Climate activist Greta Thunberg celebrated her 17 birthday on January 3, 2019. The youngster’s name is synonymous with the fight against climate change. Greta marked the occasion, not with a cake but a seven-hour hour protest outside the Swedish parliament. The Swedish climate activist braved winter conditions in Stockholm to continue the weekly Friday School Strike for the Climate campaign.
Speaking to Reuters, Greta said, “I stand here striking from 8am until 3pm as usual … then I’ll go home. I won’t have a birthday cake but we’ll have dinner.”
She further added, “It has been a strange and busy year, but also a great one because I have found something I want to do with my life and what I am doing is having an impact.”
It was in August 2018, at the age of 15, Thunberg had also begun skipping school on Fridays to demonstrate outside the Swedish parliament to push her government to curb carbon emissions. Her campaign gave rise to a grassroots movement that has gone global, inspiring millions of people to take action. This action had catapulted her to global fame and recognization.
Greta Thunberg was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome as well as ADHD, selective mutism and obsessive-compulsive disorder. However, she does not treat it as something negative. But her action has caused many to come out in support. She is the inspiration for many across the globe in their fight against climate change. Before the 2019 UN Summit, millions of people around the world took part in September’s Global Climate Strike.
Wishing Greta Thunberg a Very Happy Birthday and may she inspire many more to fight against climate change.