My name is Greta Thunberg. I am 15 years old, and I’m from Sweden. I speak on behalf of Climate Justice Now!
Many people say that Sweden is just a small country, and it doesn’t
matter what we do. But I’ve learned that you are never too small to make
a difference. And if a few children can get headlines all over the
world just by not going to school, then imagine what we could all do
together if we really wanted to.
But to do that, we have to speak clearly, no matter how uncomfortable
that may be. You only speak of green eternal economic growth because
you are too scared of being unpopular. You only talk about moving
forward with the same bad ideas that got us into this mess, even when
the only sensible thing to do is pull the emergency brake. You are not
mature enough to tell it like it is. Even that burden you leave to us
children.
But I don’t care about being popular. I care about climate justice
and the living planet. Our civilization is being sacrificed for the
opportunity of a very small number of people to continue making enormous
amounts of money. Our biosphere is being sacrificed so that rich people
in countries like mine can live in luxury. It is the sufferings of the
many which pay for the luxuries of the few.
The year 2078, I will celebrate my 75th birthday. If I have children,
maybe they will spend that day with me. Maybe they will ask me about
you. Maybe they will ask why you didn’t do anything while there still
was time to act. You say you love your children above all else, and yet
you are stealing their future in front of their very eyes.
Until you start focusing on what needs to be done, rather than what
is politically possible, there is no hope. We cannot solve a crisis
without treating it as a crisis. We need to keep the fossil fuels in the
ground, and we need to focus on equity. And if solutions within the
system are so impossible to find, then maybe we should change the system
itself.
We have not come here to beg world leaders to care. You have ignored
us in the past, and you will ignore us again. We have run out of
excuses, and we are running out of time. We have come here to let you
know that change is coming, whether you like it or not. The real power
belongs to the people. Thank you.
"I'll leave when the wind blows
Take a breathe and away it goes
I'll be outside your window
I'll pass by, but i'll go slow
I'll leave when the wind blows... -All American Rejects 'When the Wind Blows'
"Imagine a room where the flowers they bloom
Through the cracks in the floor and the ceiling" ~Plain White T's
Anyway thank you for visiting my blog! And if you want to see my drawing just click on that tab marking 'drawings'!
