Following her climate “strike”, Swedish student Greta Thunberg was even contacted by Arnold Schwarzenegger. Now the young activist continues her protest sit-ins and explains to LifeGate how to become more sustainable for the planet.
The initiative of Greta Thunberg, the Swedish student who this summer chose not to go to school as a form of protest against the international political stalemate in the fight against climate change, has had an unexpected resonance, thanks in part to the support of other students and the attention of the press.
Even actor and former Governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger was struck by the young Swede, writing on Twitter that she had been a source of inspiration to him and inviting her to Vienna, Austria, where the Austrian world summit was held.
Her initiative to push Sweden and other countries to take climate change seriously did not end with the elections to renew the Riksdag, the Swedish Parliament, held on 9 September.
After a closing event featuring a climate march through the streets of Stockholm and a concert attended by various artists, Thunberg decided to return to school while continuing to hold sit-ins every Friday near the Swedish Parliament, until measures in line with the Paris Agreement are implemented.
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During the interview she wanted to clarify how Sweden, held up as a model of sustainability, is in reality less so than it might appear, owing to one of the ten highest per-capita ecological footprints in the world. "But we have a good reputation. A lot of it is due to the fact that our emissions are produced abroad, through the import of goods, for example."
Greta had the opportunity to speak with several Swedish politicians during her protest. In her view, the problem is primarily the fear of losing popularity and support by approving measures that protect the environment and the climate. Some politicians, Greta explains, "even though they mean well, are not doing enough relative to what is needed, but I will stay around until they change their minds."
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When we asked her for three things Sweden should do, the young activist had no hesitation: it should focus on reducing CO2 emissions and protecting ecosystems and, she added, every country should try to become an example. Greta then pointed out: "Voting and influencing politicians is not enough, though. We have to start changing what we can starting today in order to change the system tomorrow. Let's start with ourselves."
When asked what she thinks of young people her age, her answer was that before starting her "strike" from lessons she had never met any young people who were interested in the climate or the environment. "We do what adults do. And since almost no adult is aware of the crisis in terms of environmental sustainability, obviously young people aren't either."
With her energy, Greta Thunberg has nevertheless managed to change her family's behaviour, steering them towards greater environmental sustainability. They are now vegetarian and have decided to stop flying altogether. Her parents have bought an electric car and solar panels.
Greta Thunberg, finally, has some advice for living more sustainably: "Stop flying. Go vegan. Stop driving a combustion-engine car. And try to communicate ecological problems to others."
