Last August, climate change activist Greta Thunberg skipped school to sit outside the Swedish Parliament, the beginning of a walk out to raise awareness of global warming. At the time she was alone. But, just eight months later, her school strike for climate change is world news.
This Friday, the school strike will take place across at least 105 countries, with thousands of students joining her movement, skipping school to demand climate change action. In recognition of the impact 16-year-old Greta has had with her tireless environmental efforts, she has been commended with a nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize.
Greta’s name was put forward by three Norwegian lawmakers. “We have nominated Greta because the climate threat may be one of the most important causes of war and conflict,” parliamentary representative Freddy Andre Oevstegaard told Norwegian media outlet VG.
“The massive movement Greta has set in motion is a very important peace contribution.” Greta’s nomination couldn’t come a moment too soon, arriving at the same time as a major UN report which publishes devastating facts on our global climate change catastrophe. The 700-page report said that global temperatures could rise by 1.5 degrees (the threshold scientists say spells disaster for the planet) by as early as 2030. The report also said that our rate of species extinction is not slowing down, with the biggest drivers of destruction being pollution and climate change. Time is running out, the UN warned, to prevent the “irreversible and dangerous” impact of climate change to our world.
“I want you to act as you would in a crisis,” said Greta Thunberg in a speech at Davos about the climate change emergency. “I want you to act as if our house is on fire. Because it is.”