LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION urging the New York State Congressional deleg-
ation to support reducing greenhouse gas pollution under the Clean Air
Act

WHEREAS, The decade from 2000 to 2010 was the warmest on record; accord-
ing to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 2005
and 2010 tied for the hottest years on record, while January through
September 2012, were the warmest nine months of any year on record for
the contiguous United States; and
WHEREAS, The current level of CO2 in the atmosphere is approximately
392 parts per million (ppm) according to NOAA; and
WHEREAS, In 2008, one of the world's leading climate scientists, Dr.
James Hansen stated: If humanity wishes to preserve a planet similar to
that on which civilization developed and to which life on Earth is
adapted, paleoclimate evidence and climate change suggests that CO2 will
need to be reduced to 350 ppm or lower; and
WHEREAS, The Environmental Protection Agency determined that current
and future greenhouse gas concentrations endanger public health; accord-
ing to the Global Humanitarian Forum, climate change is already respon-
sible for some 300,000 deaths, seriously affecting 325 million people,
and economic losses worldwide of US $125 billion; and
WHEREAS, Extreme weather events, most notably heat waves and precipi-
tation extremes, are striking with increased frequency, with deadly
consequences for people and wildlife; in the United States alone, a
record 14 weather and climate disasters occurred, including droughts,
heat waves, and floods, that cost at least $1 billion each in damages
and loss of human lives; and
WHEREAS, Climate change is affecting food security as crop growth and
yields diminish and droughts, floods and changes in snowpack depth are
disrupting water supplies; and
WHEREAS, Scientists have concluded that as many as 10 species may be
on the verge of extinction due to climate change; and
WHEREAS, The world's land-based ice is rapidly melting threatening
water supplies in many regions and raising sea levels; arctic summer ice
extent has been decreased to about half of what it was several decades
ago with an accompanying drastic reduction in sea-ice thickness and
volume, which is severely jeopardizing ice-dependent animals like polar
bears; and
WHEREAS, The sea level is rising faster along the East Coast than it
has for at least 2,000 years; this is accelerating in pace and could
rise by one to three feet before the end of this century, threatening
millions of Americans with severe flooding; and
WHEREAS, For four decades, the Clean Air Act has protected the air we
breathe through a proven, comprehensive and successful system of
pollution control that saves lives and creates economic benefits exceed-
ing its costs by many times; and
WHEREAS, With the Clean Air Act, air quality in this country has
improved significantly since 1970, despite major growth both in our
economy and industrial pollution; and
WHEREAS, Between 1970 and 1990, the six main pollutants covered by the
Clean Air Act-particulate matter and ground-level ozone (both of which
contribute to smog and asthma), carbon monoxide, lead, sulfur and nitro-
gen oxides (the pollutants that cause acid rain) were reduced by between
47% and 93%, and airborne lead was virtually eliminated; and
WHEREAS, The US Supreme Court ruled in Massachusetts vs. EPA (2007)
that greenhouse gases are "air pollutants" as defined by the Clean Air

Act and the Environmental Protection Agency has the authority to regu-
late them; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the New York State Congressional delegation be and
hereby is respectfully memorialized by this Legislative Body to urge the
New York State Congressional delegation to support reducing greenhouse
gas pollution under the Clean Air Act; and be it further
RESOLVED, That copies of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to each member of the Congressional delegation from the State of
New York, Administrator of the EPA, and the Clean Air Act Coalition.