‘The Office’ star Rainn Wilson makes drastic name change to highlight climate emergency

Rainn Wilson, best known for his role as Dwight Schrute in the American version of The office and was recently featured in Strange: The Story of Al Yankovicchanged its name to Rainnfall Heat Wave Extreme Winter Wilson to raise awareness of the environmental crisis and rapid warming of the Arctic.

Wilson made the change to support a campaign led by Arctic Basecamp, the climate change awareness organization of which he is a board member, at the United Nations COP 27 meeting currently taking place in Egypt.

“With the help of my science friends at Arctic Basecamp, I changed my name to Rainnfall Heat Wave Extreme Winter Wilson. This is no joke, I mean it as seriously as the melting Arctic increases global risks, including extreme weather events around the world,” Wilson said in a video address published by Arctic Basecamp on social media.

“I hope this name change draws attention to this growing…er, melting problem. We need world leaders at COP27 to take notice and act. The Arctic is melting at millions of gallons per second, but this problem doesn’t seem to have a name, so it’s up to us to name it.”

The Arctic Basecamp is run by a team Arctic experts and scientists. The panel has physically established a real base camp in the Arctic and is using the findings to raise awareness of the environmental crisis.

Wilson encouraged people to also change their names to raise awareness of the issue by using Arctic Basecamp’s “name changer” on the ArcticRiskName.org website and then changing their social media profiles accordingly.

“If enough of us do that, maybe COP27 will be where our world leaders sit down and recognize the Arctic risks and put a solution in place,” he said.

More than 90 heads of state and representatives from 19 countries will attend the latest edition of the United Nations’ annual climate change conference, COP27, which will take place from November 6 to 18 in the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm El Sheikh.

Professor Gail Whiteman, founder of Arctic Basecamp and professor of sustainability at the University of Exeter Business School, said world leaders must take note at COP 27 of the impact on the world if the “polar region does not stay in the Arctic”.

“The Arctic is warming up to four times faster than the global average, and the rapid warming of the Arctic is exacerbating catastrophic and costly global risks, including extreme weather events, threats to food and water security, sea level rise and supply chain disruption. the world,” she says. said.

“The Arctic is melting before our eyes, and as this global problem fails to make a name for itself, we are all doing our part – I will change my name today and I encourage you to do the same!”