Greta Thunberg is a 16 year old, Swedish, climate change activist whose arguments have recently grown in popularity and significance. She claims that for the past thirty years, scientific studies have proven just how impacted the planet is by global warming and climate change, yet experts and government officials have essentially done nothing to respond to the issue or improve the situation.
She gave a speech a the UN Climate Action Summit, which was difficult to get her to in the first place, as she refused to take an airplane; claiming that there are high levels of emissions. However once at the summit, she mentioned, "You have stolen my dreams and my childhood with your empty world and yet, I am one of the lucky ones... people are suffering, people are dying."
Her actions to make her voice heard started out as weekly sit-ins outside of the Swedish Parliament building, and have now grown into school walkouts and protests in various countries and cities.
Discussion Questions:
1) Do you agree with Thunbergs arguments and strong opinions on climate change?
2) What steps should be taken to improve the current situation in regards to climate change?
I think that earth's climate is going through an extremely vulnerable phase and like Thunberg has expressed we need to start making changes. Many people aren't aware of the large scale damage simple things can create, for example trash. Even just separating your trash can reduce the amount of CO2 released into the atmosphere from landfills. Our current conditions are only a result of our own actions, so it is our responsibility to clean up the mess we made. 16 year old Thunberg brings to light that if communities don't stop making changes her future, the future of her children may have to suffer the consequences.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with Thunberg's position on climate change and believe that we need to do more about it. One thing I heard her say was that the difference between climate change in Sweden and climate change in America is that in Sweden, it is a know fact whereas in America, it is more of a debate on whether or not it is real. Therefore, I think it is most important to make everyone aware that the climate is changing and that there is science to prove it. Then, I think the government needs to counter Trump's measures to roll back on environmental restrictions. In addition, I believe that individauls can make a difference by doing small things like what Ann said about reducing waste, or reducing auto emissions by driving eco friendly cars, carpooling, walking and biking more often.
ReplyDeleteGreta's anger at our political leaders is just. The revolting stagnation of our pollution levels have contributed to many lives lost in hurricanes, floods, and fires. The mess is not ours, but that of older people in power who have compromised our futures for cheaper energy. Solutions run thin as we delve further into the carbon-filled rabbit hole, and Thunberg's urgency is entirely justified. Unfortunately, in the United States, checks and balances impede progress, so we will never be able to enact true change through the control of oil companies. Only a market-based bill can pass in this political culture, if we live long enough to see it passed.
ReplyDeleteThunberg's claims about the severity of climate change are absolutely true and have spurred extensive discussion on the subject. She has accomplished the goal of educating people about climate change, so at this point, it is necessary to take the next step, namely endorsing research to solve climate change. Her statement that she "will never forgive [the government]" for not stopping climate change may only antagonize the government instead of encouraging them to fund research. Instead, she should work to make sure that her words are carefully directed so as to not antagonize, but to unite everyone - including the government - in the process to solve climate change. Currently, her statements such as eliminating all emissions are somewhat unfeasible, but after a discussion with researchers and members of the government, they may find a feasible solution.
ReplyDeleteI admire Thunberg for her conviction. More people should learn from her willingness to not just condemn climate change but also take concrete action. Every action we take and policy we make is a point in space connected to other points, ultimately resulting in a web of connections. I think a good next step for her is to consider that simply ending fossil fuel burning is like removing a foundational point, cutting connections to neighboring points, cutting connections to their neighbors, and so on, ultimately resulting in the structural collapse of the web. We need to create new connections, forming a new foundation, to ensure the structure will stay intact when we remove the old foundation. In other words, this means we need to consider that many people in underprivileged conditions wouldn't be worrying about switching from gas to electric if they are worrying about the next meal, or that a global airplane boycott will result in global economic collapse (and plus, it would be very difficult for many of us to connect with our relatives overseas). These are problems that we need to face as well. But ultimately, we shouldn't fear these problems. We should invent affordable electricity generators or reliable zero-emissions planes. We should create solutions.
