Bill > SRes551

This resolution recognizes the urgent and accelerating issue of sea-level rise caused by human-induced climate change, highlighting several critical scientific and socioeconomic implications. The document presents extensive evidence of rising sea levels, including that tide gauges along U.S. coasts show accelerating rates, with sea-level rise more than doubling in the past century, primarily driven by thermal expansion of ocean water. The resolution notes that depending on greenhouse gas emissions, sea levels could rise between 2 and 7.2 feet by 2100, with potential catastrophic consequences such as the destabilization of the Greenland and West Antarctic ice sheets. The implications are significant: approximately 30% of U.S. population lives in coastal areas, with 3.7 million people residing on land less than 3.3 feet above high tide, and up to 13 million individuals could face displacement by 2100. Furthermore, the resolution emphasizes the economic impact, noting that $10 trillion of goods and services are produced in coastal counties annually, and rising sea levels are already disrupting insurance, mortgage, and real estate markets. Ultimately, the resolution formally acknowledges the reality of anthropogenic (human-caused) climate change and its dangerous role in raising sea levels.

Transportation and Infrastructure

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-resolution/551/all-info