New York event hears about the red Muppet’s fears during a recent storm as climate crisis increasingly affects children

A generation of political leaders has failed to galvanize sufficient action on the climate crisis for so long now that it was perhaps little surprise that an audience in New York City turned to a three-and-a-half-year-old red furry monster for inspiration on Tuesday.

Elmo, the Sesame Street denizen, made a starry appearance at a Climate Week event that highlighted how the impacts of global heating affect children. The red creature, who frequently refers to himself in the third person, recounted to the audience his fear when a storm hit Sesame Street, an event depicted in a recent episode that featured the singer Post Malone.

Make, Believe, Magic show at Goma stars Elmo, Big Bird and the massive Mr Snuffleupagus – and gives visitors the chance to try their hand at puppeteering

It’s said that celebrities are often shorter than you might expect when you encounter them in person. The opposite is true of the Muppets.

“That’s the quote of this show,” says Amanda Slack-Smith, curator at Queensland’s Gallery of Modern Art (Goma), where “Oh, it’s bigger than I thought it would be!” has become a catchcry among the Goma crew installing Make, Believe, Magic: The Worlds of the Jim Henson Company.