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Climate change, contrary to popular belief, has a tremendous impact on everyday life, <br /> and the effects of it are more prominent than ever. In these past few years, I have not <br /> experienced the kind of fall or spring we used to have when I was kid --they seem like week- <br /> long seasons. In my childhood, I can't remember a time where we had conditions like the ones <br /> we had just a few weeks ago in the polar vortex. Just a few days later, the temperature was <br /> back to 50 degrees. The weather outside is unlike anything we have experienced before, and <br /> these changes are not positive at all. On a local level, these drastic changes can affect one's <br /> physical and mental health, as well as the health of the environment. <br /> On a bigger scale, though, climate change is irreversible. Already, we are witnessing the <br /> extinction of thousands of animals yearly due to loss of habitable ecosystems, and the <br /> temperature of our planet is rising at an unprecedented rate. The number of climate refugees is <br /> rising exponentially, and will continue to do so if preventive measures are not taken. <br /> Though this issue can't be resolved with the implementation of environmentally <br /> sustainable practices in just one city, change has to start from somewhere. South Bend can set <br /> a precedent by striving to become a carbon neutral city, and this precedent is bound to spread <br /> throughout Indiana. <br /> It is your obligation to help protect the future of South Bend's new generation. As a part <br /> of this generation, I implore you to make the right decision, and work to inhibiting the <br /> progression of climate change. <br /> Komal Kumar <br /> -11th Grader <br />