While Texas is known for its heat, barbeque and cowboy boots, Texans are currently experiencing anything but the Texas lifestyle. Over the past week Texas had a massive snowstorm that left millions of people in deadly situations.

Not only were they unprepared for extremely cold weather, the storm knocked out nuclear facilities which brought an unprecedented power outage. Texans are also experiencing water shortages, pipe bursts, and dangerous icy roads. Through all of this, many people have wondered why it’s snowing in one of the hottest states in the first place?

To put it into more simple terms, the polar vortex, a weather pattern that originates in the Arctic has been descending into lower latitudes (such as Texas) causing severe cold weather patterns in many parts of the country. This is partly due to humans contributing to our ongoing climate crisis, which disrupts the weather patterns in the Arctic.

Even though I feel bad for Texans as they are going through an experience that’s unimaginable, I can’t help but also laugh in disbelief. Why are we as a country so unprepared for situations like these? Why don’t people believe in climate disruption and care more for the Earth we live on?

I have known about climate change since “Send It On” aired on Disney Channel in 2010 and I watched my favorite celebrities sing together on a couch for the environmentalist group “Friends for Change.” Throughout my childhood my classmates and I learned about recycling, not keeping the tap on while you brush your teeth, not to litter, etc. We’ve been through “saving the turtles” and have seen extreme, unusual weather; yet, America continues to debate whether or not we have a climate crisis on our hands.

Everyone in the United States needs to start taking action to reverse climate change and reduce its negative effects. We need to stop the debate on whether or not it’s real–it’s already happening. Scientific research and evidence in the past predicted what our future will be like, and so far everything they have predicted has been correct.

Ocean life is being suffocated and damaged by greenhouse gases, animals in the Arctic are dying because their homes are melting, we’re experiencing extreme changes in weather that are unexplainable and the seasons seem to be all intertwined together. And in case I haven’t made it clear enough, Texas (a very hot place), is covered in ice.

According to a study done by Climate Dynamics, “… Researchers found that we’ll likely cross the threshold for dangerous warming (+1.5 C) between 2027 and 2042.”

We do not have time to keep living the same as we are now. Action must be taken immediately by governments and citizens across the world. Even if climate change wasn’t real, there is no reason we should be so careless about the way we treat our home.

The concept of climate change is broad, but there are many ways to solve it. Using different energy resources, reducing the amount of trash you produce and shrinking your carbon footprint are easy ways to help reduce the amount of pollution humans create. Here are other solutions.

Texas freezing over needs to be the last straw. Everybody needs to take responsibility for the ways they’ve contributed to the climate crisis we’re in and take action to fix it. We need to protect the Earth immediately, otherwise we won’t have one at all.