The teen climate activist, Greta Thunberg has been making headlines for several years now. She has been calling the attention of lawmakers worldwide to respond to her call of a “climate crisis.”
Is she the first environmental activist with a striking message and quotable speeches? Not really. So, why has she become famous in such a short time? One of the reasons is certainly her age. She is aware and vocal about the pressing issues of climate change when most of her peers, are caught up with the many things happening in their own lives. Her voice rings clear in the madness and mayhem. She makes sense when she says that she will be around for a longer period and, hence, vulnerable to climate change.
She says that adults give young people hope. But she insists that she does not want hope. Instead, she wants people to fear every day as fear will only help them act. She wants us to react as if one’s house is on fire. Because that is the only way to make adults respond and bring about a change in the way we treat the planet. The teen activist has been vociferous about her feelings about climate change. Here are some of the things she has been advocating and encouraging others to follow.
Spearheaded A School Strike
She started to make her stance clear on climate change in 2018. Greta took some time off from school to meet with the Swedish parliament before the country’s general elections. She distributed pamphlets that said the adults were responsible for her future and that of the planet. Soon, numerous students joined her to hold weekly protests that they call ‘Fridays for the Future.’
During these times, she encouraged students to come out of schools to help fight the climate crisis. In fact, in the following year, students from 1664 cities urged lawmakers to cater to climate change. No wonder, Times Magazine called her one of the most influential people in the world.
The Next Generation Leader
The Time Magazine called her a “next-generation” leader and even made it into the list of the 2019 “100 lists” featuring among the world’s most influential people. She made it to the cover of the prestigious cover, grabbing headlines in the process. The magazine praised this remarkable teen sensation who made the world sit up and listen. She has been instrumental in making as many as 1.6 million people in 133 countries, participate in a climate strike. And it’s no exaggeration to say that it was completely encouraged by Thunberg’s solo action, which is quite remarkable.
Actions That Resonate With Words
Thunberg again caught the world by surprise when she sailed from Plymouth, United Kingdom, to New York City. She went on a two-week zero-emissions boat voyage right across the Atlantic Ocean to reach New York. Thunberg moved flygskam, or instead flight shaming famous which prompts the Swedes to travel as per their own beliefs. Thunberg chose to sail because she wanted to avoid air travel because of its harmful emissions.
She chose a zero-emissions racing yacht instead to cover the distance. She later reiterated that it is indeed insane that someone as young as her would cross the Atlantic Ocean to make a stand. The climate and ecological crisis have caused one of the biggest crises that humankind has ever faced, and it is our bounden duty to work together to fight this battle.
The Brickbats and the Bouquets
Paise and criticism have followed in the wake of fame for Gruten Thunberg. There have been praises, and criticism galore from both world leaders and celebrities. As the Thunberg name gradually became famous globally. There was no way that world leaders could ignore her. Thunberg also went ahead and met former President Barack Obama when she visited Washington, D.C. It was to bring to the notice of the lobby lawmakers on environmental issues and hold protests outside the White House.
Obama even went on to name her as the ‘Planet’s greatest advocates.’ Hillary Clinton, the former secretary of state, called her a courageous woman and encouraged her followers on Twitter to join in the Global Climate Strike. But with the praise comes the criticism too. The Russian President Vladimir Putin gave little importance to Gretas’s most recent UN speech. He called her a sincere girl who means well, but she is far removed from the complexities of the modern world.
Some people comment on her looks and activities and her condition too, she suffers from autism and Asperger Syndrome. She calls these conditions her superpower. It is this outlook that has made Greta Thunberg go from a schoolgirl to making her presence felt outside the Swedish parliament to an international celebrity of reputation in a matter of 14 months.
