Greta Thunberg: Who Is She And What Has She Done?
Greta Thunberg is an 18-year-old climate and environmental activist from Sweden.
From a young age, Greta learned about climate change. Finding out the lack of discussion and clear movement towards dramatically reducing the effects of climate change left her shocked and confused as to why nobody seemed to care.
In 2018, Greta decided to make a change as it came across that nobody wanted to do anything about the issue at hand. By striking from school, Greta Thunberg peacefully expressed her concern for the climate crisis and the lack of effort to make a change. The Swedish Government Parliament grounds is where she started what is known today as the #FridaysforFuture school strikes.
This triggered mass publicity (lots of interest), encouraging school children to join her in striking to make a change.
Greta Thunberg has been invited to various significant events – including COP26 – demonstrating the severity (how bad) of the climate crisis and that we, as earth’s citizens, must do all we can to save the planet that we live on.
Greta believes that every COP event after COP event is getting us nowhere and that politicians representing us are lying to us with every word we say. She said, “Inside COP there are just politicians and people in power pretending to take our future seriously, pretending to take the present seriously of the people who are being affected already today by the climate crisis.”
As an ambitious and passionate young activist, Greta has globally changed the view and awareness of climate change – especially with young people. Sir David Attenborough said: “You have aroused the world. I’m very grateful to you.”
However, Greta Thunberg isn’t universally idolized. Some people, including former president Donald Trump, have said that she needs to “work on her anger management problem.” Some may think she comes across aggressive and some may say she is passionate, but despite the mixed feelings on her, she has globally made an impact on climate and environmental activism.
By Cara E Scott
References:
Image 1:“Greta Thunberg in Paris, february 22th” by stephane_p is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Image 2:“Greta Thunberg” by appaIoosa is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
National Geographic Kids. 2021. 10 facts about Greta Thunberg. [online] Available at: <https://www.natgeokids.com/uk/kids-club/cool-kids/general-kids-club/greta-thunberg-facts/> [Accessed 2 November 2021].
Encyclopedia Britannica. 2021. Greta Thunberg | Biography, Climate Change, & Facts. [online] Available at: <https://www.britannica.com/biography/Greta-Thunberg> [Accessed 2 November 2021].
BBC News. 2021. COP26: Thunberg tells Glasgow protest politicians are pretending. [online] Available at: <https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-59116611> [Accessed 2 November 2021].
Kraemer, D., 2021. Greta Thunberg: Who is the climate campaigner and what are her aims?. [online] BBC News. Available at: <https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-49918719> [Accessed 2 November 2021].
