
The teenage climate change activist Greta Thunberg has used the popular 'how it started' meme to show how levels of carbon dioxide in the air have increased in the last 800,000 years.
The 'how it started how it's going' meme has been doing the rounds for the past few weeks on Twitter with many people using it to show how their personal and professional lives have progressed.
How I started How it’s going https://t.co/dst9yVBemv— Chezka 👩🏻✈️ (@Chezka 👩🏻✈️) 1602405330
How it started: As a gay guy (when I still identified as a gay man), I was happy for I learned what freedom is. H… https://t.co/l5ydTDJ96y— Miss Mela Habijan (@Miss Mela Habijan) 1602396353
HOW IT STARTED VS HOW ITS GOING 🥺💝 https://t.co/ySZN17TCn7— Shya 💋 (@Shya 💋) 1602124039
I love these little check ins How it started How it’s going..... https://t.co/QB1wnuFdgV— Anti Christ (@Anti Christ) 1602029772
Others have used it for more cultural means:
how it started how it ended https://t.co/CGFodGYrey— Lost In Film (@Lost In Film) 1602413957
How it started How it’s going https://t.co/lMT2SB5JJF— Mercedes-Benz USAㅤ (@Mercedes-Benz USAㅤ) 1602007019
How it started How it's going https://t.co/D4xN4LnBxb— ESPN FC (@ESPN FC) 1601999682
how it started: how it’s going: https://t.co/dfKjm2uhz5— MONTERO 🦋 (@MONTERO 🦋) 1601950348
Others have used it to make political points:
How it started: 80 seats majority, parts of the North have turned blue, we’re gonna get Brexit done, the future is… https://t.co/ibkzPkGj40— Nat (@Nat) 1602413183
However, Thunberg's use of the meme is possibly the most punchy and devastating version we've seen yet. By using a just one graph shows the shocking rise of carbon dioxide gases into the atmosphere dating back to 800,000 years ago.
How it started How it’s going https://t.co/1tvTMXQs87— Greta Thunberg (@Greta Thunberg) 1602319354
As you can see the levels remained consistent but have shown a colossal rise in recent years, unlike anything that had gone before it. Needless to say, people were shocked.
My biggest takeaway from this graph is that we have one Earth on which to live. Earth is dying. #ClimateAction https://t.co/bcv2XaJOrE— Mikki *NO TAGS or FBRs!* Crow (@Mikki *NO TAGS or FBRs!* Crow) 1602368515
🤯 this puts it into perspective. And shows why #GreenNewDeal -- lots of jobs in renewables & retrofitting, get off… https://t.co/jjrZrs9MxO— ORPrinceGeorgesMD (@ORPrinceGeorgesMD) 1602356819
The graph that Thunberg shared was created by climate/water scientist Peter Gleick who thanked her for using his findings for her meme, leading to a nice interaction between the pair.
@PeterGleick You're the hero!— Greta Thunberg (@Greta Thunberg) 1602403498
Despite much of the world being forced into lockdown because of coronavirus this year, carbon dioxide levels are still reported to be at a record high. A UN report published in 2019, found that emissions would have to fall by 7.6 per cent every year to reach the 1.5c temperature goal set by the Paris Climate Accords. If it does not it could lead to a severe and irreversible impact on the climate.