Greta Thunberg is an inspiration

By: Emily Fehrman / Opinion Page Editor

Greta Thunberg is the kid I always wished I could be. Always wanting to do something to help the environment, but lacking the knowledge of where to even begin.

She is an inspiration, and I don’t care if you don’t like what she stands for. However, I don’t know how you couldn’t, it’s our world we’re demolishing. Mother nature can’t keep up with the abuse we put her through. 

We all knew someone HAD to step up and deal with these issues we now face. But not one soul thought it would be this amazing 16-year old. 

We all had the mindset that our leaders would know to do the right thing. Lead us into a better tomorrow. Sadly this hasn’t been the case and I don’t think it ever will be. 

Unless we elect officials and presidents who actually believe in science, and leaving the world better than we inhereted it, I don’t think we will make it past the expiration date we set for our world. 

We only have one Earth, and we treat her like a dumpster. Pouring chemicals into her rivers, throwing trash into the ocean. 

I’m going to add a few snippets from Greta’s speech from the U.N.’s Climate Action Summit, because I think everyone needs to hear or read what she had to say. If you haven’t already heard it please keep reading.

“You have stolen my dreams and my childhood with your empty words. And yet I’m one of the lucky ones. People are suffering. People are dying. Entire ecosystems are collapsing. We are in the beginning of a mass extinction, and all you can talk about is money and fairy tales of eternal economic growth. How dare you!

You say you hear us and that you understand the urgency. But no matter how sad and angry I am, I do not want to believe that. Because if you really understood the situation and still kept on failing to act, then you would be evil. And that I refuse to believe.

How dare you pretend that this can be solved with just ‘business as usual’ and some technical solutions? With today’s emissions levels, that remaining CO2 budget will be entirely gone within less than 8 1/2 years.

There will not be any solutions or plans presented in line with these figures here today, because these numbers are too uncomfortable. And you are still not mature enough to tell it like it is.

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.”

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