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Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg (C) takes part in a Fridays For Future protest in front of the Swedish Parliament (Riksdagen) in Stockholm on September 25, 2020. (Photo: Jonathan Nackstrand/AFP via Getty Images)
Teen climate leader Greta Thunberg on Thursday reiterated her demand that humanity end its inaction on the planetary emergency as she warned--five years after the Paris agreement was signed--the world is "speeding in the wrong direction" in terms of emission reductions.
With nothing less than a total "system change" needed, the 17-year-old Swede told viewers in a new video that she's "inviting you to be part of the solution."
Thunberg shared the 3-minute video on Twitter Thursday--two days before the Paris climate agreement's five-year anniversary.
While "a lot has happened" since the accord was finalized December 12, 2015 to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius and pursue a goal of a 1.5 degrees Celsius temperature threshold, "the action needed is still nowhere in sight," said Thunberg.
In fact, she warned, "We are still speeding in the wrong direction."
Thunberg denounced global leaders' "hypothetical targets" for emissions reductions and "big speeches," because "when it comes to the immediate action we need, we are still in a state of complete denial."
She further stressed that the "climate and ecological crisis cannot be solved without system change. That's no longer an opinion. That's a fact."
"For too long," Thunberg continued, "we have been distancing ourselves from nature, mistreating the planet--our only home--living as if there was no tomorrow," and are now poised to blow past the 1.5 warming threshold "within 7 years, long before we will even have a chance to deliver on our 2030 or 2050 targets."
Despite that projection, Thunberg said that "there is hope because the people have not yet been made aware."
"We cannot solve a crisis without treating it as a crisis. Nor can we treat something like a crisis unless we understand the emergency. So let's make this our main priority. Let's unite and spread awareness," she said.
"Once we become aware, then we can act," Thunberg continued. "Then change will come."
"This is the solution," she said. "We are the hope. We, the people."
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. US voters have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. If you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
Teen climate leader Greta Thunberg on Thursday reiterated her demand that humanity end its inaction on the planetary emergency as she warned--five years after the Paris agreement was signed--the world is "speeding in the wrong direction" in terms of emission reductions.
With nothing less than a total "system change" needed, the 17-year-old Swede told viewers in a new video that she's "inviting you to be part of the solution."
Thunberg shared the 3-minute video on Twitter Thursday--two days before the Paris climate agreement's five-year anniversary.
While "a lot has happened" since the accord was finalized December 12, 2015 to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius and pursue a goal of a 1.5 degrees Celsius temperature threshold, "the action needed is still nowhere in sight," said Thunberg.
In fact, she warned, "We are still speeding in the wrong direction."
Thunberg denounced global leaders' "hypothetical targets" for emissions reductions and "big speeches," because "when it comes to the immediate action we need, we are still in a state of complete denial."
She further stressed that the "climate and ecological crisis cannot be solved without system change. That's no longer an opinion. That's a fact."
"For too long," Thunberg continued, "we have been distancing ourselves from nature, mistreating the planet--our only home--living as if there was no tomorrow," and are now poised to blow past the 1.5 warming threshold "within 7 years, long before we will even have a chance to deliver on our 2030 or 2050 targets."
Despite that projection, Thunberg said that "there is hope because the people have not yet been made aware."
"We cannot solve a crisis without treating it as a crisis. Nor can we treat something like a crisis unless we understand the emergency. So let's make this our main priority. Let's unite and spread awareness," she said.
"Once we become aware, then we can act," Thunberg continued. "Then change will come."
"This is the solution," she said. "We are the hope. We, the people."
Teen climate leader Greta Thunberg on Thursday reiterated her demand that humanity end its inaction on the planetary emergency as she warned--five years after the Paris agreement was signed--the world is "speeding in the wrong direction" in terms of emission reductions.
With nothing less than a total "system change" needed, the 17-year-old Swede told viewers in a new video that she's "inviting you to be part of the solution."
Thunberg shared the 3-minute video on Twitter Thursday--two days before the Paris climate agreement's five-year anniversary.
While "a lot has happened" since the accord was finalized December 12, 2015 to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius and pursue a goal of a 1.5 degrees Celsius temperature threshold, "the action needed is still nowhere in sight," said Thunberg.
In fact, she warned, "We are still speeding in the wrong direction."
Thunberg denounced global leaders' "hypothetical targets" for emissions reductions and "big speeches," because "when it comes to the immediate action we need, we are still in a state of complete denial."
She further stressed that the "climate and ecological crisis cannot be solved without system change. That's no longer an opinion. That's a fact."
"For too long," Thunberg continued, "we have been distancing ourselves from nature, mistreating the planet--our only home--living as if there was no tomorrow," and are now poised to blow past the 1.5 warming threshold "within 7 years, long before we will even have a chance to deliver on our 2030 or 2050 targets."
Despite that projection, Thunberg said that "there is hope because the people have not yet been made aware."
"We cannot solve a crisis without treating it as a crisis. Nor can we treat something like a crisis unless we understand the emergency. So let's make this our main priority. Let's unite and spread awareness," she said.
"Once we become aware, then we can act," Thunberg continued. "Then change will come."
"This is the solution," she said. "We are the hope. We, the people."