News: Milton Glaser, the graphic designer behind the ubiquitous I heart NY logo, has launched a campaign to raise awareness of climate change.

Glaser's It's Not Warming, It's Dying campaign aims to create a greater sense of urgency around climate change, moving away from benign language like "global warming".

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"There is no more significant issue on earth than its survival," Glaser told Dezeen. "The questions is, 'how can anyone not be involved?'"

He designed a simple visual for posters and button badges, comprising a green disk obscured by black smoke.

The graphic suggests an aerial view of the Earth with only a narrow band of life remaining. The green section is printed in glow-in-the-dark ink for maximum impact.

"I can never answer the question of how ideas originate, and apparently, neither can anyone else," said Glaser. "But, symbolically, the disappearance of light seemed to be an appropriate way to begin."

Badges are available to buy from the campaign's website at $5 for five – sold in sets to reduce costs and to encourage people to give them away to friends, family members and colleagues. All proceeds will be put towards the production and distribution of more badges.

"If half the people on earth wear the button even the 'masters of the universe' will be moved to action," said Glaser, referring to the large corporations he says have prevented significant action to protect the planet against the changing climate.

People are also encouraged to spread the word by posting pictures of themselves wearing the badge via social media channels using the hashtag #itsnotwarming.

The campaign's Twitter account is providing a stream of news reports and scientific data to support the message.

"Those of us responsible for communicating ideas to others must bear the burden of the consequences of such communication," Glaser 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," he added.

New York's School of Visual Arts (SVA), where Glaser is acting chairman and a faculty member, has erected a poster featuring the campaign slogan on the exterior of its East 23rd Street building. The SVA is also distributing free buttons on college campuses nationwide through its network of institutions in the Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design (AICAD).

On top of his iconic I heart NY logo for New York State, which adorns a myriad of souvenirs, Glaser also created a poster to raise money to rebuild the Tohoku region of Japan that was devastated by an earthquake and subsequent tsunami in 2011.

His previous projects also include graphics for Brooklyn Brewery and posters for museums across the US.