by Daniel Brouse
September 3, 2025
The CO₂ Coalition released a report titled “Texas and Climate Change: No Climate Crisis in the Lone Star State,” making a series of sweeping claims: that Texas has experienced no “unprecedented or unusual” warming despite rising atmospheric CO₂, and that current temperatures are comparable to those over a century ago. The report argues that the annual number of 100 °F days in Texas shows an overall decreasing trend, and that precipitation has modestly increased by 0.0245 inches per year from 1850–2023, supposedly indicating no danger of increasing aridity. It further asserts that droughts are not becoming more severe or frequent; tornadoes, hurricanes, and floods are not occurring more often; sea-level rise and coastal subsidence are not threatening Texas’s coast; and wildfires are not becoming more frequent or severe in the United States. According to the report, U.S. air quality is “generally good and getting better,” agriculture in Texas is “thriving,” and carbon dioxide is not only essential to life on Earth but beneficial — enhancing plant growth, increasing food production, and improving drought resistance.
Why the CO₂ Coalition’s Texas Report Is Dangerous and Misleading
The CO₂ Coalition’s claims are scientifically false, cherry-picked, and deliberately misleading. They rely on outdated, selective data while ignoring the overwhelming body of peer-reviewed climate science showing Texas is warming rapidly, experiencing escalating extreme weather, and facing mounting economic fallout.
1. “No unusual warming” – False
Texas has already warmed by ~2.2 °F since 1970 (NOAA data). Heatwaves are becoming longer, hotter, and more humid, driving spikes in hospitalizations and deaths. While the Coalition cherry-picks single metrics like “100 °F days,” this ignores the wet-bulb temperature rise that makes heat more physiologically dangerous even at lower dry-bulb readings.
2. “Precipitation is stable” – Misleading
Yes, Texas has seen slightly higher annual rainfall on average, but what matters is distribution and intensity. Rainfall is increasingly delivered in extreme bursts, fueling flash floods and billion-dollar storm disasters. At the same time, longer dry spells and hotter summers intensify drought risk, hitting agriculture and water supply.
3. “No increase in hurricanes, tornadoes, or floods” – Misleading
While tornado frequency is shifting geographically, hurricanes in the Gulf are becoming more intense and rain-heavy. Hurricane Harvey (2017) alone dumped 50 inches of rain, caused $125 billion in damages, and is widely recognized as a climate-amplified event. Billion-dollar floods in Texas are now commonplace.
4. “No sea-level threat” – False
The Texas Gulf Coast is experiencing one of the fastest rates of relative sea-level rise in the U.S. due to a combination of global sea rise + land subsidence. Galveston, Houston, and Corpus Christi face direct coastal inundation and storm surge risks, putting billions in infrastructure and property at risk.
5. “Wildfires not worse” – False
Texas wildfire seasons are lengthening. In 2011, drought-driven fires burned 4 million acres, destroyed 3,000 homes, and killed 47 people. Rising heat and drought variability mean wildfire risk is climbing across Texas’s grasslands and forests.
6. “Agriculture thriving” – Misleading
While CO₂ fertilization can increase plant growth in controlled conditions, it does not offset climate extremes. Texas farmers are already facing drought losses in the billions. In 2022 alone, drought wiped out ~74% of Texas cotton, costing the state’s economy over $2 billion. Crop failures, livestock stress, and water shortages are accelerating.
Texas: Climate Costs and Collapsing Insurance
Beyond the false claims, the real story is that Texas is already paying some of the highest climate costs in the U.S.
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Insurance Industry Collapse: Texas has some of the highest homeowners insurance premiums in the country, driven by hurricanes, hail, floods, and wildfires. Insurers are withdrawing or raising rates sharply, putting much of Texas real estate at risk of value collapse as homes become uninsurable.
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Billion-Dollar Disasters: Texas leads the nation in NOAA billion-dollar climate disasters. Since 1980, Texas has suffered nearly 200 major disasters totaling over $300 billion in losses.
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Heat & Health: Texas is one of the most vulnerable states for extreme heat deaths, especially as wet-bulb temperatures rise in urban centers like Houston, Austin, and Dallas.
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Future Threats: By 2050, Texas is projected to experience 30+ additional “dangerous heat days” annually, worsening agricultural collapse, grid stress, and mortality.
Bottom Line
The CO₂ Coalition’s narrative is propaganda, designed to confuse the public and protect fossil fuel interests. The reality is that Texas is already on the frontlines of climate change, facing skyrocketing economic losses, collapsing insurability, and lethal health risks. Far from being “beneficial,” continued CO₂ emissions are putting the state’s economy, real estate, food systems, and population at existential risk.