Recent research published in the journal Nature shows that even if the goals of the Paris agreement are met, the melting of the Antarctic ice sheet will cause sea levels to rise at least 8 feet (2.5 meters) around the world, flooding major cities and drowning island nations. This year, Antarctica has experienced record-breaking temperatures and dramatically accelerated melting of its glaciers, which hold half of the fresh water on our planet. Even if you live far from the polar regions, changes in these regions affect all of us. To help our polar regions, we need to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions in an effort to slow climate change. While we can do this on a personal level by driving or flying less, or eating less meat, a critical action we can all take is encourage our local and national government officials to be climate leaders by advancing policies that keep fossil fuels in the ground and make a just transition to renewable energy. The science is clear: keeping foss...