Greta Thunberg is a Swedish climate activist who has become one of the most prominent voices in the world on the issue of climate change. At the age of 15, she began protesting outside the Swedish Parliament every Friday, calling on world leaders to take action on climate change. Her protests quickly gained international attention, and she has since spoken at the United Nations, met with world leaders, and inspired millions of people around the world to take action on climate change.
Born in 2003 in Stockholm, Sweden, it was in 2011 that she learned about the effects of climate change and became deeply concerned about the future of the planet. As she herself has declared she has Asperger syndrome, which she has said has given her a “laser focus” on climate change. Her deep concern was the engine for her future protests that would in turn became worldwide news. It started in 2018 when she would purposefully skip school on Fridays to protest outside the Swedish Parliament, demanding that the government take action on climate change. The slogan was “Skolstrejk för klimatet” (“School Strike for Climate”), to later become Fridays for Future or FFF.
Thunberg’s activism has had an impact on the global conversation about climate change. Being named Time magazine’s Person of the Year, and receiving numerous awards for her work.
This has not meant that Thunberg has not been without her critics. Some have accused her of being too young to understand the complexities of climate change. Others have criticized her for her blunt and outspoken style. However, Thunberg has remained undeterred by her critics. She has said that she is speaking out because she feels a moral obligation to do so.
Her activism has also taken new form in the way of writing. She has written a number of books. Among them, “Scenes from the Heart” which she co-wrote in 2018, and in 2019 authored “No One Is Too Small to Make a Difference.” While her latest literary work is titled “The Climate Book”, which was launched in 2022. She has also founded a non-profit organization called Fridays for Future, which continues to organize school strikes and other events around the world to raise awareness of climate change.
