HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 92-4774, by Representatives Rust, Nelson, Brekke, Prentice, Van Luven, Horn, D. Sommers, Valle and Bray

     WHEREAS, Public concern about protecting the global environment continues to grow as evidence mounts of the long-term damage done to the earth by global climate change, toxic waste, freshwater and ocean pollution, and loss of biological diversity; and

     WHEREAS, Environmental problems are inextricably linked with economic and trade policies; and

     WHEREAS, States have many critical responsibilities with respect to supporting responsible economic development as well as for environmental protection and natural resource management including land-use planning, transportation, solid and hazardous waste management, and procurement policies; and

     WHEREAS, Washington State enacted comprehensive air quality legislation which requires significant reductions from all major sources of air pollution, including motor vehicles, industries, outdoor burning, forest slash burning, and woodstoves; and

     WHEREAS, Washington State also enacted comprehensive environmental laws addressing hazardous waste, solid waste, and oil spill prevention; and

     WHEREAS, The House of Representatives recognizes that many environmental problems such as global climate change, atmospheric ozone depletion, diminishing biological diversity, and ocean pollution can only be solved with cooperation at all levels of government from the local to the international; and

     WHEREAS, In June 1992, the world's leaders will gather in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil for the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED, otherwise known as the Earth Summit) to define new and bold steps to achieve solutions to the planet's environmental and economic development problems; and

     WHEREAS, The Earth Summit will pay special attention to concerns regarding global climate change, toxic waste, diminishing biological diversity, and ocean and freshwater resources;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives:

     (1) Endorses the goals and objectives of the Earth Summit particularly with respect to the creation and adoption of global agreements that will result in policies and mechanisms to protect the global environment and enhance the ability of nations to equitably develop their natural and human resources; and

     (2) Calls upon the Honorable George Bush, President of the United States, to join his counterparts from around the world at the Earth Summit, and to instruct United States negotiators to work with other national delegations in crafting an international protocol on global climate change that would reduce this nation's emissions of carbon dioxide by twenty percent by the year 2000, and thus reestablish the United States' role as a leader in managing the planet's resources for present and future generations.