The only 10 year challenge we should be talking about.

By now you’ve probably noticed people in your Instagram or Facebook feed posting throwback photos as part of the ‘10 year challenge‘.

If you’ve missed it, it’s pretty much what it sounds like: people post a selfie of them in 2009 and compare it to one taken in 2019. You win the challenge if you look better now.

But while it’s fun to look at ourselves as nerdy teens or carefree 24-year-olds who are a decade on sporting a sizeable baby bump, there’s a trend within this trend of people posting photos that is far more impactful.

Dozens of people are posting photos to illustrate the effects climate change has had one the world in the past decade. And there’s nothing funny or cute about these images.

Many show frozen icecaps that are now far smaller, or glaciers that are, as of 2019, are barely more than puddles. Others show bleached coral reef, or an image of an emaciated polar bear taken in Norway in 2015.

Here are just a few of the ’10 years later’ photos we really should be looking at:

 

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#Coral #PhotoChallenge A 10 year photo challenge that REALLY matters. . Coral reefs are dying at an alarming rate all around the globe. They need our help. We are dedicated to saving ALL life on our planet, including corals. . One Life, One Love, One Planet www.PlanetLoveLife.com . . . #planetlovelife #seathelove #lovelife #coralreef #corals #reef #protectwhatyoulove #10YearChallenge #10yearphotochallenge #coralrestoration #savetheplanet #ocean #cleanseas

A post shared by Planet Love Life (@theplanetlovelife) on Jan 16, 2019 at 11:20am PST

 

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#10yearchallenge #global #degelo #aquecimentoglobal #globalwarming #science #fact #news #dangerous #conheciencia #knowledge

A post shared by ConheCIÊNCIA (@conheciencia) on Jan 16, 2019 at 4:02pm PST

A #10YearChallenge actually worth caring about (no disrespect to y’all who somehow look better now than 10 years ago): the world’s glaciers are melting at alarming rates. We’re losing freshwater fast, along with permafrost and precious habitats. #climatechange #seaicemelt pic.twitter.com/J7sXVtX24v

— Dr. Kristen Weiss (@DrKbythebay) January 16, 2019

 

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#10yearchallenge #10yearschallenge #pollution #inquinamento #plastic #plasticfree #plastica #globalwarming #heartwarming #heart #planet #danger #love #potd #l #greenlife #environment #plasticbottles #veganfood #green #vegan #vegano #animals #animal #nature

A post shared by No plastic for a better planet (@lessplasticfortheocean) on Jan 16, 2019 at 2:49pm PST

 

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#climatecrisis #globalwarming #nobluenogreen #wakeup #motherearth #turmoil #future #grim #scary #LetsBeBetterHumans #nobluenogreen #plasticfree #endsingleuseplastic #reduce #reuse #recycle #consumerism #environment #protection #conservation #dobetter #doyourpart #polarbears

A post shared by ????Rare Breed???? (@apiece.ofpeace) on Jan 16, 2019 at 5:52pm PST

 

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Esto nos deja mucho que decir. El verdadero reto es este. Fotos de la NASA. La primera es de 1979, la segunda del 2011 por que no hay una foto más cercana al 2019 así que háganse una idea. ???? #10yearschallenge #10yearschallengephoto #ecoblogger #ecoblog #blogger #zerowaste #better #sustentable #dejandohuella #cambioclimatico #ecofriendly #huella #tiendaecologica #ecologia #ecologico #sostenible #zerowastelife #vidaeco #greens #challenge

A post shared by E C O S A P I E N S ???????? (@ecosapiens_col) on Jan 16, 2019 at 5:37am PST

 

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Real enough? Here’s your #10yearchallenge #globalwarming #ourplanetissuffering ????

A post shared by Sondos Alireza (@skalireza) on Jan 16, 2019 at 5:27am PST

 

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#10yearchallenge – Il ghiacciaio Trift in Svizzera nel 2006 e nel 2017. / Trift Glacier, Switzerland in 2006 and 2017. Photo via @james_balog . . . #10years #10yearchallenge #climatechange #globalwarming #meltingice #icemelting #glacier #glaciers #climateaction

A post shared by LifeGate (@lifegate) on Jan 16, 2019 at 1:19am PST

 

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#Guadeloupe – les caraïbes en général – Les #sargasses sont des algues qui dût au #globalwarming envahissent les côtes #westindies #caraibes Inspiration: @5vent

A post shared by 3’z = Trees = L’Art-bre(s) (@3z.beatbox) on Jan 16, 2019 at 4:34pm PST

 

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#10yearchallenge Nobody cares how ugly you use to be. Stop polluting the planet. . . #greatbarrierreef #climatechange #pollution #change #globalwarming @greatbarrierreeffoundation

A post shared by Indee (@indee.c) on Jan 16, 2019 at 4:25pm PST

 

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Today everything should be a good excuse to show this cruel reality and become aware… #My10YearsChallenge . . . . . #10YearsChallenge #beaware #savetheplanet #caremore #takecaremore #environment #respectthenature #climatechange #savetheworld #globalwarming

A post shared by Deea (@thisrebelidea) on Jan 16, 2019 at 3:57pm PST

It’s a timely reminder that climate change is a topic we should all be talking about. Recently released data showed that 2018 was the was the hottest year ever measured, The Guardian reports.

For the last five years, our oceans were the hottest they have ever been in the time we’ve been recording their temperature,  a study published in the Advances in Atmospheric Sciences journal shows.

What do you think of the 10 year challenge?