Greta's Skolstrejk för Klimatet!

Greta Thunberg is a sixteen year old Swedish environmental activist whose campaigning for climate change has gained her international recognition. She first became known in 2018 when she staged a strike for two weeks outside the Swedish parliament, demanding that the government cut greenhouse emissions by fifteen percent that year. These protests began to spread throughout different communities, causing Thunberg to launch the “Fridays for Future” movement. This movement encouraged students to skip school on Fridays and demand action on climate change from their governments, leading to the largest climate strike in history. This year, on September 20th, around 4 million people in over 160 countries protested for their governments to take action.

She continues to go on strike every Friday.

Thunberg’s sudden rise to world fame has made her a leader and inspiration to young people all around the world. I think that the work she is doing is amazing. She is committed to her cause and wants others to understand the severity of it as well. Thunberg also spoke at the 2019 UN Climate Change Summit. I could see her passion while watching her speech, but also when I learned that she sailed to America to avoid carbon emissions. There is an urgency to this issue that many people don’t understand or even think about. Her activism has caused people to think about what our future will look like if nothing changes.

In my opinion, climate change is undeniable and it is clear that changes need to be made, but very few solutions have been offered. Thunberg sees this and is trying to make a difference. Her dedication has changed her lifestyle. She is taking a sabbatical from school so she can solely focus on spreading her message.

I find Greta Thunberg to be inspiring to have accomplished so much at such a young age. She found a topic she was passionate about and thought was important, and made an effort to fix it. When she started her activism, she could only dream that it would transform into what it is today. Her impact on the world is spreading and making people to talk and find solutions. I think that she is a great role model, especially for young girls. She sets an example for what can happen when you give yourself a problem that needs to be solved.

What issues are you passionate about? How can you follow Greta’s example of dedicating yourself to a cause and make a positive influence on society? Share below!