Listen as Greta, age 16, takes on the feckless, reckless world leaders at their annual Economic Forum in Davos last week - and she uses just 267 well-chosen words to make her case.
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| Greta Thunberg's Message to Davos |
Here is a transcript of those 267 words in case you'd like to share her message in writing with others:
Some people
say we are not doing enough to fight climate change. But that is not true, because to "not do enough," you have to do something - and the truth is, we are basically not doing anything.
Yes, some people are doing more than they can,
but they are too few or too far away from power to make a difference today.
Some people say that the climate crisis is something that we all have created. But
that is just another convenient lie. Because if everyone is guilty, then no one is to blame. And someone is to blame.
Some people, some companies and some decision makers, in particular, have known precisely what priceless values they are sacrificing - to
continue making unimaginable amounts of money.
I want to challenge those companies and those decision makers into real and bold climate action - to set their economic goals aside and to safeguard the future living conditions for humankind.
I don't believe for one second that you will rise to that challenge.
But I want to ask you all the same.
I ask you to prove me wrong - for the sake of your children, for the sake of your grandchildren, for the sake of life and this beautiful living planet, I ask you to stand on the right side of history.
I ask you to pledge to do everything in your power to push your own business or government - in line with a 1.5 degree
world.
Will you pledge to do that? Will you pledge to join me and the people all around the world in doing whatever it
takes?
A little background. Dr. Rupert Read, environmental philosopher, refers to our global economy over the past century as a "festival of recklessness" and a "carnival of short-term-ism" that must end in order to have a chance to save our civilization.
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Dr. Rupert Read of the University of East Anglia in the UK
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So I applaud the efforts of Greta Thunberg, and her group, as they work to bring an end to the grossly unsustainable, global economic
festival
and
carnival
that are robbing the youth of their future.
And I stand and cheer as they take their powerful message to the most exclusive economic event on Earth - the World Economic Forum, held annually in Davos, Switzerland.
According to
Wikipedia:
The meeting brings together some 2,500 top business leaders, international political leaders, economists, celebrities and journalists for up to four days to discuss the most pressing issues facing the world.
The Bottom Line.
We are running out of time to save our current civilization. As such, Dr. Rupert Read has begun working on the development of what he calls a "successor" civilization - one that will be totally different and far greener than what we have today.
Dr. Read and I
agree that we must totally re-invent the way we live. So while he is busy promoting more creative thinking
and more
radical answers
on this subject, I am busy envisioning how a sustainable future civilization might actually look and why it might attract new citizens by the millions.
It might very well be a case of "Build it and they will come." In whatever case, it's definitely
time for more audacious thinking on this most crucial topic in the history of humanity. Here are two of my latest efforts in that regard:
