16-year-old Greta Thunberg just took on politicians and everyone’s here for it
Go Greta go!
![](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/CggLYpzBbqfCHFQF6AeCLn-415-80.jpg)
Go Greta go!
Greta Thunberg is undoubtedly the woman of the moment, spearheading the worldwide climate strikes, last Friday.
The historic climate strikes saw students boycott school in order to march for action over climate change. But this march – the latest in a series spearheaded by 16-year-old Greta – is said to have been the largest so far, with hundreds of cities across the world (an estimated 150 countries took part) taking to the streets.
‘Some people say we should be in school instead’, Greta said of the protest. ‘But why should we be studying for a future that soon will be no more and when no one is doing anything whatsoever to save that future?’
This week, Greta is making even bigger waves as she took to the United Nations Climate Summit to call out the lack of action on climate change, spotted glaring at Donald Trump and giving all politicians a serious dressing down.
‘My message is the we’ll be watching you,’ Greta opened her speech. ‘This is all wrong. I shouldn’t be up here. I should be in school on the other side of the ocean. Yet you all come to us young people for hope. How dare you?
‘You have stolen my dreams and my childhood with your empty words. Yet, I’m one of the lucky ones. People are suffering, people are dying, entire ecosystems are collapsing, we are at the beginning of a mass extinction and all you can talk about is money and fairytales of eternal economic growth. How dare you?’
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Greta continued: ‘For more than thirty years, the science has been crystal clear. How dare you continue to look away and come here and say you’re doing enough when the politics and solutions needed are still nowhere in sight. You say you hear us and that you understand the urgency and that I refuse to believe.
‘You are still not mature enough to tell it as it is,’ Greta later closed her powerful speech. ‘You are failing us but the young people are starting to understand your betrayal. The eyes of all future generations are upon you and if you choose to fail us, I say we will never forgive you. We will not let you get away with this. Right here right now is where we draw the line.
'The world is waking up and change is coming whether you like it or not.’
We are in awe of you Greta!
Jenny Proudfoot is an award-winning journalist, specialising in lifestyle, culture, entertainment, international development and politics. She has worked at Marie Claire UK for seven years, rising from intern to Features Editor and is now the most published Marie Claire writer of all time. She was made a 30 under 30 award-winner last year and named a rising star in journalism by the Professional Publishers Association.
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