Rainn Wilson changes name in climate protest

‘I’m as serious as the melting Arctic’

'I had strange parents and low self-esteem and played the bassoon' (Stewart Cook/Shutterstock)

Rainn Wilson has reportedly changed his name to Rainnfall Heat Wave Extreme Winter Wilson as an act of protest against the climate crisis.

The Office star’s announcement comes as the Cop27 climate change conference is being held in Egypt this week.

Wilson, who is a board member of Arctic Basecamp, changed his name using an Arctic Risk Name Generator website developed by the organisation.

In a video posted on Twitter, the actor urged others to change their names using the website to raise awareness of melting ice caps in the Arctic.

Wilson says in the clip that he changed his name to Rainnfall Heat Wave Rising Sea Levels Wilson, but in a statement to Variety, his new name is Rainnfall Heat Wave Extreme Winter Wilson.

The Independent has contacted Arctic Basecamp for clarification.

It is also unclear if the actor has legally changed his name, but in the statement he insists it is “not a joke”.

“I’m as serious as the melting Arctic, which amplifies global risks including extreme weather events around the globe,” it said.

“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.”

Wilson called on fans who have changed their names with the new name generator to change their social media profile or display the new name on their accounts.

“If enough of us do this, then maybe Cop27 will be where our leaders sit up and notice Arctic risks and introduce a solution.”

While his Twitter profile remains the same – which Wilson has blamed the platform’s new owner Elon Musk for – he does display the name Rainnfall Heat Wave Extreme Winter Wilson on his Instagram profile.

The Cop27 conference is expected to be attended by around 35,000 people, who are gathered in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh.

The World Health Organisation on Wednesday (9 November) warned that urgent action must be taken to curb the rising number of deaths caused by air pollution.

In addition, the government of the Marshall Islands has warned that it needs international funding to save the country from “the brink of disappearing”.

The minister of natural resources, John Silk, told The Independent at Cop27: “There’s these billionaires that are building rocket ships to go to Mars… All we’re asking is give us the money to make sure the Marshal Islands can continue… to exist in the world.

“We’re talking about a nation that is on the brink of disappearing.”