FIGHTING FOR THE ENVIRONMENT

“Change is coming, whether you like it or not.”

Harsh words spoken by young, Swedish environmental activist, Greta Thunberg. At only 16 years young, what started out as missing class on Fridays to fight for our climate and creating the Fridays for Future movement, Thunberg’s campaigning has gained her international fame.

In 2018 Greta was recognized for her passionate speech given at the United Nations Climate Change Conference, where she addressed those in power the stark truth of what young citizens like herself face in the future unless serious decisions are made on behalf of saving our environment.

Clearly when I hear Greta’s speeches, I can’t help but feel her pain and frustration. I’m scared of the world we are making for ourselves and future generations, which is pretty much no world at all. When science proves that what we are doing is going to cause us harm, it feels like no one listens, especially those in power. Thunberg stands for change and is very upfront about how she feels about our current climate situation, despite criticism. Like myself, she is not worried about being liked but more about being heard, and I find that very admirable.

Although Greta has many supporters and followers of her movements and activism, not everyone is such a fan of the motivated teen. Some say that she is being robbed of her childhood and education, missing school for climate injustice. Others blame her parents for letting Thunberg live in fear and therefore controlling the whole family because of that fear. She was able to manipulate her family to be vegan and mother to give up her career due to air travel. Also, The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) claims that attacks on the oil industry may be one of the biggest threats to the industry, moving forward. But isn’t all this kind of what she is going for?

Overall, I think Greta is only doing what her heart is telling her to do. So many of us let environmental issues roll off our shoulders and it often starts at a young age. We have been told from the time we were little that humans are causing a change to our environment, some for the better but also for the worse. No answers are given to the problems at hand and we go along with our lives while our planet suffers.

Some of us strive to make a difference, whether it’s driving an electric car, reducing our use of plastics and other wasteful products, but is it enough? With people like Greta speaking the bold truth of how she feels and the knowledge she has acquired, what’s the harm? She wants change, she wants a future she can be proud of and future generations can enjoy.

She’s tired of being ignored, tired of all our voices being ignored, and I don’t see why the rest of the world doesn’t want that, too.

In her own words, “If world leaders choose to fail us, my generation will never forgive them.”