The North Carolina State Senate passed a bill Tuesday restricting the use of climate change science when predicting sea-level rise. Instead, planning commissions in 20 coastal counties must rely on historical trends, which predict a eight-inch increase in sea level by the year 2100, compared to the three feet predicted by a state-appointed science panel. The bill’s proponents argue that the large increase predicted by the panel would limit coastal development and harm the economy. The bill has received national attention and has been ridiculed by outlets such as The Scientific American and The Colbert Report. No senators spoke in opposition of the bill, which passed 34-11 and will move to the House for a final vote.
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