As a climate scientist, I have studied the impacts of human emissions of carbon dioxide on the climate system for nearly 20 years. Over this time, my research, as well as research by my colleagues, has made me increasingly worried about the impacts of climate change on human society.

But last week's release of a Green New Deal resolution is the first time I've felt a sliver of that worry fall away, because it feels like solutions are finally on the horizon.

At this point, just about everyone recognizes that the climate is changing. Even Donald Trump says, "I think something's happening."

Though it's not as well recognized, the scientific community is certain that human activities are the cause, primarily the emission of carbon dioxide from the combustion of fossil fuels.

If we don't take action, unchecked greenhouse-gas emissions would lead to global-average warming over this century of 5 degrees Fahrenheit to 9 degrees Fahrenheit. This may not sound like much until you realize that the warming since the last ice age — a warming that completely reconfigured the planet and caused 300 feet of sea level rise — was about 9 degrees Fahrenheit. With continued fossil fuel use, we might see warming over the current century sufficient to literally remake the Earth's environment and our place within it.

This warming is as certain as death and taxes. And if that wasn't enough, there is a long list of other worrying impacts that flow from it. Warming has already made heat waves more frequent and intense, and it will only get worse. Climate change has already intensified rainfall patterns, turbocharging events like Hurricane Harvey. As oceans warm and glaciers and ice sheets melt, our seas rise, leading to enhanced coastal flooding. And excess carbon dioxide in the air is absorbed by the oceans, gradually but steadily turning them more acidic, which is bad news for the ocean's ecosystems.

Though the outlook may be dire, there is hope. The cost of wind and solar energy, which do not emit dangerous greenhouse gases, has dropped rapidly in the past decade and is now competitive with coal energy in many places. A team of scientists at Rice University has shown how Texas could close all its coal-fired power plants.

That's why I think the Green New Deal is so important. It moves the debate past "is the climate warming?" (it is) and "is that bad?" (it is) and focuses on what we should do. Surveys show that the public wants action on climate, as well as supports the principles of the Green New Deal.

The first report warning about climate change was sent to President Johnson in 1965. In the 54 years since, we've made essentially no progress. The Green New Deal heralds a new period where people debate policies big enough to reckon with the incredible size of the climate challenge. And that makes me hopeful that all the years so many of us have dedicated to studying climate change and warning of its dangers were not spent in vain.

Difficult issues need to be hashed out. How much do we continue to rely on nuclear power? How quickly should we aim to reduce our society's emissions of greenhouse gases? These are important decisions, and the pros and cons of various policy options need to be weighed. But that is an infinitely more productive debate than whether or not climate change is a hoax invented by the Chinese.

Some people will argue that we can't solve the problem. When dealing with climate change, though, failure is not an option. Throughout history, American ingenuity has overcome so many problems. And in the process, we have found cost-effective ways to clean up the air and tackle other challenges. This has not only led to a cleaner environment, but it has also spurred economic growth. We are confident that the same thing will happen here.

The debate over the Green New Deal will lead to a debate we need to have — how to address the dangers of climate change. And for the first time in a long time, it's a debate I'm hopeful about.

Andrew Dessler (@andrewdessler) is Professor of Atmospheric Sciences at Texas A&M University.

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