How Greta Thunberg Inspires Many
As school has just finished and students are filled with excitement about summer, many wonder why it feels like each summer is getting hotter and hotter. Well, so did Greta Thunberg, however, she did not let people in power stop her from speaking her mind.
WHO IS GRETA THUNBERG?
Greta Thunberg, a 21-year-old Swedish activist, started her climate change movement at just eight years old after learning about its detrimental effects. When she was 15 years old, she decided to take action to prevent this climate crisis after spending years being so frustrated no progress was being made. Thunberg decided to skip school and strike for her SCHOOL STRIKE FOR CLIMATE movement, by sitting outside of the Swedish parliament demanding action to prevent climate change. Her actions brought a lot of attention and soon more and more people started joining her. This got the name and hashtag of Fridays For Future, where students would skip school on Fridays to protest.
THUNBERG’S INFLUENCE
Thunberg’s Fridays For Future strikes collect more than 2 million people across 135 countries. Additionally, in March 2019, Greta Thunberg held a Global Strike for Climate movement that involved over 1.6 million people from 125 countries. Aside from protests, Thunberg has also told many speeches throughout her life to other protesters and government officials about the dangers of climate change. Her frustration caught immediate attention and inspired people to fight for her cause.
AWARDS
With her influence, Greta Thunberg has won several awards. She became the youngest Time Person of the Year, won the Right Livelihood Award, received Amnesty International’s Ambassador of Conscience Award, was listed by Forbes as one of the 100 most powerful women, and was even nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize several times.
CONCLUSION
Greta Thunberg’s actions and words inspire many people, including me. While many hesitate before trying something new or doing something bold, Thunberg stands up and fights to ensure her voice is heard. Her actions and all she has accomplished prove that no matter our age, we are capable of creating change in this world. So let's all take a page from Greta Thunberg’s book and stand up against climate change to fight for a cooler summer.
Citations:
News, BBC. “Greta Thunberg: Who Is the Climate Activist and What Has She Achieved?” Bbc.com, BBC News, 29 Nov. 2019, www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-49918719.
“Greta Thunberg | Biography, Climate Change, & Activism | Britannica.” Encyclopædia Britannica, 2024, www.britannica.com/biography/Greta-Thunberg.
Chandler, Gemma. “10 Facts about Greta Thunberg.” National Geographic Kids, 19 Mar. 2023, www.natgeokids.com/uk/kids-club/cool-kids/general-kids-club/greta-thunberg-facts/
Axelle Rescourio, and Beatrice Tridimas. “Greta Thunberg’s Rise from Youth Activist to Global Climate Leader.” Context.news, Context, 3 Nov. 2021, www.context.news/just-transition/greta-thunbergs-rise-from-teen-activist-to-global-climate-leader.
Meyer, Robinson. “The Atlantic.” The Atlantic, theatlantic, 23 Sept. 2019, www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2019/09/why-greta-wins/598612/.
