568k 
233k 
41k 
Subscribe 
Before-and-after photos of your friends have probably taken over your Facebook and Instagram feeds, but environmentalists are using the #10YearChallenge to insert a dose of truth.
Memes of shrinking
glaciers, emaciated polar bears and coral bleaching certainly subvert the feel-good viral sensation, but these jarring images really show our planet in a worrying state of flux.
The #10YearChallenge we all need to wake up to. #FightForYourWorld © NASA pic.twitter.com/BQQ9VFKJDf
— WWF UK (@wwf_uk) January 16, 2019
https://twitter.com/DrKbythebay/statuses/1085590199327850496
Polar bears hunt seals from the ice surface, but sea-ice cover in the
Arctic is diminishing at alarming rates. Research suggests that polar bears might not be hunting enough seals to meet their energy demands.
Forests are an important carbon sink, but constant
deforestation drives global warming that makes wildfires and storms stronger and more frequent, partly contributing to more tree cover loss.
Severe coral bleaching has become
five times more common worldwide over the past 40 years, and these devastating events are driven by climate change.
[instagram https://www.instagram.com/p/BstPq2Lly4M/ expand=1]
Brazil’s Lucas Tucci di Grassi—a racer who competes in the all-electric FIA Formula E Championship—joined the 10-year challenge to advocate for sustainable solutions, such as installing
solar panels, eating less meat and driving electric vehicles.
The only #10yearchallenge you need to care about is actually a long one.. #ClimateChange #climatechangeisreal help the planet install solar PV in your home, eat less meat, drive electric including e-bikes on the daily routine.. 🌎 ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/UeDd7JBOVK
— Lucas Di Grassi (@LucasdiGrassi) January 16, 2019
While the climate is changing,
plastics stay the same. This poignant meme from Greenpeace Indonesia not only shows how plastics pollute the natural environment, but also that this non-biodegrable material will stick around for centuries.
[facebook https://www.facebook.com/GreenpeaceIndonesia/photos/a.10150315646259961/10156686676524961/?type=3&theater expand=1]
Soccer player Mesut Özil, who plays for the Premier League club Arsenal, also chimed in on Thursday with a tweet that’s already been retweeted more than 24,000 times and liked more than 74,000 times.
The only #10YearChallenge we should care about 🙏🏼🌍 #M1Ö pic.twitter.com/S8hU7gNgZJ
— Mesut Özil (@M10) January 17, 2019
If it takes a social media challenge to get more people to care about the environment, then so be it.
Take a moment today to remember our biggest #10YearChallenge!
We must act now, change our lifestyles and hold our leaders accountable. We may not get more than another 10 years to do so. #GlobalWarming #ClimateChange pic.twitter.com/MNnNgQ0EX9
— Rajat (@rajatraihanda) January 16, 2019
[Note: This post was updated with Mesut Özil’s tweet]