ReplyDeleteGreta's speeches are certainly impactful, but the impact is likely on the wrong people. Even if she reaches millions of young people, unless it begins to change the thinking of people in power, the sad truth is that nothing will be done. Protests can drive lots of public outrage, but at the end of the day only government action will be able to actually make anything change. Voter stagnation is a real problem, especially within the US, and especially with younger generations. If we want something changed in the world, we need to actually influence those who currently don't vote, thinking that their vote doesn't matter.
ReplyDeleteI do agree with Greta's arguments and strong opinions on climate change. Climate change is an issue that we are facing now, and if we don't address this issue now, it's going to be harder for future generations to fix. I also do think that there should be reforms and such to better this situation that keeps on getting worse and worse. People need to know of the dangers and circumstances of climate change to make it more popular in order for some change to be actually done. In order to improve our current situation, I think awareness is the first part. Then it is the government's job to make that change. Also to reduce carbon emissions, other resources need to be found and made so that we can switch to a more environmentally safer form of energy. Overall, it is important for people to know that climate change is a real thing and it will affect all of us in the future if we don't do something about it now.
ReplyDeleteThunberg is one of the amazing voices of our generation. I have so much respect for this young woman and her message. Climate change is probably the biggest issue facing the world right now, and the solutions don't lie in technology or engineering, but in politics. Sanders has it right– the climate crisis not only matches but exceeds the magnitude of the financial crisis during the great depression, yet our government doesn't seem to be taking similar steps to alleviate it.
ReplyDeleteIn a discussion with one of my other teachers about Thunberg's speech, she pointed out that this isn't even the first time that Generation Z has been forced to take a stand. For example, the March for Our Lives movement was born out of the inability or unwillingness of the older generation to do something about the senseless loss of life due to lack of adequate gun control.
The people in power now are NOT doing their part to solve the issues that are plaguing our world. Maybe Thunberg's movement will be enough of a prod to get things moving in the right direction. But I'm not optimistic. More likely, nobody will take the younger generation seriously, and this movement will just fizzle out like the march for our lives movement did.
I strongly agree with Thunberg's arguments on climate change, and it's really good to see someone as passionate as her trying to lead the charge on this issue. Contrary to the March For Our Lives movement, however, this is a much more pressing issue, and one with a much greater reach. We will never reach a point, no matter how bad it gets, where students will die from getting shot in schools every day, but at the current pace climate change is progressing, we will get to a point where children are dying every second from malnutrition and a whole other score of plagues. Obviously I agree with the above that political leaders must take drastic action to reduce emissions if we want to improve the climate change situation, but it's not possible under a democratic system. The older people in power are selfish, knowing they'll die before climate change can really affect them, so they only seek to make a profit before they die. It's incredibly frustrating to know that these politicians are smiling at their kids, thinking money has secured a future for them, when in reality they're smiling at a child they killed.
ReplyDeleteI agree with others that Climate Change is rather far up the list of modern day problems, and that concrete solutions need to be taken as soon as possible to address this problem. And there are many actions the US alone can take to address this problem. To avoid serious, irreversible consequences, the world needs to reach zero emission status by 2030. Now that may seem like a while, but it's actually only 11 years, meaning that it is actually rather unrealistic for emissions to be reduced to anywhere near that number anytime soon. So while we need to immediately begin reducing the amount of greenhouse gases we are releasing into the atmosphere, we also need to begin taking immediate action to mediate the consequences. It will take immense amounts of planning and preparation to get through the climate crisis, and we haven't even started. Will we as a species be able to get through this crisis? Eh, probably not.
ReplyDeleteI agree with her strong opinions on climate change. As we get closer to the deadline of the 18 months that we have to save our planet, our priority should be saving our world. It is very sad to see that our government is doing nothing about it. I believe that our government should stop trying to focus on the economy and place its attention to "timed problems". I'm not saying that the government should stop caring about the economy, but as of now, climate change should be its priority. We, as citizens, can help by making our voices be heard like Greta is doing and get more involved into who we're voting for and what changes we want our chosen politicians to make.
