Original subtitles

I think that

actually everything I've experienced over these last few months...

is like being in a dream...

...or in a movie.

But a very bad movie,

because that movie would be very unrealistic.

It's fashionable these days to blame everything on global warming.

Particularly on man-made global warming.

But I'm afraid the evidence doesn't point in that direction.

A little bit of warming would not be a bad thing for myself,

being a Canadian

and the people in Russia wouldn't mind a little...

A couple of degrees warmer either.

All of this with the global warming, a lot of it's a hoax.

It's a hoax, I mean, it's a money-making industry, okay. It's a hoax.

The whole "climate crisis" as they call it,

is not only fake news, it's fake science.

There is no climate crisis. There is nothing to be afraid of.

How much warming will you get if you,

let us say, double the CO2 in the air?

The answer is, you don't get very much.

The problem is not global warming.

The problem is that we keep hearing one-sided arguments.

Carbon dioxide is actually a benefit to the environment,

to agriculture and forestry, and to the climate of the earth.

There are some people who are so arrogant to think

that they are so powerful, they can change climate.

Man can't change climate.

Adults always say one thing

and then do something completely different.

They say that we only have one planet,

and we should take care of it.

And yet no one gives a damn about the climate crisis.

My name is Greta Thunberg, and I am 15 years old.

I am on a school strike for the climate in front of the Parliament,

until the election day.

Many have heard about climate change

and know vaguely what it means

with rising sea levels, increased average temperatures,

and so on.

But no one seems to fully understand the consequences.

That we are right now living as if we had several Earths.

Sometimes it feels like we who have Asperger's or autism

are the only ones who see through the noise.

I am protesting about the climate crisis because it's such an important issue.

What we are doing now, future generations can't change.

And no one is doing anything, nothing is happening.

So I must do what I can.

What did you think when you first heard her talking

about the idea to start protesting?

I told her if she would do that, I would not support it.

So she made a very long list of facts that she's been handing out to people.

And, uh, she knows the climate issue, I would say

better than 97% of all the politicians, probably in the world.

She has almost a photographic memory

when it comes to things she's interested in.

So she can read books and almost remember everything that's in there.

Did you expect something like that?

I didn't expect anything.

I just wanted her to be happy.

And I'm very sure that she didn't expect anything either.

I mean, she just... She felt she had to do something

and she had to do it completely on her own.

I don't like making small talk with people

or socializing.

Sometimes, I go quiet and can stay so for hours

only because I simply can't talk.

I like to have routines,

and I notice details.

And once I really get interested in something,

I can get, like, laser focused on it

and keep doing it for hours, without getting bored.

We saw a film in school.

There were starving polar bears, floodings,

hurricanes and droughts.

And the scientists said that we didn't have much time left

to change our behavior.

That was when I started getting depressed.

And got anxiety.

And stopped eating and stopped talking.

I was sick. I almost starved to death.

It took many years

but slowly.

I started to feel better.

I felt that, why should I give up

when there were so many different things

you could do to make a difference?

"I love seeing someone who doesn't just complain.

"But gets out and does something about it.

You inspire me."

My name is Greta Thunberg and I am 15 years old.

And we have had school strikes for the climate for three weeks.

But we will go on with the school strike every Friday.

As from now, we will sit outside the Swedish Parliament

until Sweden is in line with the Paris Agreement.

Everyone is welcome. Everyone is needed.

Please join in.

Once the climate crisis has gotten your attention,

you can't look away.

Once you fully understand the magnitude of the problem,

then you can't erase it.

I started turning off lights and pulling out cords at home.

My parents got very surprised

and they wondered why I did like that.

And I explained, to save energy.

My family lived a very high-consuming lifestyle.

We bought lots of things, we ate meat.

We drove a petrol car, we flew all over the world.

Mom and Dad were just like everyone else.

They didn't understand how bad things were.

They said that everything would be fine.

"There are lots of things being done. You don't need to worry."

But that was exactly what made me so afraid.

That people seemed to think that we were making progress.

For many years, people, especially children

were very unkind or mean to me.

I didn't get invited to parties or celebrations.

I was always left out.

So I spent most of my time being with my family, and my dogs.

Time is against us as UN climate talks begin in Poland

and is being attended by around 40 heads of state and government.

The ambition for the coming days

is to try to put flesh on the bones of the Paris Agreement.

That was the deal agreed three years ago

in which countries said they would cut their greenhouse gases.

Basically, the time is very, very short to make major changes.

Emissions have to essentially halve over the next 12 years

otherwise the impacts could be catastrophic for the entire world.

"The responsibility is yours, but since..."

"All of our leaders are behaving like children..."

Uh...

The...

"The children will have to take responsibility.

"We will take

responsibility for their actions."

"They have ignored us in the past and they will ignore us this time."

