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The 10-Year Climate Challenge
An important message in the midst of a meme
The 10-year challenge has taken over social media in the last week. People have been uploading photos of themselves now compared with 2009, being very willing to share their questionable fashion choices and embarrassing iPhone 2 selfies from a decade ago.
I thought nothing could be more deeply concerning than the haircut I was sporting in 2009, but sprinkled within the memes were important and scary comparisons highlighting the environmental changes we have experienced in recent years.
The timing couldn’t have been better. Last week, the World Economic Forum released their Global Risks Report for 2019. They concluded that five of the top 10 risks in terms of likelihood were environmental, including the top three. They also warned that two societal risks (involuntary migration and water crises) are exacerbated by a changing climate.
Many — including celebrities and global organisations — took to their smartphones to raise awareness and spread an important message that resonated.
