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Here’s why these wax figures were left to melt away in the Florida sun

CLEO Institute uses ‘Melting Florida’ campaign to educate about climate change

A piece of art melts in Orlando to prove a point.

ORLANDO, Fla. – A new exhibit left outside Orlando City Hall on Thursday is melting away under the Central Florida sun to raise awareness about climate change.

“Melting Florida” is a statewide campaign designed by the CLEO Institute, which calls itself a nonpartisan organization dedicated to climate change education.

“Rising temperatures and the climate crisis are impacting our way of life,” said Executive Director Yoca Arditi-Rocha.

The sculpture in Orlando depicts a man with his granddaughter sitting on a park bench. After a few days in the sun, the wax figures will melt away to reveal the message: “More heat, less health.”

“As temperatures continue to rise, we see ground ozone levels also rise and that really creates problems in respiratory diseases (and) cardiovascular problems,” Arditi-Rocha said.

Previous exhibits in Miami and Tampa have brought awareness to how climate change affects weather and Florida’s wildlife.

At Orlando’s exhibit, people are encouraged to take pictures with the figures and use a nearby QR code to learn more about steps to combat the impacts of climate change.

To learn more about the campaign, visit https://cleoinstitute.org/


About the Author

Mark Lehman became a News 6 reporter in July 2014, but he's been a Central Florida journalist and part of the News 6 team for much longer. While most people are fast asleep in their bed, Mark starts his day overnight by searching for news on the streets of Central Florida.

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