‘This is not a joke, I’m as serious as the melting Arctic’
Rainn Wilson has changed his name to Rainnfall Heat Wave Extreme Winter Wilson to raise awareness about the environmental crisis and rapid warming of the Arctic region.
Wilson, best known for his role as Dwight Schrute in the US version of The Office, said he had made the change to support a campaign being run by climate change awareness body Arctic Basecamp, of which he is a board member, to coincide with COP27.
More than 90 heads of state and representatives of 190 countries are due to attend the latest edition of the annual United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP27, running November 6 to 18 in the Egyptian Red Sea Resort of Sharm El Sheikh.
“With the help of my scientist friends at Arctic Basecamp, I’ve changed my name to Rainnfall Heat Wave Extreme Winter Wilson,” Wilson said in a post on social media. “This is not a joke, I’m as serious as the melting Arctic, which amplifies global risks including extreme weather events around the globe.”
Join me @ @ArcticBasecamp in bringing attention to the melting issue. We need world leaders to take action at COP 27!
The Arctic is melting at Millions of Liters per second, yet this problem can’t seem to make a name for itself, so we’ll make a name for it.
Go to link in biopic.twitter.com/TgEG84fOmQ
— RainnWilson (@rainnwilson) November 9, 2022
“I’m hoping this name change brings attention to this growing… er, melting issue. We need world leaders at COP27 to take notice and take action. The Arctic is melting at millions of litres per second, yet this problem can’t seem to make a name for itself, so it’s up to us to make a name for it.
He went on to encourage others to “go to ArcticRiskName.org and create a name that will bring attention to this problem.”
He continued: “Then – and this is the important part – change your social media profile or display name to match your new ArcticRisk name. And if enough of us do this, then maybe COP27 will be where our world leaders sit up and notice Arctic risks and introduce a solution.”
Wilson serves as a board member of Arctic Basecamp, a group of Arctic experts who have brought their knowledge to various major global gatherings.
“As world leaders and climate experts arrive at COP27, we need to highlight that what happens in the Arctic doesn’t stay in the Arctic,” said Professor Gail Whiteman, Arctic Basecamp founder and professor of sustainability at the U.K.’s University of Exeter Business School.
“I am so grateful to Arctic Basecamp’s longtime supporter, who has changed his name to Rainnfall Heat Wave Extreme Winter Wilson, to help us warn people about global climate impacts due to the melting Arctic.
“The Arctic is warming up to four times faster than the global average, and rapid Arctic warming exacerbates catastrophic and costly global risks including extreme weather events, threats to food and water security, sea level rise and supply chain disruption around the world.
“The Arctic is melting before our eyes, and since this global problem can’t make a name for itself, let’s all do our part — I will be changing my name today, and I encourage you to do the same.”
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