Climate Science Research Proposals from the 110th Congress
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.
H.R. 5642:
Safe Climate Act, which would reduce GHG emissions to 1990 levels by 2020 and to 20 percent of 1990 levels by 2050. The bill would also set GHG emission standards for automobile fleets and electric generation facilities identical to those enacted by the state of California. The bill would also require the National Academy of Sciences to identify needed further reductions if any of the following events has occurred or is likely to occur: atmospheric GHG concentrations in excess of 450 ppm CO2 equivalent; global mean surface temperature above 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit (2 degrees C); substantial slowing of the Atlantic thermohaline circulation; sea level rise of more than 8 inches; ice-free Arctic Ocean in the summer; decrease in the area of permafrost to below 50% of such area in 2000; or loss of over 40% of the world’s coverage of coral reefs, due to increased ocean temperature or acidity. The bill would also establish a national renewable energy standard and a national energy efficiency standard.
Sponsor:
Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA)
(85 Cosponsors)
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.R. 6:
Energy Policy Act of 2003, which is identical to H.R. 4 , the Senate-passed Energy Policy Act of 2002. The bill included three climate change titles. Title XI would establish a National Greenhouse Gas Registry and allow entities to report voluntarily their GHG emissions and emission reductions to the registry. If, five years after enactment, less than 60% of U.S. anthropogenic GHG emissions had been reported voluntarily, reporting would be required of large GHG emitters. The title also would encourage future Congresses to consider registered reductions as applicable towards future GHG reduction requirements. Title X would establish a National Climate Change Strategy with the goal of stabilization of GHG concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system; an Office of National Climate Change Policy within the White House; and a research and development program toward the goal of stabilization of GHG concentrations. Title X also includes a Sense of the Congress Resolution urging the U.S. to participate in international negotiations, with the objective of securing U.S. participation in a future binding climate change treaty. Title XIII would authorize various climate change research activities.
Sponsor:
Rep. W.J.
(4 Cosponsors)
S. 1072:
Safe, Accountable, Flexible, and Efficient Transportation Equity Act of 2003, which, among other things, would establish a multimodal energy and climate change program to study the relationship of energy, transportation, and climate change, and call for the development of strategies to reduce GHG emissions from transportation. (See H.R. 2088) This language was stripped from the bill when it was reported out of committee. This bill was introduced at the request of the Bush Administration.
(3 Cosponsors)
S. 1164:
Abrupt Climate Change Research Act of 2003, which would establish within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) a program of scientific research on abrupt climate change.
Sponsor:
Sen. Susan M. Collins (R-ME)
(4 Cosponsors)
S. 1400:
Ocean Observation and Coastal Systems Act, which would establish an integrated ocean and coastal observing system that would include a global ocean system to make observations in all oceans for the purpose of documenting long-term trends in sea level change, ocean carbon sources and sinks, and heat uptake and release by the ocean; and to monitor ocean locations for signs of abrupt or long-term changes in ocean circulation leading to changes in climate.
Sponsor:
Sen. Olympia J. Snowe (R-ME)
(8 Cosponsors)
S. 1401:
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Reauthorization Act of 2003, which, among other things, as originally introduced, authorized $10.4 million for fiscal year 2004 for the NOAA Center for Weather and Climate Prediction, and an amount annually increasing to $228 million for fiscal year 2008 for climate research.
Sponsor:
Sen. John McCain (R-AZ)
(1 Cosponsors)
S. 1953:
Deep Sea Coral Protection Act, which, among other things, states that some deep sea corals have a growth ring structure that records changes in water temperature and other information that can be used to track global climate change.
Sponsor:
Sen. Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ)
S. 2460:
New Mexico Water Planning Assistance Act, which, among other things, authorizes the Department of the Interior to provide the state of New Mexico technical assistance in expanding climate monitoring networks.
Sponsor:
Sen. Pete V. Domenici (R-NM)
(1 Cosponsors)
S. 2541:
NASA Authorization Act of 2004, which, among other things, finds that an aggressive initiative by the federal government to develop aircraft technologies would reduce the rate at which greenhouse gases are added to the atmosphere by aircraft. The bill also would earmark $5 million annually for climate change research.
Sponsor:
Sen. John McCain (R-AZ)
(3 Cosponsors)
S. 2647:
National Ocean Policy and Leadership Act, which, among other things, would establish at NOAA an Associate Administrator for Climate and Atmosphere; establish a Presidential Panel of Advisers on Oceans and Climate to review issues relating to national ocean and atmospheric policy, including climate change; establish a program of ocean and atmospheric research, conservation, management, education, monitoring, and assessment that would recognize the linkage of ocean, land, and atmospheric systems with respect to climate change; provide for improvement of technologies for use in climate-related activities; require a biennial report to Congress on ocean and atmospheric environments, including with respect to climate change, that among other things would report progress in predicting climate change.
Sponsor:
Sen. Ernest F. Hollings (D-SC)
(10 Cosponsors)
S. 2648:
Ocean Research Coordination and Advancement Act, which, among other things, finds that a coordinated program of education and basic and applied research would assist the nation and the world to further knowledge of the oceans and the global climate system.
Sponsor:
Sen. Ernest F. Hollings (D-SC)
(4 Cosponsors)
S. 682:
The Genomes to Life Research and Development Act, which would establish a research and development program in systems biology and proteomics (a proteome is a protein complement to a genome), one long-term goal of which would be to stabilize atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide to counter global warming, and one specific goal of which would be to understand the Earth's natural carbon cycle and to create strategies to stabilize atmospheric carbon dioxide.
