Climate scientists warn that global warming is accelerating past emissions goals
Last week, The Town of Carrboro added its voice to a growing call from over 320 groups in climate-impacted communities, businesses and elected officials, along with faith, youth-based, and environmental groups for NC Governor Josh Stein to stop Duke Energy’s massive expansion of fossil fuels.
“We, the Carrboro Town Council, urge NC Governor Josh Stein to become a national climate champion by using every tool available to him to persuade or require Duke Energy executives to phase out deadly and dangerous fuel sources and transition to affordable, resilient, and renewable energy,” Carrboro Mayor Barbara Foushee said as she led the Town Council to unanimously pass (start video at 21:35) a resolution being promoted by NC WARN.
Others recently endorsing the resolution include esteemed former Durham mayor Steve Schewel, Durham County Commissioner Nida Allam, Yes Solar Solutions, Sunrise Movement Asheville, Weaver Street Market, Interfaith Creation Care of the Triangle, Clean Water for North Carolina and the North Carolina A. Philip Randolph Institute, among many others.
Climate Point of No Return
This move comes as the world’s leading scientists, including James Hansen, say the climate crisis is accelerating; we are blowing past global climate targets (1.5°C over pre-industrial temperatures) and heading toward a point of no return unless sweeping and dramatic reductions in emissions are made in the 2020s.
Last year, over 60 scientists, led by globally-prominent climatologist Drew Shindell, called directly on NC Governor Josh Stein to get Duke Energy to immediately begin phasing out fossil fuels instead of expanding them.
“It is really an emergency that we change course as quickly as possible, which is what you do in an emergency … you do whatever it takes,” Shindell said. “We really need to use all the levers we can to push Duke Energy away from this fossil fuel path.”
The Duke University climatologist has several times publicly urged the governor to take action, including in a new video ad being run by NC WARN.
Hansen, who was Shindell’s colleague at Columbia University for years, recently wrote that “the current flippant attitude – 1.5°C isn’t so bad, we can deal with 3°C – of people who should know better will dissolve, if we can improve understanding of the danger of passing the point of no return.”
Hansen also recently stated that the goal to keep global warming under 2°C is now “implausible,” although he indicated that acknowledging the true climate situation is an essential first step toward avoiding climate catastrophe.
That’s why, as NC WARN’s resolution states, Governor Stein must break through the deception and help the public understand that North Carolina is on the wrong course, and that Duke Energy must finally begin a genuine transition to clean energy if this state is ever going to help slow the climate crisis.
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Now in its 38th year, NC WARN is building people power in the climate and energy justice movement to persuade or require Charlotte-based Duke Energy – one of the world’s largest climate polluters – to make a quick transition to renewable, affordable power generation and energy efficiency in order to avert climate tipping points and ongoing rate hikes.