amdt. 900:   Ratepayer Protection, which would require the Congressional Budget Office to report to Congress on the effect on certain disadvantaged individuals (e.g., low-income, disabled, and minority groups) of actions taken or considered by regulated electric utilities to reduce their CO2 emissions.

Sponsor: Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK)

 

H. Amdt. 1120:   Amendment to H.R.5672, the Science, State, Justice, Commerce, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2007, which would provide $1 million for the Secretary of Commerce to contract with the National Academy of Sciences to study which U.S. coastal population centers are most at risk from the impacts of sea level rise due to global warming.

Sponsor: Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ)

 

H. Amdt. 937:   Amendment to H.R.5441, the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act of 2007, which would provide $500,000 to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to conduct a comprehensive study of the increase in demand for FEMA’s emergency response and disaster relief services as a result of weather-related disasters associated with global warming.

Sponsor: Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH)

 

H. Con. Res. 199:   Supporting the goals and ideals of the International Polar Year, recognizes that Polar Regions are highly sensitive to climate change and encourages the U.S. to support funding and research in these geographic areas.

 

H. Con. Res. 398:   Resolution expressing the sense of the Congress that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service should incorporate consideration of global warming and sea-level rise into the comprehensive conservation plans for coastal national wildlife refuges.

 

H. Res. 515:   Resolution requesting that the President provide the House of Representatives with certain documents in his possession relating to the anticipated effects of climate change on the coastal regions of the United States.

(150 Cosponsors)

 

H.R. 5325:   Environment and Public Health Restoration Act, which would have the National Academy of Sciences evaluate current and proposed clean water, clean air and forest and land management legislation for potentially harmful impacts on global climate, as well as public health, air quality, water quality, plant and animal wildlife, and the environment. The bill would also direct Federal departments and agencies to create plans to reverse those impacts that are determined to be harmful by the NAS.

 

Report language for H.R. 5386:   The Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, which would provide the EPA with $1 million to conduct a study of the potential health impacts of global climate change on the U.S. population.

Sponsor: Rep. John Olver (D-MA)

 

H.J. Res. 2:   Consolidated Appropriations Resolution, 2003, which, among other things, provides $175 million to support policies and programs in developing countries and countries in transition that directly: (1) promote energy conservation, energy efficiency and clean energy; (2) measure, monitor, and reduce GHG emissions; (3) increase carbon sequestration activities; and (4) enhance climate change mitigation and adaptation programs. Also, the President must submit a report to the Appropriations Committees on federal agency obligations and expenditures, domestic and international, for climate change and technology transfer programs in fiscal year 2003. Also provides that funds may be used to support tropical forestry and biodiversity conservation activities and energy programs aimed at reducing GHG emissions.

Sponsor: Rep. C.W.

 

H.R. 2673:   Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2004, which, among other things, provides $180 million to support policies and programs in developing countries and countries in transition that directly: (1) promote energy conservation, energy efficiency and clean energy; (2) measure, monitor, and reduce GHG emissions; (3) increase carbon sequestration activities; and (4) enhance climate change mitigation and adaptation programs. Also, the President must submit a report to the Appropriations Committees on federal agency obligations and expenditures, domestic and international, for climate change and technology transfer programs in fiscal year 2004. Also provides that funds may be used to support tropical forestry and biodiversity conservation activities and energy programs aimed at reducing GHG emissions.

Sponsor: Rep. Henry Bonilla (R-TX)

 

H.R. 4067:   The Climate Stewardship Act of 2004, which would cap the GHG emissions of the electricity, manufacturing, commercial and transportation sectors of the economy (representing 85% of U.S. emissions) at their 2000 level by 2010. Emitters would be able to trade GHG emissions credits and get credit for pre-enactment GHG reductions, carbon sequestration, and international GHG reductions, up to a limit. The bill would also require periodic NOAA reports on the projected impacts of climate change on coastal communities and oceanic and coastal ecosystems, and would identify adaptation measures that might be used to protect these resources and to estimate the costs of the measures.

(85 Cosponsors)

 

H.R. 4818:   Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2005, which, among other things, states that that funds appropriated to implement the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 may be used to support tropical forestry and biodiversity conservation activities and energy programs aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions; appropriates $180 million to support clean energy and other climate change policies and programs in developing countries, of which $100 million is to directly promote energy conservation, energy efficiency, and renewable and clean energy technologies, and of which the balance should be made available to directly: (1) measure, monitor, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions; (2) increase carbon sequestration activities; and (3) enhance climate change mitigation and adaptation programs. In addition, the bill requires, within 45 days after the date on which the President's fiscal year 2006 budget request is submitted to Congress, a report on all federal agency obligations and expenditures for climate change programs and activities in fiscal year 2005; as well as fiscal years 2004 and 2005 obligations and estimated expenditures, and fiscal year 2006 requested funds by the United States Agency for International Development for a variety of climate change activities.

Sponsor: Rep. Jim Kolbe (R-AZ)

 

H.R. 4900:   Oceans Conservation, Education, and National Strategy for the 21st Century Act, which, among other things, finds that global climate change is among the major threats to marine ecosystem health; would require the National Oceans Council to develop a National Strategy for Ocean and Coastal Science that, among other things, would improve the ability to understand, assess, and respond to human-induced and natural processes of global climate and environmental change.

Sponsor: Rep. James C. Greenwood (R-PA) (9 Cosponsors)

 

S. 2779:   The Foreign Operations Appropriations Act, FY 2003, which, among other things, appropriates $15,100,000 for International Conservation Programs and the International Panel on Climate Change/United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change; and appropriates $175,000,000 to support policies and programs in developing countries, countries in transition and other partner countries that directly (1) promote energy conservation and efficiency and clean energy programs; (2) measure, monitor, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions; (3) increase carbon sequestration; and (4) enhance climate change mitigation and adaptation programs. The Act also requires a report to Congress on (1) federal FY 2003 climate change expenditures; and (2) FY 2002, 2003 and 2004 United States Agency for International Development funds associated with climate change.

Sponsor: Sen. Patrick J. Leahy (D-VT)