Greta Thunberg , a 16 year old Swedish climate activistor we should say “climate crusader” and is becoming an iconic source of inspiration worldwide.”My name is Greta Thunberg. I am 16 years old. I come from Sweden. And I speak on the behalf of future generations of the earth,” Greta said in her recent speech.
In her personal manifesto, Thunberg says she is not a climate scientist herself: I am merely a messenger who is repeating what scientists have been communicating to the public for decades, so far without much success. Greta asserts that students would no longer have to leave school to protest if the public only started listening to scientists, but that the current political situations have not been working this way.She is known for initiating the iconic school strike for climate movement that formed in November 2018 and evolved from solitary protesting to taking part in several demonstrations that took place all over Europe; making several public speeches; and mobilising her growing number of followers on social media platforms with an Instagram following of 1.2 Million.Greta’s personal activism started when Skolstrejk för klimatet("School strike for the climate") protesting outside the Swedish parliamentin Stockholm began gaining media attention. 20 August 2018, Thunberg, decided to stop attending achool until the 2018 Sweden general electionon 9 September after severe heat wavesand wildfires hit Sweden.Her demands were for Swedish government to work in accordance with the Paris Agreement to reduce carbon emissions and she started protesting by sitting outside the Riksdag every day during school hours with the sign Skolstrejk för klimatet(school strike for the climate).After the general elections, she continued to strike only on Fridays,and gained global attention after the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP24) in December 2018.
She inspired thousands of school students across the globe to take part in student strikes.On 15 March 2019, an estimated 1.4 million students in 112 countries around the world joined her call in the striking and protesting for “School strike for the climate” including India.
Thunberg has been various awards and recognition for her activism. In March 2019, three members of the Norwegian nominated Thunberg for the Nobel Peace Prize.In April 2019, Greta was named as one of the 100 most influential people of 2019 by Times Magazine.Thunberg credits her inspiration to the teen activists at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High Schoolin Parkland, Florida, who walked out of schools in March 2018,to protest against gun violence as the March For Our Lives.Greta’s speeches will soon be published as a book containing collection of her 11 key speeches by Penguin Publishing in solidarity with her activism.
The book has been titled as No One Is Too Small to Make a Difference which id taken from Thunberg’s speech delivered at the COP24 UN climate talks.
“We children are not sacrificing our childhood as well as our education for you adults to tell us what you consider is politically possible in the society that you have created.We are doing this to wake you up. We are doing this for you to put your differences aside and start acting as you would in a crisis. We are doing this because we want our hopes and dreams back.”
-Greta Thunberg
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