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APPENDIX A <br />To the City of Chicago Resolution in Favor of National Carbon Fee & Dividend Legislation <br />Findings: <br />Causation: there is a consensus among climate scientists' 2, domestic and international <br />science bodies such as the National Academy of Sciences, the International Panel on <br />Climate Change, the American Meteorological Society, The Geological Society of <br />America, the American Chemical Society, the American Physical Society, and several <br />other scientific bodies, that greenhouse gas emissions from human activities such as <br />burning fossil fuels are driving the current rise in global temperatures and the associated <br />climatic change3, <br />2. Mitigation: the weight of the scientific evidence indicates that business -as -usual will not <br />lead to reductions in greenhouse gas emission s4,5, and scientists and economists have <br />reached an agreement that an "upstream" tax or fee on carbon pollution is desirable to <br />reduce emission S6 -9, <br />3. Endangerment: further increases in global temperatures pose substantial dangers to <br />human health'o, the natural environment ", the economyl2 -15, national securityl6, and an <br />unacceptable risk of medium and long -term future harm ", <br />a. Climate change caused by global- warming - related greenhouse gas emissions <br />including CO2 is already leading to large -scale problems including rising sea <br />levels; more frequent, extreme, and damaging weather events such as heat <br />waves, storms, heavy rainfall and flooding, and droughts; more frequent and <br />intense wildfires; disrupted ecosystems affecting biodiversity and food <br />production; and an increase in heat - related death S18; and <br />We are potentially approaching or are currently passing several climate tipping <br />points, including unstoppable ice melt leading to irreversible sea level rise1920 <br />methane release and runaway warming from melting permafrost21 and ocean <br />hydrate emancipation22, rainforest dieback, etc.23; and <br />4. Local effects of climate change: Overall, the effects of climate change on the Chicago <br />area are expected to be negative 24. The following effects of climate change are likely to <br />occur in the absence of major action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions: <br />a. Mortality similar to the 1995 Chicago heat wave is expected to be the new <br />norm for annual heat wave - related deaths in Chicago25, <br />Surface ozone levels in Chicago are expected to increase26,27 , worsening air <br />quality and exacerbating breathing problems like emphysema, bronchitis, and <br />asthma, especially in children, <br />c. Greater variability in Chicago area water quality28, <br />d. An increased frequency of heavy rainfall and flooding with the potential to <br />damage buildings, roads, bridges, and rail systems24, <br />3 <br />