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90_SJ0067
LRB9012210NTsb
1 SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION
2 WHEREAS, The United States is a signatory to the 1992
3 United Nations Framework Convention on Global Climate Change
4 (FCCC); and
5 WHEREAS, A proposed protocol to expand the scope of the
6 FCCC was negotiated in December 1997 in Kyoto, Japan (Kyoto
7 Protocol), potentially requiring the United States to reduce
8 emissions of greenhouse gases by 7% from 1990 levels during
9 the period 2008 to 2012, with potentially larger emission
10 reductions thereafter; and
11 WHEREAS, President William J. Clinton pledged on October
12 22, 1997 "that the United States not assume binding
13 obligations (in Kyoto) unless key developing nations
14 meaningfully participate in this effort"; and
15 WHEREAS, On July 25, 1997, the United States Senate
16 adopted Senate Resolution No. 98 by a vote of 95-0,
17 expressing the sense of the Senate that "The United States
18 should not be a signatory to any protocol or other agreement
19 regarding the Framework Convention on Climate Change ...
20 which would require the advice and consent of the Senate to
21 ratification, and which would mandate new commitments to
22 mitigate greenhouse gas emissions for the developed country
23 parties unless the protocol or other agreement also mandates
24 specific scheduled legally binding commitments within the
25 same compliance period to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions
26 for developing country parties."; and
27 WHEREAS, Developing nations are exempt from greenhouse
28 gas emission limitation requirements in the FCCC and refused
29 in the Kyoto negotiations to accept any new commitments for
30 greenhouse gas emission limitations through the Kyoto
31 Protocol; and
-2- LRB9012210NTsb
1 WHEREAS, Emissions of greenhouse gases such as carbon
2 dioxide are caused primarily by the combustion of oil, coal,
3 and natural gas fuels by industries, automobiles, homes, and
4 other uses of energy; and
5 WHEREAS, The United States relies on carbon-based fossil
6 fuels for more than 90% of its total energy supply; and
7 WHEREAS, Achieving the emission reductions proposed by
8 the Kyoto Protocol would require an approximately 38%
9 reduction in projected United States carbon emissions during
10 the period 2008 to 2012; and
11 WHEREAS, Developing countries exempt from emission
12 limitations under the Kyoto Protocol are expected to increase
13 their rates of fossil fuel use over the next two decades and
14 to surpass the United States and other industrialized
15 counties in total emissions of greenhouse gases; and
16 WHEREAS, Studies prepared by the economic forecasting
17 group WEFA, Inc. estimate that legally binding requirements
18 for the reduction of the United States greenhouse gases below
19 1990 emission levels would result in the loss of more than
20 146,800 Illinois jobs, with an unemployment rate approaching
21 6% in 2010, while subjecting Illinois citizens to higher
22 energy, housing, medical, and food costs that would reduce
23 Illinois tax revenue by $1.4 billion annually by 2010;
24 personal income for Illinois citizens would decline by $8.3
25 billion by 2010; and
26 WHEREAS, The failure to provide for commitments by
27 developing countries in the Kyoto Protocol creates an unfair
28 competitive imbalance between industrial and developing
29 nations, potentially leading to the transfer of jobs and
30 industrial development from the United States to developing
31 countries; and
-3- LRB9012210NTsb
1 WHEREAS, There is no consensus within the scientific
2 community that emissions of greenhouse gases are causing or
3 will cause global climate changes; and
4 WHEREAS, Increased emissions of greenhouse gases by
5 developing countries would offset any environmental benefits
6 associated with emissions reductions achieved by the United
7 States and by other industrial nations; therefore, be it
8 RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETIETH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
9 OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
10 CONCURRING HEREIN:
11 (1) That we strongly urge the President of the
12 United States not to sign the Kyoto Protocol to the FCCC;
13 (2) That, if the President does sign the Kyoto
14 Protocol, we strongly urge the United States Senate not
15 to ratify the treaty;
16 (3) That we request that no federal or State agency
17 take any action to initiate strategies to reduce
18 greenhouse gases as required by the Kyoto Protocol until
19 it is revised to include specific scheduled commitments
20 for developing countries to mitigate greenhouse gas
21 emissions with the same compliance periods required for
22 developed countries; and
23 (4) That we strongly urge that any action to
24 mitigate emissions of greenhouse gasses be based on
25 scientific facts and data; and be it further
26 RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
27 delivered to the President of the United States, the
28 President pro tempore of the U.S. Senate, the Speaker of the
29 U.S. House of Representatives, and each member of the
30 Illinois congressional delegation.