It's been a pretty busy year for climate change activist, Greta Thunberg. The sixteen-year-old addressed world leaders at the U.N. Climate Summit, delivering a stinging speech about the urgency of the climate crisis. Then, after crossing paths with no other than President Trump in the lobby, fired the ultimate death stare, which subsequently went viral online.
The teen then bagged the 2019 Right Livelihood Award, which is widely known as the "Alternative Nobel Prize," for her pioneering work in the youth climate change movement, scooping up a pretty impressive cash prize. But now, after winning another environmental award, Greta has spoken out against the prize. Read on to find out why.
Greta Thunberg has become the face of the youth climate change movement.
The Swedish sixteen-year-old has been responsible for the global school strike movement, which began with weekly Friday school strikes to protest for climate change action.Just a year ago, she was relatively unknown.
via: Twitter
Greta would regularly sit on her own outside Swedish parliament, first staging a "School Strike for Climate" in August last year. In the weeks leading up to the country’s general election, Thunberg sat on the steps outside of the parliament building in Stockholm, holding up the now-iconic sign that read “Skolstrejk För Klimatet" — translating to “school strike for climate."The teen sat outside the building during school hours for 3 weeks.
Her demands were that the Swedish government reduce carbon emissions in accordance with the Paris Agreement. By sacrificing her education to protest for action, the teen began to conjure up attention and gain traction online.Her unwavering commitment to the environment has woken the rest of the world.
While a little over a year ago, the name "Greta Thunberg" was relatively unknown, now, her's is the first name that springs to mind when you think of the climate change movement.Thunberg is known for delivering blistering, matter-of-fact speeches about the urgency of what she calls the "climate crisis."
If we fast-forward to now, Thunberg continues to hold governments accountable during her powerful talks, which have seen her nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize and placed in TIME's top one-hundred influential people in the world list.Her message is clear: we need to act now.
Having whipped up a gigantic global youth movement, climate change is finally getting the attention it deserves, but Thunberg still believes that governments are the ones who still aren't listening. According to the United Nations, humanity has under twelve years to prevent a climate change crisis. A report released by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) at the end of 2018 called for immediate “unprecedented changes" to all aspects of society.If we do not act, the future, if there is one at all, will be very bleak.
Rising global temperatures pose a high risk of social and environmental disasters, including floods, drought, wildfires, and food shortages for millions of people across our planet.Thunberg has gone to great lengths to fight her cause.
In July, the teen ditched environmentally damaging air travel and sailed across the Atlantic to attend the U.N. climate summits in the U.S. and Chile.Little by little, her trailblazing activism seems to be sinking in.
According to Live Kindly, earlier this year, Mohammed Barkindo — the secretary-general of OPEC (the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) — acknowledged public opinion surrounding the climate crisis as a threat to the oil industry.And her youth school strike movement is growing on a mass scale.
On September 20, millions around the world, from London to New York, Sydney to Colombia, ditched the classroom to peacefully protest for climate action in what Thunberg dubs "Fridays for Future."But, Thunberg's movement has been met with waves of criticism.
Her activism has seen her labeled "melodramatic" amongst other things, as well as others saying that she is being used as a political shield.But her critics don't phase her...
On my way to the United Nations. Today I’m speaking in the General Assembly at the Climate Action Summit. This is s… https://t.co/MXRAyXjec0— Greta Thunberg (@Greta Thunberg)1569243289.0
The event is dedicated to world leaders sharing climate solutions and new pledges for climate action.
During her powerful speech, Thunberg highlighted how the science behind climate change has been "crystal clear" for over 3 decades. "I shouldn’t be up here. I should be back in school on the other side of the ocean. Yet you all come to us young people for hope? How dare you!" she said. "You have stolen my dreams and my childhood with your empty words."As she spoke, the teen got visibly emotional.
via: YouTube
"People are suffering. People are dying. Entire ecosystems are collapsing. We are in the beginning of a mass extinction. And all you can talk about is money and fairy tales of eternal economic growth. How dare you!" She continued: "How dare you continue to look away and come here saying that you are doing enough when the politics and solutions needed are still nowhere in sight." "You say you 'hear' us and that you understand the urgency. But no matter how sad and angry I am, I don’t want to believe that. Because if you fully understood the situation and still kept on failing to act, then you would be evil. And I refuse to believe that."She concluded with a poignant message: change is coming, whether you like it or not.
via: YouTube
"You are failing us. But young people are starting to understand your betrayal. The eyes of all future generations are upon you. And if you choose to fail us, I say: We will never forgive you. "We will not let you get away with this. Right here, right now is where we draw the line. The world is waking up. And change is coming, whether you like it or not."After her speech, the teen activist happened to cross paths with Donald Trump in the lobby.
I’ll tell you one thing Greta Thunberg does not have and that’s a future in professional poker. https://t.co/cAznzjWbeW— 🏳️🌈 Max 🏳️🌈 (@🏳️🌈 Max 🏳️🌈)1569308707.0
The video has gone viral online.
When faced with one of the world's most powerful leaders, Thunberg remains fearless, and her death stare has become something of an internet sensation.As you'd expect, Donald Trump had something to say about the whole thing.
In usual Trump-style, he took to Twitter to seemingly mock the teen, writing, "She seems like a very happy young girl looking forward to a bright and wonderful future. So nice to see!" above a video of her speech.His swipe radiated sarcasm.
@realDonaldTrump The President of the United States making a sarcastic, snide comment to make fun of a 16-year-old… https://t.co/GOHBf2wpum— Eugene Gu, MD (@Eugene Gu, MD)1569296379.0
It's been a busy year for the teen.
Thunberg was even listed as 1 of 4 winners of the 2019 Right Livelihood Award, which is widely known as the "Alternative Nobel Prize."Thunberg was honored with the prize for her "inspiring" work.
According to a statement from the Right Livelihood Foundation, "Thunberg is the powerful voice of a young generation that will have to bear the consequences of today's political failure to stop climate change."Thunberg joins 3 other winners who bagged the award too.
Brazilian indigenous leader, Davi Kopenawa of the Yanomami people, Chinese women’s rights lawyer, Guo Jianmei, and Western Sahara human rights defender, Aminatou Haidar also share the award with the teen.Thunberg, along with the other winners, has scooped up a pretty impressive cash prize.
According to Reuters, the 4 winners will each receive a cash award of one million Swedish krona ($103,000).Here's how Thunberg reacted to her win...
Although she was quick to say that she isn't the sole winner.
"But of course, whenever I receive an award, it is not me who is the winner. I am part of a global movement of school children, youth and adults of all ages who have decided to act in defense of our living planet. I share this award with them," she added." "The Right Livelihood Award is a huge recognition for Fridays For Future and the climate strike movement. Thank you so very much!" It was an impressive win.And this week, it was announced Thunberg's award season wasn't over.
via: Nordic Council
She was awarded a coveted Environmental Prize from the Nordic Council, which comes with a whopping $400,o00 cash prize.