Greta Thunberg • A voice for the planet
Greta Tintin Eleonora Ernman Thunberg is only 17 years old and is inspiring young people around the world to take a stand against climate change.
Last year, TIME magazine named her Person of the Year as well as one of the world's 100 most influential people. She has been nominated for the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize for the second time in a row. Two Swedish politicians have nominated Greta for this year's award for her efforts to encourage young people to protest against lawmakers not taking a stand against climate change. Greta was nominated for the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize but lost to Ethiopian Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed.
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School strike for climate
Greta’s activism started in August 2018 with a school strike for the climate outside the Swedish Parliament. Her message was simple - written in black bold letters on a white board, it read: “School Strike for Climate.”
“Every Friday, I miss classes to sit outside my country’s parliament. I will continue to do so until leaders come into line with the Paris agreement,” she said.
Her protest went viral on social media and received a lot of support. Subsequently, there were similar strikes in other countries to support her cause which has now spread all over the world into a movement known as Fridays for Future with more than 100,000 schoolchildren participating.
Greta wrote in The Guardian that she first learnt about climate change when she was eight and could not understand why people were not taking action.
“I learnt that this was something humans had created. I was told to turn off the lights to save energy and recycle paper to save resources. I remember thinking it was very strange that we were capable of changing the entire face of the Earth and the precious thin layer of atmosphere that makes it our home. Because if we were capable of doing this, then why weren’t we hearing about it everywhere?” she wrote.
Teenage climate activist
The young environmental activist has become a force to reckon with and has spoken at climate rallies in Stockholm, Helsinki, Brussels and London. Among others, she has attended the United Nations COP24 in Katowice, Poland, where she addressed the Secretary-General and made a plenary speech; addressed the UN Climate Conference as well as the World Economic Forum in Davos.
Her speeches and tweets have made headlines, gone viral and been shared a million times around the globe.
Not everyone though is a fan of the blunt, straightforward speaking Greta. She has either been mocked, trolled or received criticism from some world leaders and conservatives. However, she has also received praise and massive support for mobilising global action against climate change as a single individual.
Greta does not only talk about what should be done to save the environment but she ‘walks the talk’ by making personal environmentally conscious choices.
Who is Greta Thunberg?
Greta is from Sweden and was born on January 3, 2003. Her parents are Malena Ernman and Svante Thunberg. She has a sister, Beata Thunberg. She has Asperger's Syndrome (a form of autism) which is a developmental disorder and has described it as a gift and a superpower.
“I have Aspergers and that means I’m sometimes a bit different from the norm. And given the right circumstances — being different is a superpower,” she tweeted.
She tries to live a low-carbon life. She avoids flying, eating meat and buying new things unless it is very necessary.
What can you learn?
You are not too young to take a stand for an action and call for change. You can make a difference. So believe in yourself and take steps to talk about what you are passionate about.
Greta has Asperger’s syndrome but she does not let that dampen her spirit. Rather, she says it is a gift. Remember, disability is not inability.
Although there are people who criticise or mock Greta, she has remained resolute and her response to her critics are often laced with humour. You should understand that not everyone will support your cause. You only have to remain committed and determined to succeed.
