I have come to call Greater Boston my home and intend to continue to after I graduate from the University of Massachusetts, Boston, in May. I feel invested in ensuring that New England can continue to be a home for millions of other people too. Yet this past summer’s record-breaking heatwaves followed by unprecedented precipitation are omens of how climate change threatens the region. As climate change becomes more present, we need to take steps to fight it. With the 100 Percent Clean Act, we can transition Massachusetts to 100 percent clean electricity by 2035 and 100 percent clean heating and transportation by 2045. The shift away from heavy reliance on fossil fuel energy to clean energy is a critical step in the fight against climate change. The commitment to such a transition has already been undertaken by states such as California and Hawaii, and I urge the Massachusetts Legislature to pass the act and make Massachusetts a leader once more, this time against climate change.

Thinley Shatsang, Seventh Street 

What comes to mind when you think about the future? For some people it may be a dream job or children; for others, including myself, we think about the uncertainty we face as a planet. I think about how by the end of this century, sea levels could rise by 7 to 10 feet in the Boston area and residents could experience up to 33 days each year with temperatures above 100 degrees due to climate change. But I also think about how this doesn’t have to be our reality, and that we and future generations can live in a greener and healthier society if we choose to combat climate change now. To address the most serious effects of climate change we need to transition to renewable energy. Already nine states have committed to 100 percent clean energy, and Massachusetts is falling behind. We could become a leader in clean energy policy with the 100 Percent Clean Act filed by state Reps. Marjorie Decker and Sean Garballey. I call on the members of the Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy in the State House to vote favorably on this critical bill. The future of the Commonwealth sits in your hands.

Brianna Blastick, East Cambridge

Climate change is undeniably the biggest problem facing humankind today. We are poisoning ourselves with our continued pollution of our one and only planet. I have watched this problem get worse each year. We are now living during a mass extinction. Human activities are killing nature faster than it can be replenished naturally. This is being caused by habitat fragmentation, exploitation, chemical pollution, invasive species and global warming. We rely on these ecosystems for our survival, so as we continue to take from the Earth, we are only digging our own graves.

Luckily we know what causes climate change and we have solutions. The leading cause of climate change is fossil fuel use. We rely on fossil fuels for almost every aspect of our lives, but we don’t need to. We can use renewable energy to provide for our needs while not polluting our home. Massachusetts needs to take the first step and commit to 100 percent clean energy.

There is a bill in the Massachusetts Legislature called the 100 Percent Clean Act that needs to be passed. Call your legislators and ask them to pass the 100 Percent Clean Act so we can ensure a future for ourselves and our kids. We are living on borrowed time; if we want to have a future, there is no more time to wait.

Caroline Williams, Reed Terrace