Q&A: Climate activist Greta Thunberg on global strikes
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NEW YORK (AP) - Greta Thunberg is a Swedish teenage climate activist. She said she's overwhelmed by the success of Friday's climate protests. The 16-year-old sparked the global movement. She said she was underwhelmed by the United States government's approach to climate change.
Thunberg spoke with The Associated Press as the climate events were underway.
DID YOU THINK YOU'D GET NUMBERS LIKE THIS WHEN YOU STARTED?
It's just such a victory. I would never have predicted or believed that this was going to happen someday. And so fast. Only in 15 months. I can't wait to see the official numbers come in. It will be magnificent.
I think if enough people get together and stand up for this then that can have a huge difference. To put pressure on the people in power, to actually hold them accountable. And to say you need to do something now.
WHAT'S YOUR IMPRESSION OF THE POLITICAL SITUATION IN THE UNITED STATES AROUND CLIMATE CHANGE?
It's a bit worse than in other countries. And the arguments for continuing to not do anything and the empty words and promises and lies are the same. Some countries are more extreme than others. But it's not much different.
WHAT DO YOU EXPECT FROM THE UPCOMING CLIMATE ACTION SUMMIT?
We must hope, but we must also be prepared for that nothing comes out of it. And then we need to continue no matter what. Giving up cannot be an option. Indeed, this is a great opportunity to do something. And they (leaders) should take that, otherwise they should feel ashamed.
PEOPLE WHO DENY CLIMATE CHANGE HAVE ATTACKED YOU PERSONALLY. HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH THAT?
It's sad. You just have to ignore them. They are just desperately trying to remove the focus from the climate crisis to make it something about me as an individual. Rather than the crisis itself. When they do that, they don't have any arguments left.
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Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg, left, takes part during the Climate Strike, Friday, Sept. 20, 2019 in New York. Rallies calling for action on climate change are happening in cities around the world Friday ahead of a summit on the issue. (AP Photo/Eduardo Munoz Alvarez)
This statement PEOPLE WHO DENY CLIMATE CHANGE HAVE ATTACKED YOU PERSONALLY. HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH THAT?
That statement is like how they Mostly feel and yea how do you feel.
To help stop bullying and bring people and speak out on bullying and bring older people that have been bullied.
And she wants to change the world and want to make the world a better place.
I think Greta and other students can have an big impact on climate change becsause they can peruse them to take care and notice climate change.
I think the impact Greta and other students could have by speaking out on climate change is she wants people to care about the prevailing weather conditions about a region.
I think that other students could have by speaking out is that they should just stand up for them self and speak out what they need to say so things can happen in the world i think that they should just say what they want stand up for themselves.
This sentence PEOPLE WHO DENY CLIMATE CHAMGE HAVE ATTACK YOU PERSONALLY. HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH THAT?
It’s a sentence to show how you are
Yes because they have the rights to say what they think and it takes hard work to say what you think you need to say and the impact Greta has on others is grate because she is teaching other how to stay in the way we live in today.
I think the Greta and other student speak up about the weather because they having us freezing .
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Greta Thunberg is a Swedish teenage climate activist. She said she's overwhelmed by the success of Friday's climate protests.