When you think of environmental activist today, Greta Thunberg will likely come to the front of your mind. Her protests, speeches and actions have been the spark for the revival of the environmental movement that the world desperately needs.
Image by Hanna Franzen — Thunberg during one of her school strikes
Greta Thunberg began to enter the spotlight in 2018 at the age of 15 when she stood outside of the Swedish Parliament every Friday, striking from school in the name of environmental action. The first of her protests she spent entirely alone. She was subject to stares and strange looks, being asked, “Shouldn’t you be in school?”. But after a while, her movement caught on. People began to join her in protest. A crowd eventually amassed outside the Swedish Parliament every Friday, all protesting for action to be taken towards preventing climate change. Over the course of a year, Thunberg’s lonely protest evolved into the largest climate strike in history, with millions of people joining her from around the world.
Image by Johannes Eisele/afp/GettyImages — Greta arriving on her boat at the UN Climate Conference
Protesting is just one of many ways that Thunberg makes a statement and raises awareness for her environmental cause. When she was invited to the UN climate conference in New York, Thunberg refused to fly on an airplane to get there due to the environmental impact of planes. Instead, she sailed on a sailboat— the more environmentally friendly way to travel across the Atlantic. But her impact did not end there. While she was at the conference, Thunberg delivered a searing speech, almost attacking the adults in the room for letting the younger generation down. She addressed the room with powerful statements such as “How dare you? You have stolen my dreams and my childhood with your empty words”. Most of Thunberg’s other speeches from different events have carried the same tone, pointing out the lack of current leadership and the consequential duty of young people to make change.
While Thunberg has not created environmental policy or drastically changed the political landscape towards the favoring of environmental policy, she has absolutely made a lasting impact on the climate change movement through inspiring the world’s youth and religiously practicing what she preaches. And for that alone she deserves to be put down in the history books.
Image by BBC — Greta protesting with other youth
Greta Thunberg has been a key player in the environmental movement, but with an important distinction. She has sparked involvement amongst the youth of the world. She has pointed out how the adults of today have left behind an environmental catastrophe. And it will be up to a new generation to do something about it. The youth of today have almost adopted this problem as their own, knowing that this is something that is going to have to be faced. When the youth become the future policy makers and leaders of the world, combating climate change will have become something that has been talked about and demanded for years. And we will finally have the power to do something about it. We will be prepared to take action. And expected to take action. Because if we don’t, we will have let ourselves and Greta down once again.
Sources:
https://www.businessinsider.com/greta-thunberg-bio-climate-change-activist-20199#:~:text=Greta%20Thunberg%2C%20a%20teenage%20activist,largest%20climate%20strike%20in%20history.
https://www.bbc.com/news/worldeurope49918719#:~:text=In%20May%202018%2C%20aged%2015,leaders%20in%20Paris%2C%20in%202015.
Greta Thunberg is such an inspirational figure. The difference she has made in the tone of conversations pertaining to environmental causes is admirable. Being such a young girl, yet still holding the ability to extend a profound impact across the globe has sparked a realization for me. When I discuss adamant social, political, economic and environmental issues plaguing the planet, similar to Thunberg, I will highlight the importance of the next generation, us. But when I think of this, I see this as a future duty of this generation, rather than a current one. Thunberg is showing me that it can be now that we step up. If she was able to shake the world at such a young age, so can we. I always feel like getting my education is standing in the way of taking action. It isn’t though. It can’t be, because as Thunberg tells us: time is running out.
When thinking about environmental activists, Greta Thunberg is the first to come to mind! I think it’s about time that someone held the people responsible and called them out on their irresponsible and wasteful ways. I like how you mention that the youth of today has ‘adopted’ this problem as their own… because many of us have. Although awareness on the topic has been spread, older generations passed down the issue to us. If a child at 15 can understand the severity and consequences of climate change, what’s stopping us from taking action as well?
She has begun to do excellent and impressive work bringing awareness to our environment’s conditions. I think it’s incredible that her determination is astonishing for a girl so young. I like that you included her powerful speech that she gave at the conference in New York. I agree that she should be recognized in history books and know by all the future generations to come. She has made me concerned for the future of our world and has opened my eyes up to the change we need to make.