It all started August 20th 2018
Greta Thunberg then 15 years old
skipped class to protest
in front of the Swedish parliament
to raise awareness about climate change.
Since then she's continued
to strike on Fridays,
she's delivered blunt speeches
on the world stage,
and she's ignited a global youth-led movement
to fight climate change.
We have come here to let you know
That's why I'm so excited
to talk to Greta to find out
I'm Lucy Biggers
and this is One Small Step.
On March 15th 2019, an estimated
joined Greta in her Friday protests.
Now every Friday around the world,
students are skipping school
to demand political action on climate change.
- What do we want?
- [Crowd] Climate justice!
- When do we want it?
- [Crowd] Now!
Oh and after turning 16 this year,
she was nominated for a Nobel peace prize.
Greta thank you so much
for speaking with us today.
Thank you for being here.
You're such an inspiration
to our whole generation
and what you've been able
to accomplish as one person is amazing.
Thank you.
Take me back to your mindset in August
when you decided to protest
what was that day like?
I was alone
and it was cold
and then after a few hours
journalists started coming
because I had posted on social media
I am going on a school strike
and then it had become viral.
So journalists started coming
and people started taking photographs
and then I went home
I was happy like,
I had done what I could.
And then the next day
I did the same,
and then after maybe an hour
someone joined me
and that was the first step because
Could you have ever imagined
it would've grown into what it is now?
Never no.
My plan was just to sit there
so that people would start talking about this
so that it would get coverage
in the media
the media would write
about the climate crisis
and then it got really big.
It started spreading to other Swedish cities
and then to other countries.
And then to other continents
and then it just escalated.
I've seen from other interviews
that you have done
that the Parkland students inspired you.
What was inspiring about their actions?
It was just spontaneously
that they sort of thought
that we can't accept this
and we will do something
and also that they were young people
who did it and that it had such an impact.
They say that tougher gun laws
do not decrease gun violence,
And also their method like school striking
that's where the idea came from.
Sometimes it feels a bit meaningless
why should we study this?
When we may not have a future?
And I also think a lot
of people in our generation
have climate anxiety or depression.
What is your answer to that?
Because that's really real
for a lot of people.
I had that too before
but now I have sort of stopped having that
because I have decided to do something about it
because the best medication against that
is to take action.
Greta's impact is truly global
we're outside city hall
in downtown Manhattan
where students are protesting
as part of Greta's Fridays for Future campaign.
Green New Deal!
Are you inspired by Greta Thunberg?
Yes I have actually been
in school strike for climate
in front of United Nation's headquarters
every Friday in solidarity with Greta
for 34 weeks now.
She's empowered so many students
to come out here and strike.
- She is like the true
you can start from one person type of thing.
It's really cool how she did that.
- She's a very strong activist
and I love the way she speaks,
she's very passionate about this cause
and that's exactly what we need.
What are the personal choices that you make
to be more environmentally friendly?
And just small things like that
that I can do.
- What do you want the grownups,
the politicians to understand?
I know you've been protesting
for many months now,
do you think that they've learned anything?
Many people have
and many people often come up to me
and say that now thanks to you
I've stopped flying and I have become vegan
and so on.
And that's very hopeful
but the awareness is still very low
people in general are not aware
of what is going on.
And since they're not aware
the people in power
can just continue like this
if they don't have any pressure from the people.
Is there any situation in which
the politicians act
and then you would stop protesting?
Yes I have to stop protesting sometime
because I can't go on forever.
But hopefully it will happen soon.
I've said that I'm going
And just personally
how do keep going after all these months
and get up and keep this movement going?
I don't know,
I've just decided I am going to do this
and then I just do it.
But you're so brave
No.
That's not courage that's just determination.
Is there anything that hasn't
really made it out into the media
that you want to get out there
that the media is missing?
Many people say that
oh I would,
I would want to get involved
in this climate thing
but I feel like I'm too late
and I should have done this five years ago.
But what people don't realize is
that there are so incredibly few
who actually are fighting for this
so if you start now
then you are one of the pioneers
then you are basically one
of the first ones.
I love that so much.
That's so amazing.
Greta thank you so much
you're such an inspiration.
I feel so lucky
that I got to talk to Greta,
she is truly the embodiment
of one small step,
one person sparking an entire global movement.
My favorite part of the interview
is when she said she turned
her climate depression and anxiety
into action and now she feels empowered and hopeful.
We all possess that same power,
it truly just takes one small step
and we can be like Greta too.
The one small step
people can do right now
is to, I think,
to read and
Because once you fully understand that
then you know you have to do
and what's required from you.
And also to put pressure on people in power.
That's all for this week's episode
of One Small Step,
thank you so much for watching.
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and we'll see you next time.