ReplyDeleteI think her actions are beyond admirable and powerful. She is living proof that young people can impact change throughout the world. I was already aware of climate change and its threats but I didn't really process how serious it until I heard Greta speak; she really opened my eyes and made me care more about doing my part to help. Every single one of her points is valid and true and it's sad that many adults in the government don't understand how big of a threat this is. While it seems difficult for significant change to happen in the next decade, it is doable. Greta, a single teenager, was able to get millions of people around the world to protest on one day. Not to be super cliche, but if we believe we can do it and we collaborate and put in the effort, we can try to get through this crisis. Will it be easy? No. Change is never easy, but we should not shy away from big goals just because they seem hard. That is all the more reason to do it because the outcome will be 10x rewarding. I think a big step we can take right now is having more electric car companies in America because we only have 4 right now which is why prices are so expensive. It will be more feasible to transition to electric cars if there is a larger supply.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with Greta’s passionate and strong views and arguments on climate change. All her speeches, especially this one, has reached many people and has emphasized the magnitude of this problem - that it is literally our future at risk. It is a shame that many people of power aren’t taking her words and this problem seriously. She has a right to be angry at the people of this world who contribute to this large scale problem, as well as our government specifically since it seems like we aren’t getting anything done in order to solve this problem (one of the reasons being that some people believe that climate change and global warming is simply a hoax…). I think that her ambitious goals are necessary in order for our world to make some kind of progress and these goals are necessary to be achieved as soon as possible. I think many younger people are aware of how serious climate change is but it is important that other generations above us are willing to fight this same fight. It is frustrating that some people can be so closed-minded they don’t understand the severity of this threat for this world.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with Thunberg’g opinions and arguments about climate change because it is directly caused by the actions of all people so it is our responsibility. I believe that the best way to combat climate change is to educate the younger generations about climate change what the actions we must take to preserve the Earth such as cutting carbon emissions and recycling. People need to accept the fact that climate change is very real and that we need to take action now. Also, I believe that we should join back into the Paris Agreement as well as cut back on the use of coal and increase the use of clean, renewable energy types such as wind and solar energy.
ReplyDeleteIn response to your first question, I definitely agree with Thunberg's opinions on climate change. Her opinions are proven by numerous studies done on climate change and there is a clear indication that climate change is real. Climate change isn't just an issue that affects one country; it's an issue that affects the entire globe. Because of this, I believe that world leaders need to communicate together in order to solve this issue. Luckily, such a thing already exists with the Paris Climate Accords but it is unfortunate that the US isn't part of it, yet it is one of the world's largest carbon emitters.
ReplyDeleteI believe that Thunberg has a right to be angry about the lack of action being taken surrounding the issue of climate change and global warming. Although her stance may seem extreme, she is attempting to solve a problem that is so deeply entrenched in our world that the only way to solve it is with extreme measures. On the other hand, she cannot expect to turn people's world upside down instantly. The issue of climate change has been often overlooked by the government. Some still do not even believe it exists despite numerous studies conducted by scientists that prove it is effect currently. Even though this issue has been rising up on the political agenda, the government should be implementing policy now. Starting with moderate changes can ease people into a new way of life that will be sustainable and save the planet. I believe the blame can be rightfully placed on the government if change is not made and the issue continues to grow. We need action now or else the consequences may be irreversible.
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ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with Thunbergs stance on climate change and that her anger towards experts and government officials is justified. It it is essentially important that government officials actively recognize climate change as a critical issue that needs to be addressed. Clear evidence from scientists have suggested that climate change is occurring and affecting our environments as each passing day goes by. Fuel emissions is by far the most impactful source of pollution that is altering the climate. Although government officials do hear of concerns of climate change occurring, they respond in an extremely passive manner and fail to address the issues by enforcing policies on states and counties. The action of implementing such policies and acts must be established as soon as possible as the repercussions of failing to do so will most likely affect the human population in a detrimental manner.
