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Greta Thunberg

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Greta Thunberg ... is a Swedish schoolgirl, climate activist and iconic role model for worldwide student activism. She is famous for having initiated the school strike for climate movement that formed in November 2018 and surged globally after the COP24 conference in December the same year. Her personal activism began in August 2018, when her recurring and solitary Skolstrejk för klimatet ('School strike for the climate') protesting outside the Swedish parliament in Stockholm soon attracted media coverage.[1] On 15 March 2019, an estimated number of 1.4 million students around the world joined her call in the striking and protesting.[2] The next major climate strike to take place globally is scheduled on 24 May 2019.[3]

From October 2018 and onwards, Thunberg's activism evolved from solitary protesting to taking part in demonstrations throughout Europe; making several high profile public speeches; and mobilising her growing number of followers on social media platforms. However, by March 2019 she still stages her regular protests outside the Swedish parliament every Friday, where other students now occasionally join her. Her activism has not interfered with her schoolwork, but she has had less spare time.[4]

UN General Secretary António Guterres has endorsed the school strikes initiated by Thunberg, admitting that "My generation has failed to respond properly to the dramatic challenge of climate change. This is deeply felt by young people. No wonder they are angry."[5]

On 13 March 2019, three members of the Norwegian parliament nominated Thunberg as a candidate for the Nobel Peace Prize later this year. The nominating politicians motivated their decision by arguing that global warming will be the cause of 'wars, conflict and refugees' if nothing is done to halt it. Thunberg responded that she was 'honoured and very grateful' for the nomination.[6] If Thunberg receives the Prize later this year, she will become the youngest person ever to receive it.[7]

As a collective archetype, Thunberg has been compared both to French medieval maiden warrior Joan of Arc;[8][9] and to Swedish fictional character Pippi Longstocking, an unconventional and daring girl who regularly exercises her superhuman strength.[10][11]

Manifesto

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... as the inspiration to begin her school climate strike.[][]

In her personal manifesto, Thunberg claims that she is just a messenger, not a climate scientist herself: She is merely repeating what scientists have been trying to get through to the general public for decades now, to little effect. Students like her should not have to leave school for protesting. If only the public started listening to the scientists, students could give up protesting and go back to school again—but this is not how the political situation works today, Thunberg maintains.[12]

Berlin

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In the weekend 29-31 March, Thunberg visited Berlin. She spoke in front of some 25,000 people near the Brandenburg Gate on Friday, where she argued that "We live in a strange world where children must sacrifice their own education in order to protest against the destruction of their future. Where the people who have contributed the least to this crisis are the ones who are going to be affected the most."[13] After the speech, Thunberg and fellow climate activist Luisa Neubauer visited the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research and met with scientists there. On Saturday, Thunberg received the 'Golden Camera' Special Award on Germany's annual film and television award show. In her acceptance speech at the gala, Thunberg urged celebrities everywhere to use their influence and do their fair share of climate activism to help her.[14][15][16]

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  • Sengupta, Somini (18 February 2019). "Becoming Greta: 'Invisible Girl' to Global Climate Activist, With Bumps Along the Way". New York times. Retrieved 9 April 2019.
  • Hook, Leslie (22 February 2019). "Greta Thunberg: 'All my life I've been the invisible girl'". Financial Times. Retrieved 17 April 2019.
  • Watts, Jonathan (11 March 2019). "Greta Thunberg, schoolgirl climate change warrior: 'Some people can let things go. I can't'". The Guardian. Retrieved 11 March 2019.

