Dozens of Texas Scientists Send Letter to Gov. Greg Abbott Offering to Brief Him on Climate Change

Twenty-seven climate scientists, researchers and professors from Texas universities sent a letter to Gov. Greg Abbott on Tuesday requesting to the opportunity to brief him on climate science and what Texas needs to do to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions and adapt to climate change.The offer comes less than a month after the governor told a reporter it was “impossible” for him to say whether man-made climate change has affected weather disasters in Texas because he’s “not a scientist.” The letter cites the governor’s comments at a news conference following a report on Hurricane Harvey with several recommendations for the Lone Star State to protect itself from another major hurricane.“We, the undersigned, are climate scientists and experts, and can report to you that climate change is happening, it is primarily caused by humans, and it is having a devastating impact on Texas, including increasing deadly flooding resulting from Hurricane Harvey,” the letter says.The letter cites findings from the National Climate Assessment, released in November, which includes the work and findings of more than 300 scientists and 13 federal agencies. The findings include predictions that Texas could see 30 to 60 more days per year at or above 100 degrees, that warmer temperatures could lead to 1,300 deaths per year by the 2100, that a sea-level rise along western Gulf of Mexico “is likely to be greater than the projected global average of 1-4 feet or more,” and other dire predictions if climate change is left unchecked.  Continue reading...