Whereas the 8 warmest years on record have now occurred since 2014, with 2016 as the hottest year recorded, and each of the past 4 decades have been warmer than the preceding decade; Whereas global atmospheric concentrations of the primary global warming pollutant, carbon dioxide— (1) have increased, primarily due to human activities, including the burning of fossil fuels and deforestation, by 40 percent since preindustrial times, from 280 parts per million to 415 parts per million; (2) are rising at a rate of 2 to 3 parts per million annually; and (3) must be reduced to not more than 350 parts per million, and likely lower, if humanity wishes to preserve a planet similar to that on which civilization developed and to which life on Earth is adapted, according to former National Aeronautics and Space Administration climatologist Dr. James Hansen; Whereas global atmospheric concentrations of other global warming pollutants, including methane, nitrous oxide, and hydrofluorocarbons, have also increased substantially since preindustrial times, primarily due to human activities, including the burning of fossil fuels; Whereas climate science and observations of climate change impacts, including ocean warming, ocean acidification, floods, droughts, wildfires, and extreme weather, demonstrate that a global rise in concentrations of global warming pollutants is already having dangerous impacts on human populations and the environment; Whereas with the current 1.1 degrees Celsius of warming above preindustrial levels, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration finds that climate change is already increasing the frequency of extreme weather and other climate-related disasters, including drought, wildfire, and storms that include precipitation