Sponsor:
Sen. Pete V. Domenici (R-NM)
(3 Cosponsors)
S. Con. Res. 49:
A concurrent resolution designating the week of June 9, 2003, as National Oceans Week, which cites the role oceans play in the carbon cycle and in regulating climate.
Sponsor:
Sen. Olympia J. Snowe (R-ME)
(19 Cosponsors)
H. Con. Res. 202:
Expressing the sense of Congress in support of a National Oceans Week, which cites the role oceans play in the carbon cycle and in regulating climate.
Sponsor:
Rep. James C. Greenwood (R-PA)
(25 Cosponsors)
H.R. 1578:
Global Change Research and Data Management Act of 2003, which would promote and coordinate global change research.
Sponsor:
Rep. Mark Udall (D-CO)
H.R. 1578:
High-Performance Computing Revitalization Act of 2004, which, among other things, directs NOAA to conduct basic and applied research on high-performance computing applications, with emphasis on improving weather forecasting and climate prediction.
Sponsor:
Rep. Judy Biggert (R-IL)
(7 Cosponsors)
H.R. 3566:
To amend the Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act of 1978 to establish a program using geospatial and information management technologies to inventory, monitor, characterize, assess, and identify forest stands and potential forest stands, and addressing, among other things, the quantification of carbon uptake rates.
Sponsor:
Rep. Greg Walden (R-OR)
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. 4546:
To provide for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), to authorize appropriations for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and for other purposes, which, among other things, would establish within NOAA a program of scientific research on abrupt climate change, and require NOAA and the National Weather Service to study the climate.
Sponsor:
Rep. Vernon Ehlers (R-MI)
(2 Cosponsors)
H.R. 4686:
Mississippi River Protection and Restoration Act of 2004, which, among other things, would require the Secretary of the Army to establish a consortium of universities from throughout the Mississippi River Basin to demonstrate wetland values and functions to reduce nutrient loadings to the Gulf of Mexico and to sequester carbon.
Sponsor:
Rep. Ron Kind (D-WI)
(2 Cosponsors)
H.R. 4897:
Deep Sea Coral Protection Act, which, among other things, finds that some deep sea corals have a growth ring structure that provides a living record of changes in water temperature and other information that can be used to track global climate change over time.
(37 Cosponsors)
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)
H.R. 4928:
Coral Reef Conservation and Protection Act of 2004, which finds, among other things, that studies indicate that coral reef ecosystems in the United States and around the world are being degraded and severely threatened by human activities including land-based pollution, overfishing, destructive fishing practices, coastal development, vessel groundings, and climate change.
Sponsor:
Rep. Ed Case (D-HI)
(5 Cosponsors)
H.R. 5001:
Ocean and Coastal Observation Systems Act of 2004, which would establish an integrated ocean and coastal observing system, among other things, to track and understand climate change and the ocean's and Great Lake's roles in it.
Sponsor:
Rep. Curt Weldon (R-PA)
(6 Cosponsors)
H.R. 6:
Energy Policy Act of 2003, which is identical to H.R. 4 , the Senate-passed Energy Policy Act of 2002. The bill included three climate change titles. Title XI would establish a National Greenhouse Gas Registry and allow entities to report voluntarily their GHG emissions and emission reductions to the registry. If, five years after enactment, less than 60% of U.S. anthropogenic GHG emissions had been reported voluntarily, reporting would be required of large GHG emitters. The title also would encourage future Congresses to consider registered reductions as applicable towards future GHG reduction requirements. Title X would establish a National Climate Change Strategy with the goal of stabilization of GHG concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system; an Office of National Climate Change Policy within the White House; and a research and development program toward the goal of stabilization of GHG concentrations. Title X also includes a Sense of the Congress Resolution urging the U.S. to participate in international negotiations, with the objective of securing U.S. participation in a future binding climate change treaty. Title XIII would authorize various climate change research activities.
(4 Cosponsors)
H.R. 984:
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Act of 2003, which, among other things, would authorize the Commerce Department to establish joint or cooperative institutes with qualified colleges and nonprofit research organizations to collaborate on long-term climate change research.
Sponsor:
Rep. Wayne T. Gilchrest (R-MD)
S. Amdt. 2917 to S. 517:
Amendment to the Energy Policy Act of 2002 (S. 517), which includes Title X, establishing a National Climate Change Policy (see S. 1008) and expressing the Sense of the Congress on international climate change negotations (see S. 1401), Title XI, establishing a National Greenhouse Gas Registry, and Title XIII on Climate Change Science and Technology (including carbon sequestration research).
(1 Cosponsors)
H.R. 2646:
Farm Security Act, which reauthorizes the Farm Bill. In the version passed by the House, reauthorizes carbon cycle research and promotes carbon sequestration in forests. In the version passed by the Senate (see S.1731 above), provides payments for farmers for practicing carbon sequestration and funds research into carbon sequestration. The enacted law incorporate the House and Senate carbon sequestration provisions, except that payment for the practice of carbon sequestration is not explicitly provided for. The enacted law also incorporates the Senate bill’s support for renewable energy and energy efficiency on agricultural lands.
(1 Cosponsors)