Gov. Greg Abbott recently said it is “impossible” for him know whether human-made climate change is contributing to natural disasters in Texas because he is not scientist.

Yes, climate change is complex. But my colleagues and I are here to help. With the start of the 2019 legislative session, 26 climate scientists and experts, including myself, offered to brief Gov. Abbott on the hard evidence that the climate is changing, humans are primarily responsible, and if we don’t act soon, Texans may suffer mightily.

We hope the governor will accept our offer because it is time for him to act. The latest National Climate Assessment, produced by more than 300 scientists and vetted by 13 federal agencies, found that unchecked climate change will have serious impacts on Texas. According to the report, storms will increase in frequency and intensity, high tide will flood a projected $20.9 billion in coastal property by 2030, and extreme heat could result in an additional 1,300 deaths per year by the end of the century.

What’s more, Abbott’s Commission to Rebuild Texas concluded in December that Texas will face significant damage as sea levels rise and future storms become more intense. Hurricane Harvey, the commission said, is a warning that should not be ignored.

And these are just a few findings. These reports warn with increasing urgency that climate change will have dire effects for Texas. In a time as politically polarized as today, it’s more important than ever to hear each other out. This issue isn’t red or blue. It’s about all of us. We should be working hard, together, to protect our coastlines and communities from global warming. So my colleagues and I are stepping up to the plate.

We understand that Abbott hears from fossil-fuel interests and climate-change deniers. There are many powerful people pushing him to ignore the science. But when faced with crisis, the governor should listen to the facts and do the right thing.

Texas can join the many corporations that are taking the issue seriously. Exxon Mobil, for example, accepts the science on climate change. In addition to investing in clean, renewable energy, the company publicly said, “The risk of climate change is clear and the risk warrants action. Increasing carbon emissions in the atmosphere are having a warming effect. There is a broad scientific and policy consensus that action must be taken to further quantify and assess the risks.”

Texas leads the nation in wind power, but we’ve only just begun to tap our potential. A new study from Rice University found that Texas could replace all its coal power with wind and solar energy — even without battery storage or greater energy efficiency. Our state can lead the world on clean energy and climate solutions — and reap the economic benefits being a leader bestows. Abbott can make it happen.

A new report from Environment Texas identifies several steps that he can take on his own to reduce our state’s greenhouse-gas emissions — often with just the stroke of a pen. With the power to appoint the heads of state agencies, propose budgets, set policy, issue executive orders and use his “bully pulpit” to rally the public, he has tremendous influence over the state’s response to climate change.

Fortunately, it’s not too late to act to protect the well-being of every Texan. But it requires leadership. So, Gov. Abbott, let’s talk.

Dessler is the Reta A. Haynes Chair in Geosciences at Texas A&M University and a professor of atmospheric sciences. His research interests include climate change and water vapor, climate change policy and atmospheric chemistry.