SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
Climate activist Greta Thunberg speaks in George Square, Glasgow at the Fridays for Future march during the COP26 summit on November 5, 2021. (Photo: Peter Summers/Getty Images)
Greta Thunberg Accuses World Leaders of 'Pure Madness' for Climate Failures at COP26
"We don't need any more distant, non-binding pledges. We don't need any more empty promises... Yet that is all that we are getting and no, that is not radical to say."
Nov 05, 2021
Rejecting the label of "radical" that has been assigned to climate action advocates for decades, Fridays for Future leader Greta Thunberg addressed thousands of campaigners in the center of Glasgow on Friday as politicians at the United Nations' 26th Conference of the Parties unveiled plans to combat the climate emergency--plans, Thunberg and others at the rally said, don't go nearly far enough in limiting the heating of the planet to 1.5degC.
"Are we fighting to save ourselves and our living planet or are we fighting to maintain business as usual? Our leaders say we can have both, but the harsh truth is that is not possible."
Contrary to what many in power claim, Thunberg said, policymakers' apparent belief that "our world can survive a 2.7deg or 3deg hotter world is not only extremely radical--it's pure madness."
Thunberg's speech drew loud applause from thousands of young people who traveled to Glasgow from all over the world to march as the conference, known as COP26, marked "Youth and Public Empowerment Day."
Campaigners have praised some of the efforts made by policymakers at COP26, including a vow to end overseas fossil fuel projects and the Biden administration's decision to return the U.S. to the "High Ambition Coalition."
But observers including Thunberg have also been wary of wealthy nations' pledges, as campaigners wait to see whether the Global North will deliver on a decade-old pledge to deliver $100 billion to developing countries to help them adapt to and mitigate the climate crisis, as well as new promises to end coal consumption by a number of countries--but not the U.S., China, or Australia.
Watch the speech:
"The question we must now ask ourselves is, what is it that we are fighting for?" said Thunberg. "Are we fighting to save ourselves and our living planet or are we fighting to maintain business as usual? Our leaders say we can have both, but the harsh truth is that is not possible."
She continued:
The people in power can continue to live in their bubble filled with fantasies, like eternal growth on a finite planet and technological solutions that will suddenly appear out of nowhere and will suddenly erase all of these crises, just like that. All this while the world is literally burning, on fire, and the people on the front lines are still bearing the brunt of the climate crisis. They can continue to ignore the consequences of their inaction, but history will judge them poorly and we will not accept it.We don't need any more distant, non-binding pledges. We don't need any more empty promises... Yet that is all that we are getting and no, that is not radical to say. They have had 26 COPs, they have had decades of blah, blah, blah, and where has that led us?
Some in the crowd replied, "Nowhere!" as the campaigners applauded.
Thunberg's speech came the day before even larger demonstrations are expected in Glasgow, as COP26 enters its second week.
In the coming days, world leaders are expected to discuss land use, climate action for local governments, and climate finance.
Thunberg demanded the leaders end the Global North's "shameful" neglect of poor nations and deliver long-promised climate financing and called on campaigners to persist in pressuring policymakers as the summit continues.
"Out here we speak the truth," Thunberg said. "The people in power are scared of the truth... but they cannot ignore the scientific consensus and above all, they cannot ignore, us, the people--including their own children. They cannot ignore our screams as we reclaim our power."
"Our leaders are not leading," she added. "This is what leadership looks like."
We are at a crossroads
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. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Rejecting the label of "radical" that has been assigned to climate action advocates for decades, Fridays for Future leader Greta Thunberg addressed thousands of campaigners in the center of Glasgow on Friday as politicians at the United Nations' 26th Conference of the Parties unveiled plans to combat the climate emergency--plans, Thunberg and others at the rally said, don't go nearly far enough in limiting the heating of the planet to 1.5degC.
"Are we fighting to save ourselves and our living planet or are we fighting to maintain business as usual? Our leaders say we can have both, but the harsh truth is that is not possible."
Contrary to what many in power claim, Thunberg said, policymakers' apparent belief that "our world can survive a 2.7deg or 3deg hotter world is not only extremely radical--it's pure madness."
Thunberg's speech drew loud applause from thousands of young people who traveled to Glasgow from all over the world to march as the conference, known as COP26, marked "Youth and Public Empowerment Day."
Campaigners have praised some of the efforts made by policymakers at COP26, including a vow to end overseas fossil fuel projects and the Biden administration's decision to return the U.S. to the "High Ambition Coalition."
But observers including Thunberg have also been wary of wealthy nations' pledges, as campaigners wait to see whether the Global North will deliver on a decade-old pledge to deliver $100 billion to developing countries to help them adapt to and mitigate the climate crisis, as well as new promises to end coal consumption by a number of countries--but not the U.S., China, or Australia.
