Current:Home > MarketsWhere Greta Thunberg does (and doesn't) expect to see action on climate change-DB Wealth Institute B2 Reviews & Ratings
Where Greta Thunberg does (and doesn't) expect to see action on climate change
lotradecoin affiliate View Date:2024-12-26 04:00:58
It all started with "skolstrejk för klimatet" – the "school strike for climate," also known as Fridays for Future. At 15 years old, Greta Thunberg began spending her Fridays striking in front of the Swedish Parliament to demand action against climate change.
In less than five years, millions have joined Fridays for Future. Thunberg spoke in front of the United Nations. She became Time magazine's youngest ever person of the year. She was nominated for the Nobel Peace prize four years in a row. By 20 years old, she has become a household name around the world... all while finishing high school.
Thunberg has just published The Climate Book. It's a collection of more than 100 essays from herself, scientists, historians, economists, and journalists diving into various topics sharing the data, realities, and proposed solutions to the ongoing climate crisis.
NPR's Ailsa Chang spoke to Thunberg about her new book, her future, and why she thinks change will come from outside the political world.
This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.
Interview highlights
On why she put together this collection of essays
I think what mainly motivated me was that it was so difficult to find a source where you could actually read and go in depth on these issues. Because people often ask me, like, "Where can I read? What can I read? What can I watch? I want to get more engaged with the climate crisis. I want to become an activist. I want to learn. But I don't know where to start." So this is a very good place to start. I think it covers a lot of issues concerning the climate crisis. So it's not just a one-sided story.
On if the United States has stepped up in the way that it needs to
I wouldn't say in the way that it needs to. We might see some improvements in some areas, but still, the U.S. is expanding fossil fuel infrastructure. And to do that at a time right now where countless people are losing their lives and livelihoods in a climate emergency that is just continuing to escalate every day. I think that's very, very irresponsible and it's completely absurd.
On how to overcome the political realities of a divided government
That's exactly the reason why the politicians and the people in power need to start speaking up. Because as it is now, they might not have the votes, they might not have the public support from voters to actually take these measures. And of course, how can we expect that? How can we expect people to demand drastic change in order to safeguard our present and future living conditions if they don't know the reason why those changes are needed.
Right now it's like, saving the climate is seen as an act of tree hugging. It's not being seen as a way to protect our civilization as we know it and to save countless human lives. That is being put against jobs and workers, when it's actually the opposite.
The fight for social justice is the fight for climate justice. We can't have one without the other. We can't put them against each other. And unless people know that – unless people know how bad the situation actually is — they're not going to demand change because they're going to want to keep things the way they are.
I believe that the changes will come from the outside, people demanding this, because we see that when there have been successful campaigns. People are raising these issues in a way [that's] been working then that has also had effects on the policies that are being made and the decisions that are being made.
And then, of course, I think that I'm not the one to tell the U.S. how they should do things when it comes to things like Congress and so on. I think that's more up to the experts and the people there.
On whether she will pursue a career in politics
I really hope not. [laughs] I mean, politics as it is now is very, very toxic. And it doesn't seem like the kind of world I would want to spend my life in. I think that I can do more as a campaigner on the outside.
On her experience as an international celebrity
Of course, I don't think it's what anyone expected or could ever expect. So I guess I just have to use the advantage that that gives me. It gives me a platform [where] I can speak up about things that can impact things, people, etc. But of course, it sends a weird message that we are focusing sometimes on specific individuals rather than the actual problem itself and rather than the people actually suffering the consequences of that problem.
On finishing high school and managing a busy schedule
I don't know, [laughs] to be honest. I don't have an answer to that.
On if it's overwhelming
Maybe yes, overwhelming. But I think what's more is the feeling of doing something that matters. Doing something that has an impact. Something that in the future, I will be able to look back at and say, "I did what I could during this existential crisis when most people were just either looking away or were too busy with their own lives."
veryGood! (257)
Related
- How a small group of nuns in rural Kansas vex big companies with their investment activism
- Several Midwestern cities are going to be counted again like it’s 2020
- Washington's Michael Penix Jr. dazzles in Sugar Bowl defeat of Texas: See his top plays
- Interested in fan fiction? Here’s what you need to know to start.
- 'Love Island UK' stars Molly-Mae Hague, Tommy Fury announce split after 5 years
- Toyota, Mercedes-Benz, Ford among 1.2 million vehicles recalled: Check car recalls here
- Brother of powerful Colombian senator pleads guilty in New York to narcotics smuggling charge
- 'He was just a great player. A great teammate': Former Green Bay Packers center Ken Bowman dies at 81
- 'Alien: Romulus' movie review: Familiar sci-fi squirms get a sheen of freshness
- FBI investigating after gas canisters found at deadly New Year's crash in Rochester, New York
Ranking
- Democrats try to block Green Party from presidential ballot in Wisconsin, citing legal issues
- Marvel Actress Carrie Bernans Hospitalized After Traumatic Hit-and-Run Incident
- Horoscopes Today, January 2, 2024
- Roz returns to 'Night Court': Marsha Warfield says 'ghosts' of past co-stars were present
- Las Vegas police could boycott working NFL games over new facial ID policy
- Missed the 2024 Times Square ball drop and New Year's Eve celebration? Watch the highlights here
- Souvenir sellers have flooded the Brooklyn Bridge. Now the city is banning them
- Soccer stars Crystal Dunn and Tierna Davidson join NWSL champs Gotham FC: Really excited
Recommendation
-
What to stream: Post Malone goes country, Sydney Sweeney plays a nun and Madden 25 hits the field
-
Mama June Shannon Gets Temporary Custody of Late Daughter Anna Chickadee Cardwell’s 11-Year-Old
-
Things to know about Minnesota’s new, non-racist state flag and seal
-
NFL referee Brad Allen, crew get another national TV game after Lions-Cowboys' controversy
-
Austin Dillon loses automatic playoff berth for actions in crash-filled NASCAR win
-
Trial of man charged with stabbing Salman Rushdie may be delayed until author’s memoir is published
-
Are you there Greek gods? It's me, 'Percy Jackson'
-
Milwaukee police officer shot and wounded non-fatally during standoff