ReplyDeleteI do generally agree with Thunberg’s arguments and opinions and I felt that her speech may have been over dramafied for artistic and impactful emphasis. I do believe climate change is indefinitely real and that big corporations are the main reason and that leaders have known this for years and ignored it. I am also upset and can understand the betrayal Thunberg talks about. I believe that globally, world leaders need to recognize climate change as time sensitive priority that deserves immediate and radical attention. I understand that there is a level of individual impact, but big corporations are the main reason for rapid climate change. Therefore, policies and regulations must be put into place immediately and enforced on the big corporations in order to ensure a decrease in the carbon emissions in the atmosphere.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I do believe in Thunberg's premise and goals, just as Audrey said above, I personally think that she has "over dramatified" her platform. I don't personally believe that Thunberg will dramatically influence the current situation, but I don't think it will hurt it. I commented on an older post about how changing our leader's views wont work atleast in the near future, and that probably our best approach is to create our own reforms and systems within our communities to at least suppress the oncoming climate change. Scientists already say we are passed the date we could've completely changed to create stabilization of our climate. Our countries leaders are already trying to do things seen with the G7 summit, with China taking the initiative with cutting down their toxic co2 emmissions. Some leaders aren't doing the same like our own, who has left the G7 Summit and Paris Climate CHange treaty, which isn't helpful whatsover as you may expect. We are definitely recognizing that we must make a drastic change, and the urgency of such is finally coming to light.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with Greta Thunberg because what she is fighting for is totally worth all of her efforts. We need to fight against climate change, and the UN should do something to fight climate change because it is destroying the world. As Greta Thunbergh said, its causing people to suffer and die. I am not exactly sure as to what steps should be taken to do something against climate change, but I am in agreeal with Greta Thunberg that the first step is to show government that we are mad, and that we do not want to live under this horrible climate change. The protests have grown, and this is good, as it is getting people's attention, and demonstrating that we know this problem is growing, and something needs to be done against it.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Thunbergs viewpoints in the sense that there needs to be drastic alterations on how the world approaches and manages the environment. I believe that there needs to be a worldwide coalition of the most impactful countries to limit their usage of nonrenewable resources, and start to fund spending to develop technology to efficiently extract renewable resources and distribution methods. All in all, there needs to be a collective effort to revert the effects of climate change, or else it will be ultimately futile.
ReplyDeleteHer ideas and arguments have a lot of merit, especially given what we know about our government and its ability to respond to vital, large issues in the world today. This may be partially due to our mindset in just the bay area, but we've known for a long time that global climate change exists, and that something should be done. It's hard to implement any sort of governmental action, however, as people continue to push back on both climate change's existence and any action that would require large amounts of funding to accomplish. As for what we could do, we'd have to start with lessening the current impact we have and stop humanity from continuing to harm the environment. After that, we'd work on rolling back what's already been done, fixing the damage. I personally can't say much about actual methods to do so, but ideas such as lessening carbon emissions are a good start.
ReplyDeleteAs a young person, I believe we need to do a lot more about climate change. It is already too late to stop the world from warming. Few things I think we should do. Create a global geo-engineering summit with scientists to try and figure out how to absorb more carbon from the atmosphere, have the government subsidize electric vehicles with tax credits, invest in renewable energy, invest in thorium nuclear reactors, and move Americans inland and to higher ground to escape rising sea levels.
ReplyDeleteI believe that climate change is an extremely important issue right now. We all know that something should be done, yet the problem is what can be done given that our government is not responding to this large issue. She has a very strong opinion on this issue and I think it is necessary because so many people are just indifferent about climate change since they don't realize what is happening to our environment. At this point, only spreading awareness is not enough. I don't know any specific methods to solve the problem but I think finding an eco-friendly fuel and reduce carbon emission is important.
ReplyDeleteI definitely do agree with Thunberg’s arguments on climate change, and for her to speak out on such a pressing issue in front of adults is so inspiring. Thunbergs claims are absolutely true and have led to a lot of teenagers to follow after her and attempt to take action. There are a lot of actions that the US alone should take to address this problem, but in order to do this, the government should stop focusing so much on the economy. Climate change is a priority and there is limited time to fix the problems that we have created. I believe that the US should join back into the Paris Agreement and we should cut back on our emissions.
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