Greta Thunberg
- sn pubs
- Feb 24, 2021
- 2 min read
A household name for climate change and youth activism, Greta Thunberg has proven time after time that she will continue advocating for climate change no matter what challenges she faces. Born in 2003 to Swedish parents, Greta first learnt about climate change when she was 8 years old. Although only 18 years old, she has achieved what others far older than her have never managed to before.
In August 2018, Greta started what would be the first of hundreds of protests. She protested in front of the Swedish Parliament Building, demanding that the Swedish government meet the carbon emission goals set by world leaders in Paris in 2015. Despite her young age, she continued to skip a day of school to protest, knowing the backlash or consequences she might face. This protest took the internet by storm and soon the hashtag, #FridaysForFuture trended around the world, with almost 20,000 students joining her in their respective countries.
Although Greta has Asperger’s syndrome, a developmental disability, she has never let that get in her way. In 2019 alone, she addressed world leaders at the UN Climate Conference and took the school year off to focus on campaigning, joining climate conferences and protests all over the world. During the UN Climate Conference, she blasted the world leaders for their empty promises and reliance on young people for answers to climate change. In 2020, she also did not let the global pandemic stop her activism, moving protests online instead of in person.
The fact that Greta never let her Asperger’s get in her way is extremely admirable as she not only has to endure the massive amount of criticism from the public, but also face the multiple challenges people with Asperger’s encounter on a daily basis – such as having difficulty navigating the social world. This proves how resilient she is in the face of challenges, which is something we should all aim to embody and learn from.
Greta’s influence is also not to be underestimated, as she racks up millions of followers across social media platforms. She has never stopped fighting for climate change, despite multiple setbacks such as how Covid-19 restrictions which stopped her from holding her protests in person, proving her immense courage and grit. Her undeniable love for our planet is one that we should all learn from, as we should all step up and tackle urgent environmental issues by playing our individual parts, no matter how small or big the effort is.
References:
Ashley Ng
2 Loyalty
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