HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 3
(By Mr. Speaker, Mr. Kiss, and Delegates Martin, Staton, Michael,
Mezzatesta, Douglas, Pino, Varner, Manuel, Givens, Kuhn, Collins,
Sparks, Linch, Claypole, Amores, Anderson, Azinger, Beach, Beane,
Boggs, Border, Buchanan, Butcher, Campbell, Cann, Capito, Caputo,
Clements, Coleman, Compton, Dalton, Damron, Davis, Dempsey,
Doyle, Ennis, Evans, Everson, Facemyer, Faircloth, Fantasia,
Flanigan, Fleischauer, Fragale, Frederick, Gillespie, Given,
Hall, Harrison, Heck, Henderson, Hubbard, Hunt, Hutchins,
Jenkins, Johnson, Kelley, Kominar, Laird, Leach, Leggett, Linch,
Louisos, Mahan, McGraw, Miller, Osborne, Overington, Pettit,
Proudfoot, Prunty, Pulliam, Riggs, Rowe, Seacrist, Shelton,
Smirl, Smith, Spencer, Stalnaker, Stemple, Thomas, Thompson,
Tillis, Tomblin, Trump, Tucker, Underwood, Walters, Warner, Webb,
C. White, H. White, L. White, Williams, Willis, Willison, Wright
and Yeager)
Requesting the President of the United States to carefully consider
all possible economic and social effects of the Kyoto Protocol
to the United Nations Framework Convention on Global Climate
Change (FCCC) and not to sign the Protocol unless it is
certain that the provisions of the Protocol will not result in
serious negative effects upon the economy of the United
States, upon the economies of states economically dependent
upon fossil fuel industry and upon the daily financial well
being of the American citizen; and urging the Senate of the United States to to, in the event of its deliberation over the
Protocol for ratification, to consider the same effects and to
reject the Protocol so long as the above mentioned effects are
possible.
Whereas, The United States is a signatory to the 1992 United
Nations Framework Convention on Global Climate Change; and
Whereas, In December, 1997, the United States participated in
negotiations in Kyoto, Japan, resulting in the agreement known as
the Kyoto Protocol, which calls for the United States to reduce
emissions of greenhouse gases by 7 percent from 1990 levels during
the period A.D. 2008 to 2012, with potentially larger reductions
thereafter; and
Whereas, The United States delegation signed the Protocol on
December 10, 1997; and
Whereas, The Kyoto Protocol calls for reductions by other
industrial nations from 1990 levels by 6 to 8 percent during the
same period; and
Whereas, Developing nations are exempted from greenhouse gas emission limitation requirements of the Framework Convention and
refused to accept any new commitments for such limitations during
the negotiations of the Kyoto Protocol; and
Whereas, The United States relies on carbon-based fossil fuels
for more than 90 percent of its total energy supply; and
Whereas, The requirements of the Protocol would bind the United
States to more than a 35 percent reduction in carbon dioxide
emissions between 2008 and 2012; and
Whereas, Research has not reached convincing proof that fossil
fuel related emissions is in fact creating global climate changes;
and
Whereas, Economic impact studies by the United States
government estimate that the requirements of the treaty could
result in the loss of 900,000 jobs, increased energy prices, losses
of output in energy intensive industries such as aluminum, steel,
rubber, chemical and utility production and especially the coal
industry; and
Whereas, The State of West Virginia, being dependent upon these
industries and especially upon the coal industry, would experience
these effects severely, including the possible loss of thousands of
jobs; and
Whereas, The President of the United States pledged on October 22, 1997, that the United States will not assume binding
obligations unless key developing nations meaningfully participate
in this effort; and
Whereas, The failure of key developing nations to participate
will create unfair competitive imbalances between the Unites States
and these developing nations, potentially leading to the transfer
of jobs vital to the West Virginia economy to developing nations;
and
Whereas, On July 25, 1997, the United States Senate adopted
Senate Resolution No. 98, expressing the sense of the Senate that
the United States should not be a signatory to any protocol or to
any other agreement which would require the advice and consent of
the Senate to ratify, and which would mandate new commitments to
mitigate greenhouse gas emissions unless the protocol or agreement
mandates commitments and compliance by developing nations;
therefore, be it
Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That the President of the United States is requested not to
sign the Kyoto Protocol so long as the possibility of all above
mentioned negative effects upon the American economy exists; and,
be it
Further Resolved, That, in the event that the President signs the Kyoto Protocol, the Senate of the United States is requested to
refuse ratification of the Protocol so long as the possibility of
said effects exists; and, be it
Further Rresolved, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates
shall, immediately upon its adoption, transmit duly authenticated
copies of this resolution to the President of the United States, to
the President Pro Tempore and the Secretary of the United States
Senate, and to the United States Senators representing West
Virginia.