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References

  1. ^ Olsson, David (23 August 2018). "This 15-year-old Girl Breaks Swedish Law for the Climate". Medium. Retrieved 26 March 2019.
  2. ^ Cohen, Ilana; Heberle, Jacob (19 March 2019). "Youth Demand Climate Action in Global School Strike". Harvard Political Review. Retrieved 22 March 2019.
  3. ^ Shabeer, Muhammed (16 March 2019). "Over 1 million students across the world join Global Climate Strike". Peoples Dispatch. Retrieved 22 March 2019.
  4. ^ Watts, Jonathan (11 March 2019). "Greta Thunberg, schoolgirl climate change warrior: 'Some people can let things go. I can't'". The Guardian. Retrieved 11 March 2019.
  5. ^ Guterres, António (15 March 2019). "The climate strikers should inspire us all to act at the next UN summit". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 March 2019.
  6. ^ Vaglanos, Alanna (14 March 2019). "16-Year-Old Climate Activist Greta Thunberg Nominated For Nobel Peace Prize". HuffPost. Retrieved 22 March 2019.
  7. ^ Rosane, Olivia (14 March 2019). "Greta Thunberg—Swedish Teen who Inspired School Climate Strikes—Nominated for Nobel Peace Prize". EcoWatch. Retrieved 22 March 2019.
  8. ^ Hunziker, Robert (2 January 2019). "Greta 'Joan of Arc' Thunberg Shames Leaders at COP24". CounterPunch. Retrieved 22 March 2019.
  9. ^ von Burkhard, Ewert; Lüddemann, Stefan (8 March 2019). "Wie einst Jeanne d'Arc? Greta Thunberg belebt den Typus der jungen Frau als Lichtgestalt" [Like once Joan of Arc? Greta Thunberg revives the image of the young woman as a leading figure.]. Osnabrücker Zeitung (in German). Retrieved 22 March 2019. Excerpts in English: Instead of armour and sword, Greta Thunberg wields a knittet cap and a cardboard banner. The masses rise just the same. She appears to be an environmental Joan of Arc. Why are people always excited about young women as leading figures? ... Cultural patterns last long. Powerful images may stiffen, travel through the ages, and then have the ability to unleash explosive force once again—like the motif of the young woman, symbolising pure and lasting cognition, or immaculate conviction. ... Joan of Arc had a strong determination, but she also had a fragile appearance—like Greta. She stuck to her mission without compromise—like Greta. Her leadership arose from the fringes, apparently from scratch—like Greta's.
  10. ^ Kluth, Andreas (17 December 2018). "Greta Thunberg reads the world's adults the riot act". Handelsblatt Today. Retrieved 22 March 2019.
  11. ^ Sundevall, Dick (19 March 2019). "Greta Thunberg agerar i Pippi Långstrumps anda" [Greta Thunberg acts in the spirit of Pippi Longstocking]. Para§raf (in Swedish). Retrieved 22 March 2019. Excerpts in English: Some scientists deny there is a climate problem; but they make up only a tiny minority of the world's climate scientists. This is one of the reasons why Greta Thunberg's commitment has resonated throughout large parts of the world. However, some adults, usually middle-aged people, are questioning her. This is what leads the thoughts to Pippi Longstocking. ... It took some struggling with different publishers before somebody even dared to print Astrid Lindgren's book about the rebellious and questioning girl Pippi, as she was a young girl who questioned the habits and mores of adult people. Oh dear, how terrible! When the book about Pippi Longstocking gradually became a world succes, parts of it were censored for this very reason. Pippi was too questioning, too rebellious, and did not blindly obey the admonitions from the older generation. ... It is rather obvious that a young person like Greta, still formally a child below 18 of age, should become a symbol of the action against climate destruction throughout the world. Because it is her generation, and their children and grandchildren, who are going to live their lives on this planet.
  12. ^ Thunberg, Greta (3 February 2019). "In Response to Lies and Hate, Let Me Make Some Things Clear About My Climate Strike". Common Dreams. Retrieved 22 March 2019.
  13. ^ Thumiger, Reto (31 March 2019). "Fridays for the Future: 25,000 demonstrate in Berlin with Greta Thunberg". Pressenza. Retrieved 5 April 2019.
  14. ^ Waldholz, Rachel; Wehrmann, Benjamin (29 March 2019). "Greta Thunberg joins German students for climate protest in Berlin". Clean Energy Wire. Retrieved 5 April 2019.
  15. ^ Cite error: The named reference el01 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  16. ^ Gilliver, Liam (4 April 2019). "Greta Thunberg Calls Out Celebrities To Face Climate Crisis In Powerful Speech". Plant Based News. Retrieved 12 April 2019.
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