WHO IS GRETA THUNBERG?

Who is Greta Thunberg? The 16-year-old vegan environmental activist from

Sweden has inspired millions to protest against the climate change crisis.

A year ago, the name Greta Thunberg was unknown. The words “climate change,”
however, were pretty familiar. They would conjure up images of icebergs, skinny
polar bears, and Al Gore. They may have made you feel uncomfortable. They may
have made you want to push them deep down into the depths of the plastic-filled
oceans because ignorance is bliss, right? Thunberg says wrong.

Now when you think of climate change — or the climate crisis, as it is now
commonly referred to — it’s likely you think of Thunberg, her unwavering
commitment to saving the planet, and her sheer determination to wake up the rest
of the world to help her. She may be in her teens, but the young woman from
Sweden has made a monumental impact across Europe, and indeed, the rest of the
world.

Thunberg is a 16-year-old from Sweden. Last summer, she began demonstrating

outside the Swedish Parliament; she was demanding more action on the issue of
climate change. In the weeks leading up to the country’s general election, Thunberg
sat on the steps outside of the parliament building in Stockholm. She held up a
(now iconic) sign that read “Skolstrejk För Klimatet” — it translates to “school strike
for climate.”

She said at the time, “I am doing this because nobody else is doing anything. It is
my moral responsibility to do what I can. I want the politicians to prioritize the
climate question, focus on the climate and treat it like a crisis.”
Many told Thunberg she should be at school. She responded, “I have my books
here. But also I am thinking: what am I missing? What am I going to learn in
school? Facts don’t matter anymore. Politicians aren’t listening to the scientists, so
why should I learn?”

Fast forward to now, and the teen still isn’t giving school much thought. She’s now
famous around the world for raising awareness about the climate crisis. In the past
year, Thunberg has held governments accountable with her damning speeches. She
recorded a spoken-word record with British band The 1975, spoke at the United
Nations climate talks, and has even been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize.

Together with two other MPs, Norweigan Socialist MP Freddy Andre Ovstegard
nominated Thunberg. He said, “we have proposed Greta Thunberg because if we do
nothing to halt climate change, it will be the cause of wars, conflict, and refugees.”
He added, “[Thunberg] has launched a mass movement which I see as a major
contribution to peace.”

The teen has even had a tiny beetle named after her. Scientists at the Natural
History Museum named the insect species — discovered 50 years ago — Greta
Thunberg to honor her “outstanding contribution” to the fight against the climate
crisis.

She’s now on sabbatical in America — after sailing the Atlantic in an eco-friendly

superyacht — attempting to spread her message across the U.S.

She declined to speak with President Donald Trump during her trip, simply stating
that it would be a waste of time. She has, however, spoken with former President
Barack Obama.

After his meeting with the Swedish teen, Obama Tweeted, “just 16, [Greta
Thunberg] is already one of our planet’s greatest advocates. Recognizing that her
generation will bear the brunt of climate change, she’s unafraid to push for real
action.”

During the meeting, Thunberg and Obama fist-bumped and he told her, “you and
me, we’re a team.” He also asked about the climate strikes in New York and
Washington. She responded, “everyone is so nice and all of these young people
seem so eager, very enthusiastic which is a very good thing.”

Thunberg recently teamed up with British writer, activist, and fellow vegan George
Monbiot to create a short film about the climate crisis. “This is not a drill,” the 16-
year-old opens the film by saying. “My name is Greta Thunberg. We are living in
the beginning of a mass extinction.”

In the video, Thunberg speaks about the importance of halting the burning of fossil
fuels. “But this alone will not be enough,” she says. Monbiot explains the
significance of trees, or “magic machines” as he calls them. This “natural climate
solution” sucks carbon out of the air, is relatively cheap, and builds itself. “Nature is
a tool we can use to repair our broken climate,” he says.

The duo highlight that we spend 1,000 times more on global fossil fuel subsidies
than on natural-based solutions. Natural climate solutions get just 2 percent of all
the money used to address the climate crisis. “This is your money. It is your taxes
and your savings,” the Swedish activist states.

Humankind is destroying these natural climate solutions faster than ever. Up to 200
species go extinct every day. “Much of the arctic ice is gone, most of our wild
animals have gone, much of our soil has gone,” Monbiot says.

They add that we must protect nature, restore damaged ecosystems, stop funding
things that destroy nature and start funding things that assist it.