Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 104 Part 4.djvu/780

 104 STAT. 3096 PUBLIC LAW 101-606—NOV. 16, 1990 Public Law 101-606 101st Congress An Act To require the establishment of a United States Global Change Research Program Nov 16 1990 aimed at understanding and responding to global change, including the cumulative ' effects of human activities and natural processes on the environment, to promote [o. lb9J discussions toward international protocols in global change research, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Global Change United States of America in Congress assembled, Research Act of 1990. SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 15 USC 2921 note. This Act may be cited as the "Global Change Research Act of 1990". 15 USC 2921. SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. As used in this Act, the term— (1) "Committee" means the Committee on Earth and Environmental Sciences established under section 102; (2) "Council" means the Federal Coordinating Council on Science, Engineering, and Technology; (3) "global change" means changes in the global environment (including alterations in climate, land productivity, oceans or other water resources, atmospheric chemistry, and ecological systems) that may alter the capacity of the Earth to sustain life; (4) "global change research" means study, monitoring, assessment, prediction, and information management activities to describe and understand— (A) the interactive physical, chemical, and biological processes that regulate the total Earth system; (B) the unique environment that the Earth provides for life; (C) changes that are occurring in the Earth system; and (D) the manner in which such system, environment, and changes are influenced by human actions; (5) "Plan" means the National Global Change Research Plan developed under section 104, or any revision thereof; and (6) "Program" means the United States Global Change Research Program established under section 103. TITLE I—UNITED STATES GLOBAL CHANGE RESEARCH PROGRAM 15 USC 2931. SEC. 101. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE. (a) FINDINGS.— The Congress makes the following findings: (1) Industrial, agricultural, and other human activities, coupled with an expanding world population, are contributing to processes of global change that may significantly alter the Earth habitat within a few human generations. (2) Such human-induced changes, in conjunction with natural fluctuations, may lead to significant global warming and thus

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