Greta Thunberg and Climate Change

Greta Thunberg's Climate Activism

• In 2018, Greta Thunberg, then 15, began a school strike every Friday to protest Sweden's lack of adherence to the 2015 Paris Agreement following heat waves and wildfires.
• She sat outside the Swedish Parliament building with a sign saying 'school strike for the climate', advocating for Sweden to respect the Paris Agreement of 2015.
• Her social media posts of the protest went viral, which led to the 'Fridays for Future' movement with hundreds of thousands of students participating worldwide.

The Urgency of Climate Action

• Pollution and greenhouse gases are concerning, with failure to act threatening future generations.
• The consequences include melting ice caps, rising sea levels, extreme temperatures and more frequent natural disasters like droughts, floods, wildfires, and hurricanes.
• Since 1880, the Earth's average temperature has increased by nearly 1 degree Celsius, mostly after 1975.
• Global warming is primarily due to increased carbon emissions from burning fossil fuels (coal, oil, and natural gas).
• Deforestation, which is done to make farms and cities, is destroying the plants that convert CO2 into oxygen, with an area of forest the size of 27 football fields being lost every second.
• If deforestation continues, rainforests may completely disappear in 100 years.

Individual Responsibility and Actions

• Individual actions, like those of governments, can impact climate change.
• Reducing waste, recycling, and traveling responsibly are ways to make a difference.
• Taking trains instead of flying can significantly reduce your carbon footprint.
• Greta Thunberg's family uses an electric car but primarily cycles.
• Greta Thunberg travels by train, not plane, when touring Europe to discuss climate change.

Global Agreements and Current Trends

• At the 2015 Paris Agreement, 195 countries agreed to reduce carbon emissions to limit global warming to 2° Celsius this century.
• Some significant countries, including the USA and some EU countries, are not meeting their commitments.
• Scientists are less optimistic, suggesting the goal should be below 1.5° Celsius.
• The 20 warmest years in history have occurred in the last 22 years.
• Continued warming trends could lead to catastrophic results for the planet.

Greta Thunberg's activism began with school strikes protesting climate inaction, sparking the global 'Fridays for Future' movement. The urgency of climate action is underscored by rising global temperatures and environmental consequences. Increased carbon emissions from burning fossil fuels are major contributors.