Bake Cookies Not Earth

Earth isn’t just our home for the holidays, it’s the only home we’ve got. And that got us thinking. What would the holidays look like in a world ravaged by climate change? We had an idea. And what better way to bring that idea to life than through the humble Christmas cookie?

Christmas during a climate crisis? One big dumpster fire(place).

Okay, climate change may not technically result in more dumpster fires, but it sure does feel that way sometimes. Let’s do something about it.

Rising Temperatures. And fewer snowmen.

The planet’s average surface temperature has risen about 2.05 degrees fahrenheit since the late 19th century, with most of the warming occurring within the past 40 years. The effects of this can already be seen in the amount of spring snow cover in the Northern Hemisphere, which has decreased over the past five decades. (1)

More natural disasters. And fewer Christmas trees.

Along with an increase in record breaking temperature events, the U.S. alone has been witnessing an increased number of intense weather events, including hurricanes, droughts, and devastating wildfires. (1)

Rising sea levels. Rising flood levels.

Both Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets have been shrinking at an alarming rate. How alarming? We’re losing a combined total of 427 billion tons of ice per year. Not super chill. And in the last century alone, sea levels have risen about 8 inches, with the rate in the last two decades nearly doubling. (1)

More extinct species. And fewer reindeer.

Recent studies show that, due to climate change, one-third of all animal and plant species on the planet could face extinction by the year 2070. It makes you wonder, will Rudolph go the way of the Dodo bird? (4)

Record high heat waves. And record high sun exposure.

Since 2014, our planet has experienced six of its warmest years on record. In 2016 alone, eight months out of that year were the warmest on record for those respective months. Like ever in recorded history. (1)

Shrinking polar ice caps. Growing habitat loss.

Both Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets have been shrinking at an alarming rate. How alarming? We’re losing a combined total of 427 billion tons of ice per year. Not super chill. And in case you were wondering, glaciers aren’t doing too well either, with snowcaps around the world are disappearing. (1)

Worsening air pollution. And more masks on more faces.

Ground-level ozone (the key component in smog) has proven to be associated with a variety of health problems. Just another reason that masking up might be here to stay. (5)

More climate migration. And fewer places to live.

By the year 2070, “barely liveable hot zones” on our planet could increase from their current 1%, all the way up to 19%, forcing billions to migrate. This increase in global temperature, along with a variety of other climate-related shifts in weather, such as droughts and flooding, will only continue to exacerbate the problem. Will Santa have to pack up shop at the North Pole? (6)

Greater biodiversity loss. And fewer Christmas wreaths.

Along with major losses to the animal kingdom, climate change could cause equally devastating destruction to various forms of plant life around the world, with many experts agreeing that a “mass extinction event” may already be underway. Ho, ho, no thank you. (4)

More garbage. And fewer places for it all to go.

New research shows that the U.S. is the largest producer of plastic waste in the world, with 42 million metric tons being generated in 2016 alone. For this dove, that means less olive branches and more plastic bags. (3)

Mass food shortages. Less milk and cookies.

As long as climate change continues to produce extreme weather trends, we’ll continue to see our global food supply shrink. If we don’t start re-evaluating how we produce food now, it could result in a lot less food later. Sorry Santa. (2)

We hope these cookies serve as a sobering reminder that our fight against the climate crisis is going to take more than a Christmas miracle.

That’s why we’ve made a donation to MN350, a Minnesota-based organization that fights for climate justice through legislative change that aims to repair a broken system. To learn more about the important work going on at MN350, and how you can help support their efforts, visit MN350.org.

Oh, and happy holidays. From all of us at BBDO Minneapolis. Now go enjoy a real cookie. You deserve it.

1. Source: https://climate.nasa.gov/evidence/
2. Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/08/climate/climate-change-food-supply.html
3. Source: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/2020/10/us-plastic-pollution/
4. Source: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/02/14/climate-change-study-plant-animal-extinction/4760646002/
5. Source: https://www.cdc.gov/climateandhealth/effects/default.htm
6. Source: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/07/23/magazine/climate-migration.html