Sixteen-year-old climate activist Greta Thunberg, in an emotional address at the United Nations Climate Summit in New York on Monday, 23 September, said that the world leaders have ‘failed the future generations by failing to act against climate crisis.’
Thunberg began her speech by saying that it was “all wrong” and that she should be back in school, on the other side of the ocean in Sweden.
"This is all wrong. I shouldn’t be up here. I should be back in school, on the other side of the ocean. Yet you all come to us young people for hope. How dare you," she said, pointing at government and corporate inaction over the climate crisis.
She added that the leaders have stolen her “dreams and childhood.”
Pointing out that the world is at the beginning of a mass extinction, the Swedish teenager also took a dig at the politicians for worrying only about economic growth.
“We are at the beginning of a mass extinction, and all you can do is talk about eternal economic growth.”Greta Thunberg, Climate Activist
She said that a 50 percent rise in emissions is “simply not acceptable” as it is the future generations that have to live with the consequences.
From Swedish Parliament to UN: Thunberg’s Journey
Thunberg, in September 2018 sat in front of her country's Parliament to shed light on environmental problems and government inaction on it.
“Why study for a future which may not be there?”said Thunberg in September 2018, demanding that political leaders improve the climate policies for a sustainable future.
While she initially protested for a few days at a stretch, it soon evolved into a weekly protest, where Thunberg would miss school and protest in front of her Parliament. The strike soon turned into a global movement with Friday demonstrations becoming a regular affair.
Just a yeat later, on 20 September, over 4 million people across 163 countries participated in the strike against climate change. Their demand was simple: to pressure governments and companies to stop burning fossil fuels and take real action to overcome the climate crisis.
The strike was called forth across in 5,800 different locations, and inspired millions to take action in saving their environment – all led by this 16-year-old Swedish environmental activist.
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