Thunberg: Light in Trying Times
Greta Thunberg, a young Swedish climate activist, has made quite a significant impact on the world lately. At only 16 years old, she has dedicated her time to fighting global warming, first protesting outside of Swedish Parliament back in 2018 and now delivering impactful speeches in front of daunting world leaders. Greta has become the leading figure in the fight against global warming and unnatural climate change. Some politicians and even President Trump have mocked her for her passion and determination, disregarding her impactfulness because she is young. But that doesn’t stop her in the slightest, and those immature adults who disregard scientific fact are the very least of her worries.
Greta has sparked a revolution with “Skolstrejk for Klimatet” ever since her days of sitting outside of Swedish Parliament. She recently traveled to America on a zero emissions yacht for the UN climate summit as well as to join students participating in her “school strike for the climate.” Organized school strikes are taking place predominantly wherever Greta travels, and nationwide, there have been thousands of students protesting the ignorance of scientific fact by politicians who are capable of making change happen but are not taking action.
At the United Nations General Assembly, she gave a powerful speech addressing the politicians who blatantly ignore scientific facts about the extreme dangers of our rapidly changing Earth and how they completely disregard the young people who will soon have to live in the world they destroyed. Greta also feels deeply remorseful that children are having to fight for their own future: at the UN General Assembly, she said, “You all come to us young people for hope? How dare you. You have stolen my dreams and my childhood with your empty words.”
Greta’s passion has brought light to our Earth’s formidable future and she symbolizes our generation’s dedication and urgency for change. She does not want to be a symbol of hope nor faith. Her desire is that people listen to science and take immediate action.