Why is it important?

Carbon emissions are the primary cause of climate change. As carbon dioxide is vented into the atmosphere, it traps heat from the Sun, warming the planet. This warming causes extreme weather, sea level rise, extinctions, and other disasters such as famines.

How could this problem be solved or mitigated?

In order to reduce emissions, we have to increase usage of renewable energy and electric vehicles. Renewable energy is now cheaper than energy sourced from fossil fuels, but adoption in the US is still low. It's not a top issue for enough people for politicians to incentivize it, and there is heavy lobbying and opposition from fossil fuel companies. There are many ways that individuals can help, such as getting solar panels on their roof, a hybrid or electric car, or flying less often. Grandfather Mountain is largely solar-powered and has several EV charging stations on the mountain.