Who is Greta Thunberg?

We have seen common men turn into warriors protesting against the exploitation of natural resources and the environmental hazards that modern civilisation spreading throughout our planet. We see a handful of people understanding the issues and taking them very seriously. One such name is Greta Thunberg. She is one of the youngest climatic activists in the world who took the matter into her hands at a very young age.

She made exclusive changes in her life and become dedicated to making people aware of the environmental issues that are consuming our planet slowly. She is the frontline warrior meeting global leaders to bring a change and make our planet perfect again for future generations.

Who is Greta Thunberg?

She was born on 3rd January 2003 in Stockholm, Sweden. At a very young age, she realised how we are ruining our only home to make it more sustainable for us. She realised how we are exploiting natural resources just to meet our daily needs and to feed the explosive population in the leading countries.

She was merely 15 years old when she sat outside and intentionally missed her school in September 2018 to protest against the manmade disasters that are ruining our climate. She held a poster stating ‘Skolstrejk för Klimatet’. It meant school strikes for the sake of the climate. She did this before the Swedish Election and spurred a revolution. Every day, many people joined her.

Once the election was over, she skipped school every Friday for the same cause and found many doing the same. Her action inspired thousands of youngsters across the world. They joined and followed in her footsteps and this revolution took a huge shape. Strikes were held in schools across the United States, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Canada, Finland, France, Denmark, and the Netherlands. This event was named ‘Fridays for Future’.

She first learned about the issues with our climate and environment when she was 8 years old. Within a few years, she knew that a change has to be brought. So, she started with herself and changed her own habits to veganism. She refuses to travel in aeroplanes and does not want to contribute to the pollution. She gave moving speeches and left the world leaders stunned in the European Parliament, the World Economic Forum, the United Nations, etc. She showcased her fury against the carelessness of the world leaders toward the looming threats of environmental disasters.

Her Fiery Speech in front of the UN Leaders in New York in 2019 Depicted:

“You have stolen my dreams and my childhood with your empty words…We are at the beginning of a mass extinction, and all you can talk about is money and fairy tales of eternal economic growth. How dare you!” 

You will be surprised to know that protesters joined hands for the cause in more than 163 countries in support. Her strong stance initiated the Greta Effect.

Greta Thunberg and Her Protests

Also Read: Vinisha Umashankar Speech: A Climate Warrior in the Making

Facts About Greta Thunberg

1. What Does Greta Thunberg Do?

She is 19 years old and is campaigning for the protection of the environment and climate. She is an activist that takes on the world leaders directly and addresses than with the problems. With her excellent speeches, she mesmerises the whole world and inspires millions to do the same. She has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2019 for her dedicated actions.

Sir David Attenborough admires her activism and said that she had made the world change. He also exclaimed that he is quite grateful for what she is doing. Prince Harry also patronised her work and told her that every family needs a Greta to bring about such a revolution. Alok Sharma, the contemporary president of COP26 Summit said about Greta Thunberg that she held a mirror in front of him and he felt really uncomfortable.

2. Hottest Summer in Sweden

Her first strike and activism were supported by the fact that Sweden suffered from the hottest summer that year. This made her protests even stronger and more penetrative to society.

3. Her inspiration

Her actions were inspired by the school students walking out of their classes to protest against the US gun laws in Florida. She understood that the best way to seek the attention of the whole world is by conducting strikes. She stopped going to school and even went on to found Fridays for Future. This was indeed the best way to raise awareness among the common population and the world leaders.

4. She is Autistic

You will be surprised to know that she has Asperger syndrome. It falls on the autistic spectrum. Here, a patient will be able to speak and process information like a normal person but have drawbacks such as repetitive behaviour, rigid thinking, etc. Greta environmentalist thinks that being different from others sometimes is a blessing.

5. Her Transatlantic Voyage

She travelled to the USA from the UK in 2019 to address the UN in August 2019 in a solar and turbine-powered boat. She refused to take a flight and chose a greener option. She created an example for all of us to follow. To this date, she is showing her dedication and determination to save the environment. This is what has Greta Thunberg done.

The Joan of Arc of Climate Activism

Greta Thunberg is considered to be the Joan of Arc in climate activism. Her rigid and to-the-point approach makes her one of the fiercest activists protesting against the inactions of world leaders to stop climate change.

She is really an inspiration for all the youngsters. She has done something remarkable that we cannot even possibly think of. Her movements and bold steps make her the real hero we need to save our planet.