Greta Thunberg’s New Approach to Climate Protest
Environmental activist encourages her supporters to “take it online”
Instead of “taking it to the streets,” climate activist Greta Thunberg asks that everyone “take it online,” and stay informed during the virus outbreak.
Greta Thunberg is a 17-year-old climate and environmental activist from Sweden. You may know her from the speech she delivered at the 2019 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
Before the pandemic, Greta was active and diligent, sailing (to avoid carbon exhaust in airplane fuel) around the world to campaign, speak, and protest various practices that harm the environment. With her “Skolstrejk för Klimatet” (school strike for climate) movement, she has brought millions of young environmental activists all around the world to protest the malpractices of governments and large corporations in the name of the Earth.
However, in times like these, large gatherings of people (of which are often formed in protest) cannot exist. Thus, Greta has taken a more humbled approach to the movement for the moment, urging her supporters to stay inside. Instead of “taking it to the streets,” she asks that everyone “take it online,” and stay informed.
She encouraged supporters to hold a sign and take a photo and post online using hashtags like #DigitalStrike and #ClimateStrikeOnline.
She states, “We now must put our differences aside and cooperate and listen to the science and the experts,” in regards to handling the virus and flattening the curve. She now holds the signs she once held in the streets in her home, where she urges everyone to stay safe.
