Rainn Wilson, an actor, wants to bring attention to climate change by changing his name on social media.
The 56-year-old actor is best known for his role as Dwight Schrute on “The Office,” a hit NBC comedy. Now, he’s using his fame to bring attention to a cause he thinks is important.
Wilson posted a video to Twitter this week in which he called his name change “a cheap little stunt to help save planet Earth.” Even though his Instagram handle didn’t change, his new display name is “Rainnfall Heat Wave Extreme Winter Wilson.”
The actor told his fans, “I’ve changed my name on Twitter, Instagram and even on my fancy writing paper.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.”
“I changed my name … to help tell the world leaders and influencers that we need to act now,” he stated.
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 bio ⬆️ pic.twitter.com/TgEG84fOmQ— RainnWilson (@rainnwilson) November 9, 2022
Wilson’s name didn’t change on Twitter, which he said was because of the new owner of the social media site.
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“PS They won’t let me change my name because, Elon!” he shared in a tweet.
The comedian also suggested that a few other famous people change their names for the same reason. Wilson’s ideas included “Cardi The Arctic B Melting,” “Amy Poehler Bears Are Endangered,” “Harrison Why Not Drive an Electric Ford,” and “Leonardo Di-Polar Ice Caprio Are Melting.”
Wilson is on the board of Arctic Basecamp, which he says is a group whose goal is to make more people aware of the dangers of changes in Arctic weather. Their website says that they are “a team of Arctic experts and scientists who, for the last five years, have brought the Arctic to the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting at Davos.”
Wilson not only suggested that famous people change their names, but he also said that his fans should do the same.
In a second tweet, he said, “Go to link in bio and create a name that will bring attention to this problem. 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_egypt will be where our world leaders sit up and notice Arctic risks and introduce a solution,” the actor added. “Make Arctic Name Changer a Game Changer!”