Milton Glaser, School of Visual Arts chairman and the mind behind the ubiquitous “I heart NY” logo, has unleashed his talent on a worthy cause: climate change. His “It’s Not Warming, It’s Dying” campaign features the simple visual of a green disk becoming increasingly obscured by smog. The graphic has been made into buttons and posters, as well as a neat—if a little disconcerting—GIF on the campaign’s website.

The badges are available online, and are being sold in sets to reduce costs and encourage distribution, which Glaser believes is a key step towards change. “If half the people on earth wear the button even the ‘masters of the universe’ will be moved to action,” Glaser told Dezeen, referring to the mega-corporations he believes have continually roadblocked efforts to protect the planet.

“It’s Not Warming” buttons.
Photo via Dezeen.com

Like any good awareness campaign, “It’s Not Warming” participants are also encouraged to use social media to spread the word, posting images of themselves rocking their badges to the custom hashtag #itsnotwarming. Simultaneously, the campaign’s Twitter account plans to reinforce the message by providing a stream of news reports and scientific data.

Through this clean visual, Glaser hopes to show those still in denial exactly how unclean our planet is rapidly becoming. “Those of us responsible for communicating ideas to others must bear the burden of the consequences of such communication,” he said. “If one is looking for a purpose and theme to their life, avoiding the worst event in human history is a good place to begin. I hope people will respond by acknowledging what is real.”