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HCR014................................by ENVIRONMENT, ENERGY AND TECHNOLOGY
FOSSIL FUEL DEPENDENCE - Stating findings of the Legislature and urging
support of the enactment of policies and programs to reduce Idaho's
dependence on fossil fuels, accelerate the development of clean, economical
energy resources and fuel-efficient technologies; and to support efforts of
our local communities to exercise property stewardship and to take action
aimed at reducing greenhouse gases.
02/09 House intro - 1st rdg - to printing
02/12 Rpt prt - to Env
02/15 Rpt out - rec d/p - to 2nd rdg
Ret'd to Env
]]]] LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF IDAHO ]]]]
Fifty-ninth Legislature First Regular Session - 2007
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 14
BY ENVIRONMENT, ENERGY AND TECHNOLOGY COMMITTEE
1 A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
2 STATING FINDINGS OF THE LEGISLATURE AND SUPPORTING THE ENACTMENT OF POLICIES
3 AND PROGRAMS TO REDUCE IDAHO'S DEPENDENCE ON FOSSIL FUELS, ACCELERATE THE
4 DEVELOPMENT OF CLEAN, ECONOMICAL ENERGY RESOURCES AND FUEL-EFFICIENT
5 TECHNOLOGIES, AND TO SUPPORT THE EFFORTS OF OUR LOCAL COMMUNITIES TO EXER-
6 CISE PROPER STEWARDSHIP AND TO TAKE ACTION AIMED AT REDUCING GREENHOUSE
7 GASES.
8 Be It Resolved by the Legislature of the State of Idaho:
9 WHEREAS, according to the Idaho Energy Policy Survey conducted by Boise
10 State University, released in January 2007, seventy percent of Idahoans
11 believe that humans contribute to climate change; and
12 WHEREAS, recent well-documented impacts of climate change, including ris-
13 ing sea levels, declining ancient Arctic sea ice thickness, and rapidly rising
14 global average temperatures and the impacts of global climate change, as well
15 as climate disruption of a magnitude now predicted by many in the scientific
16 community, have the potential of causing long-term drought, famine, mass
17 migration, and abrupt climatic shifts, posing a serious threat to the economy,
18 public health, environment and worldwide security; and
19 WHEREAS, Idahoans hold an enduring property right to natural resources
20 such as air, water, soils, snowpack, fisheries and wildlife and the state, as
21 sovereign trustee of those resources, has a duty to protect them for the bene-
22 fit of present and future generations; and
23 WHEREAS, reducing greenhouse gas emissions to the levels necessary to
24 avoid serious climatic disruption requires the introduction of new energy
25 technologies and other climate-friendly technologies, the use of which results
26 in low or no emissions of greenhouse gases or in the capture and storage of
27 greenhouse gases while at the same time presenting economic opportunities for
28 workers and businesses in the United States; and
29 WHEREAS, climate-friendly technologies can improve air quality by reducing
30 harmful pollutants from stationary and mobile sources, and can enhance energy
31 security by reducing reliance on imported oil, diversifying energy sources,
32 and reducing the vulnerability of energy delivery infrastructure; and
33 WHEREAS, numerous cities, including three Idaho cities, and numerous
34 states have adopted resolutions to take actions to reduce greenhouse gases and
35 communities throughout the nation are reducing greenhouse gases through pro-
36 grams that provide economic and quality of life benefits such as reduced
37 energy bills, agricultural land preservation, air quality improvements,
38 reduced traffic congestion, improved transportation choices, and economic
39 development and job creation through energy conservation and new energy
40 technologies.
41 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the members of the First Regular Session
42 of the Fifty-ninth Idaho Legislature, the House of Representatives and the
43 Senate concurring therein, that we support the enactment of policies and pro-
44 grams to reduce Idaho's dependence on fossil fuels and accelerate the develop-
2
1 ment of clean, economical energy resources and fuel-efficient technologies
2 such as conservation, methane recovery for energy generation, waste to energy,
3 wind and solar energy, geothermal energy, fuel cells, efficient motor vehi-
4 cles, hydro energy, second generation nuclear once technology is developed to
5 neutralize radioactive waste, woody biomass and biofuels.
6 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we support efforts of our local communities to
7 exercise proper stewardship and to take action aimed at reducing greenhouse
8 gases through the adoption and enforcement of land use policies that reduce
9 sprawl, preserve open space, promote transportation options, increase the use
10 of clean alternative energy, make energy efficiency a priority, practice and
11 promote sustainable building practices, increase recycling rates, maintain
12 healthy forests and educate the public about reducing greenhouse gases.
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
RS 16978
This resolution recognizes that Idaho's citizens hold an enduring
property right to Idaho's natural resources and that the state of
Idaho has a duty to protect these resources for the benefit of
present and future citizens. Therefore, the Legislature of the
State of Idaho supports the development of and education about
policies and programs that reduce Idaho's greenhouse gas
emissions and encourage the development of clean, economical
energy resources and fuel-efficient technologies.
FISCAL NOTE
There is no impact to the General Fund.
Contact
Name: Rep Jaquet
Phone: 322-1000
Rep Chew
Rep Block
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE/FISCAL NOTE HCR 14