Inspirational Youth Activists Leading Us to a Bright Future
Meet Environmental Activist Greta Thunberg Fighting for Climate Action.
Sep 27, 2019If you’ve been following the news lately, you’ve probably heard about 16-year-old Greta Thunberg. She is a Swedish student is campaigning for action on the current climate crisis. She began protesting for change in how our governments and leaders approach climate change by going on a “school strike” while handing out flyers with facts about climate change. Her posts on social media gained a lot of attention and she has become the face of the next generation’s hope for a better world.
Climate activist Greta Thunberg has gained global recognition for her work.
Greta’s Activism
Though she started protests by herself in Stockholm last year, Greta has come a long way in garnering support for the urgent message of change. She has over six million followers on Instagram, and has spoken at the United Nations, U.S. Congress, and on numerous news programs and television shows, and is also one of the influences behind last week’s student climate strike. She is one of sixteen school-age kids who have filed a complaint with the United Nations that is making international news.
Greta just sailed from Europe to New York earlier this month to speak in the U.S., choosing an eco-friendly boat for her travels instead of a plane with a much larger carbon footprint.
She is open about her diagnosis of autism, referring to it as a super power that helps her get to the heart of the issues she is bringing to the forefront. It helps her see and explain climate issues with clarity and a straightforwardness that is easily understandable.
More Kid Activists To Look Up To
Greta is not the only voice speaking up about the future of our planet, and it’s important to recognize people from all different countries and cultures and what they bring to the conversation and fight for our planet’s preservation.
The New York Times has a wonderful profile on Leah Namugerwa, a 15-year-old from Kampala, Uganda, Nikhil Kalmegh, a 24-year-old from Mumbai, India, Freya Brown, a 16-year-old from Melbourne, Australia, Ruby Sampson and Ayakha Melithafa, 18 and 17-year-olds from Cape Town, South Africa, Elijah McKenzie-Jackson, a 15-year-old from London, England, Adriana Salazar, a 19-year-old from La Paz, Bolivia, and Jamie Margolin, a 17-year-old from New York.
Youth activists speaking on their complaint with the UN.
Many of these kids cite specific issues that are pressing in the areas where they lives. Third world countries in particular are often the first to see signs of climate change, including water shortages, food shortages, and air pollution that are affecting their day to day quality of life.
Not all kids have the privilege of being able to skip school like Greta, but they feel the urgency to speak up and make a change.
Greta's impassioned speech at in front of the UN climate change committee.
Worldwide Activism
The actions of kids across the globe have led to worldwide climate strikes, two major ones occurring in March and September of 2019. Kids are skipping school to send a message to their countries’ leaders that they are serious about legislation to hold companies accountable for the ecological impact and show the world that they are not going to sit idly by while adults make the decisions for their future.
We can all be more like these youth activists and campaign for a better future.
How You Can Get Involved
Check out the website for climate strikes here and talk to your teachers and parents about how you can proactively express your opinions and be a part of the conversation.
Share Your Thoughts
Let us know how you are a part of the conversation about climate change and what you think in the comments below!
