As North Carolina struggles to tackle the growing coronavirus crisis, the climate crisis isn’t going away. Our state is looking straight down the barrel of drastic and unwelcome changes by 2050 — and even worse ones if carbon emissions are not brought under control. That’s the central takeaway from a new state report issued last week on historical climate trends and our potential climate future under increased greenhouse gas concentrations.

“Even under a scenario where greenhouse gas emissions peak around 2050 and decline thereafter, North Carolina will experience substantial changes in climate,” the report reads.

The report, formally titled the “North Carolina Climate Science Report,” is an in-depth look at trends, causes, and likely climate impacts in North Carolina. It was prepared by the North Carolina Institute for Climate Studies (NICS) at NC State University, using research and information prepared by North Carolina-based climate science experts, and peer-reviewed by an advisory panel of research scientists with national or international reputations.

Tell Senators Tillis and Burr to support the Clean Economy Act to boost our clean energy economy and ward off the worst impacts of the climate crisis!