Greta Thunberg
Our planet’s climate is deteriorating, and politicians
are turning blind eyes when it’s only a matter of a few decades before our
planet becomes inhabitable. Greta Thunberg, a Swedish 18-year-old climate activist,
has been able to spark uproar over these prevalent issues and challenge our
world leaders to pay attention to this issue before the future is nonexistent
for our youth. It is because of Greta that millions joined her in her cry for
our planet to change.
Thunberg is most known for starting a global climate movement in 2018. She started by herself, opting out of school to sit outside of the Swedish Parliament with a sign that said “Skolstrejk för klimatet” (School Strike for Climate). A couple journalists took pictures of Thunberg outside by herself, and that soon sparked a movement. Every day, more and more kids kept coming to the Parliament to take a stand with Greta, and one person soon turned to thousands. Greta decided to just make the strikes on Fridays after the mass amount of participation, and thus “Friday’s for Future” began and Greta became a global climate icon.
Greta has given many speeches on our climate in front of many different country’s legislatures including Italy, France, United Kingdom. In 2019, Thunberg even traveled to the United States to give a speech at the UN Climate Action Summit. And while staring into the eyes of world leaders, she gave her infamous “How DareYou?” speech that shamed them for their decisions and lack of care for the next generation’s future. Her speech inspired millions to join the fight for our climate and Greta was named Time Magazine’s Person of the Year in 2019, the article saying “she refuses to use the language of hope; her sharpest weapon is shame…she is an ordinary teenage girl who, in summoning the courage to speak truth to power, became the icon of a generation”
I chose Greta Thunberg because she’s someone who many girls in my generation can look up to and be inspired by. It’s not often you see someone our age be able to take a stand and make as much of an impact as Greta has. She has stood in the face of our world leaders and told them off. She has raised the voices of millions people my age. She is making the difference all young activists could possibly dream of making one day.
I feel
strongly about a lot of issues in society, wanting to use my voice to make a difference. I always believed I’d have to be older, smarter, or stronger to make a
difference, but it’s people like Greta who show that anyone can. If I wanted to
take a stand, I could right now. Waiting until the time is right is not going
to fix the problems that need to be solved now. Believing I am not capable is
allowing myself to lose the battle already. Greta having the power to face the fights she does and take a stand for
what she believes in inspires me and many other young women alike. Seeing
someone my age capable of inspiring as many people as her has makes me want my voice
to be heard. She shows that even if your voice is small, even if there is only
one and there’s a good chance no one will listen, it’s worth all the effort if it’s
something important.
"We showed that we are united and that we young people, are unstoppable." - Greta Thunberg
Works Cited
“Greta Thunberg.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 1 Jan. 20 www.britannica.com/biography/Greta-Thunberg.
Alter, Charlotte, et al. “Greta Thunberg: TIME's
Person of the Year 2019.” Time, Time, www.time.com/person-of-the-year-2019-greta-thunberg/.
McDowell, Erin. “Kamala Harris Was Just Sworn in as the First Female Vice President in US History. Here Are 35 of the Most Powerful Women in 2021.” Business Insider, Business Insider, 20 Jan. 2021, www.businessinsider.com/most-powerful-women-in-the-world-2020-2#gretathunberg-climate-activist-8.
Greta's unshaken purpose and dedication towards climate change is so admirable. Even at such a young age she didn't let the opinion of men in superior positions stunt her activism. I really enjoyed learning more about her and her specific accomplishments.
ReplyDeleteI love Greta's persistence with her cause; even when people question what she's doing, or make fun of her, it doesn't discourage her. She has so much grace with her responses. Even if someone is ridiculing her, she remains composed and is very clever with her responses (i.e her tweets to Donald Trump). It was interesting to learn that her activism started with just her and one sign. I don't think I'd have the same determination to sit outside by myself if no one else believed in me.
ReplyDeleteOne thing that I really love about Greta is that not only is she a super powerful, outspoken young woman, but she also is neurodivergent. Greta has asperger's, which is a form of autism. I think not only is Greta a great role model for young women and passionate youth, but also for neurodiverse kids.
ReplyDeleteGreta is such an inspiration for all young activist and I think that she is a great person to report on. You don't see a lot of young activists today, so it's always heart warming when one or two pop up on the news. I think you told her story in a very concise yet meaningful way. You showed us that she can be strong despite her age and sex and that those characteristics are no means to be over looked. I love that you gave us your own insight on the issues and why you chose her, it makes the piece more personal and it gives that extra connection to the audience .
ReplyDelete