Watch the speech:
"The question we must now ask ourselves is, what is it that we are fighting for?" said Thunberg. "Are we fighting to save ourselves and our living planet or are we fighting to maintain business as usual? Our leaders say we can have both, but the harsh truth is that is not possible."
She continued:
The people in power can continue to live in their bubble filled with fantasies, like eternal growth on a finite planet and technological solutions that will suddenly appear out of nowhere and will suddenly erase all of these crises, just like that. All this while the world is literally burning, on fire, and the people on the front lines are still bearing the brunt of the climate crisis. They can continue to ignore the consequences of their inaction, but history will judge them poorly and we will not accept it.We don't need any more distant, non-binding pledges. We don't need any more empty promises... Yet that is all that we are getting and no, that is not radical to say. They have had 26 COPs, they have had decades of blah, blah, blah, and where has that led us?
Some in the crowd replied, "Nowhere!" as the campaigners applauded.
Thunberg's speech came the day before even larger demonstrations are expected in Glasgow, as COP26 enters its second week.
In the coming days, world leaders are expected to discuss land use, climate action for local governments, and climate finance.
Thunberg demanded the leaders end the Global North's "shameful" neglect of poor nations and deliver long-promised climate financing and called on campaigners to persist in pressuring policymakers as the summit continues.
"Out here we speak the truth," Thunberg said. "The people in power are scared of the truth... but they cannot ignore the scientific consensus and above all, they cannot ignore, us, the people--including their own children. They cannot ignore our screams as we reclaim our power."
"Our leaders are not leading," she added. "This is what leadership looks like."
Rejecting the label of "radical" that has been assigned to climate action advocates for decades, Fridays for Future leader Greta Thunberg addressed thousands of campaigners in the center of Glasgow on Friday as politicians at the United Nations' 26th Conference of the Parties unveiled plans to combat the climate emergency--plans, Thunberg and others at the rally said, don't go nearly far enough in limiting the heating of the planet to 1.5degC.
"Are we fighting to save ourselves and our living planet or are we fighting to maintain business as usual? Our leaders say we can have both, but the harsh truth is that is not possible."
Contrary to what many in power claim, Thunberg said, policymakers' apparent belief that "our world can survive a 2.7deg or 3deg hotter world is not only extremely radical--it's pure madness."
Thunberg's speech drew loud applause from thousands of young people who traveled to Glasgow from all over the world to march as the conference, known as COP26, marked "Youth and Public Empowerment Day."
Campaigners have praised some of the efforts made by policymakers at COP26, including a vow to end overseas fossil fuel projects and the Biden administration's decision to return the U.S. to the "High Ambition Coalition."
But observers including Thunberg have also been wary of wealthy nations' pledges, as campaigners wait to see whether the Global North will deliver on a decade-old pledge to deliver $100 billion to developing countries to help them adapt to and mitigate the climate crisis, as well as new promises to end coal consumption by a number of countries--but not the U.S., China, or Australia.
Watch the speech:
"The question we must now ask ourselves is, what is it that we are fighting for?" said Thunberg. "Are we fighting to save ourselves and our living planet or are we fighting to maintain business as usual? Our leaders say we can have both, but the harsh truth is that is not possible."
She continued:
The people in power can continue to live in their bubble filled with fantasies, like eternal growth on a finite planet and technological solutions that will suddenly appear out of nowhere and will suddenly erase all of these crises, just like that. All this while the world is literally burning, on fire, and the people on the front lines are still bearing the brunt of the climate crisis. They can continue to ignore the consequences of their inaction, but history will judge them poorly and we will not accept it.We don't need any more distant, non-binding pledges. We don't need any more empty promises... Yet that is all that we are getting and no, that is not radical to say. They have had 26 COPs, they have had decades of blah, blah, blah, and where has that led us?
Some in the crowd replied, "Nowhere!" as the campaigners applauded.
Thunberg's speech came the day before even larger demonstrations are expected in Glasgow, as COP26 enters its second week.
In the coming days, world leaders are expected to discuss land use, climate action for local governments, and climate finance.
Thunberg demanded the leaders end the Global North's "shameful" neglect of poor nations and deliver long-promised climate financing and called on campaigners to persist in pressuring policymakers as the summit continues.
"Out here we speak the truth," Thunberg said. "The people in power are scared of the truth... but they cannot ignore the scientific consensus and above all, they cannot ignore, us, the people--including their own children. They cannot ignore our screams as we reclaim our power."
"Our leaders are not leading," she added. "This is what leadership looks like."
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.
To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good.
News & Opinion
Trending
Common Dreams, Inc. Founded 1997. Registered 501(c3) Non-Profit
Privacy Policy