- Just one question, please. - This is a meeting that can not fail.

Thank you, Sir.

- Greta! How are you? - I am good.

- Are you nervous? Don't be. - No.

Greta, before we start this session, let's take our selfie.

- So nice to meet you. You lovely girl.

I can join you?

Photobombing a 15-year-old.

She has to be ready, okay. Please.

Hi, how are you?

I have to remind all of us that we have very little time.

Please, Greta, you have the floor.

For 25 years, countless people

have stood in front of the United Nations Climate Conferences

asking our nations' leaders to stop the emissions.

But clearly, this has not worked, since the emissions just continue to rise.

So I will not ask them anything.

Instead, I will ask the people around the world

to realize that our political leaders have failed us.

Because we are facing an existential threat.

And there's no time to continue down this road of madness.

We have come here to let them know that change is coming

whether they like it or not.

The people will rise to the challenge.

And since our leaders are behaving like children,

we will have to take the responsibility they should have taken long ago.

Thank you.

- Maybe thumbs up? - Thumbs up!

I would like to give the floor to Miss Greta Thunberg.

Miss Thunberg, you have the floor.

- My name is Greta Thunberg. I am 15 years old and I am from Sweden.

You only speak of green eternal economic growth

because you are too scared of being unpopular.

You only talk about moving forward

with the same bad ideas that got us into this mess.

But I don't care about being popular.

I care about climate justice and a living planet.

Thank you.

You're very young, 15 years old.

Is climate change an issue that even children,

like yourself, should be concerned about?

How can we spread awareness among children?

- Yes, of course. Climate change affects mostly children.

Sorry, sorry, it's Deutsche Welle and Reuters.

But, Deutsche Welle, wait.

I have stopped flying, stopped eating meat and dairy,

and stopped buying new things, and... yes.

Just small changes.

May I get a selfie?

I have a 16-year-old daughter in America.

Actually in Canada now, we live in Canada.

She's quite the activist too.

Anyway, proud of you!

A 15-year-old environmental activist from Sweden is scolding world leaders

on what she says is their failure to address climate change.

So her name is Greta Thunberg.

She comes up on stage, she's not particularly dressed in any special way.

And she speaks and her words are devastating.

I can't just sit there and watch her

do all this for the environment and do nothing.

We stand with you, and on Friday, I will stand next to you. Stay strong!

- Fridays for future! - Future, future!

- Fridays for future! - Future, future!

- Fridays for future! - Future, future!

We are the children here, speaking up.

And our future is being destroyed by the minute.

Thousands of people in Brisbane and thousands more across the country

are taking to the street with passion and posters...

They say they're taking back the streets

to send a message that the climate crisis is real.

They will not rest until bold action is taken to address it.

It's all for her, for the movement, for the climate.

She started this and I just wanted to help her a little bit.

Stop the pollution! Stop the pollution!

It's a real movement that's growing. It's growing every week.

These students aren't backing down. They plan to keep striking until...

My Lords, I do not accept that taking time off school

in the middle of term is useful for children.

- Kids should go to school! And less activism in school!

If it were about science, it would be led by scientists,

rather than by politicians

and a mentally ill Swedish child who is being exploited by her parents

and by the international left.

If you listen to the speeches that our politicians give us,

it seems like they've never even heard of a climate crisis.

Because they are not treating it like a crisis.

Hi!

- It's so nice to meet you, Greta. - You too.

So, so, we've done some strikes here in Belgium.

- Yeah, I know. - With you as our big inspiration.

We hit 35,000 last week.

- I know. That's amazing. I saw pictures

and it was just crowds full of people, and it was amazing.

Yeah, it's amazing.

And everybody has placards that say, "Greta for President"

and everybody's shouting your name. You're a real hero here.

So for us it would be really, really nice to get to know you.

Yeah. You too.

It feels almost indescribable that something is finally happening.

That there are many who care about the same things as I do.

It feels like I'll just wake up one day and find out this wasn't for real.

- Do you want some tea? Some... - No, I have water.

- Hi, Greta. - Hello.

- Nice to meet you. - You too.

- Thank you so much. - We shall sit down.

Thank you so much for coming, Greta.

Honestly, we would have never started this if you wouldn't have.

And I would have never had the courage you showed.

It's not that I should take the focus, because that's what's so good

about this movement, that everyone is equally contributing.

No, no, that's right, but everybody's doing great jobs locally in every country.

But you're, like, that girl that started it all, you know?

I think we needed this kind of story that you told.

Like a story of, like, everyone can make a difference.

And that we as young people can change something.

And we needed the story to tell to other people and they saw it.

- Yeah, it's really nice. - Together we can make a difference.

There have now been strikes on every continent except Antarctica.

I think that it's amazing that it's not just in...

Western Europe. It's everywhere.

- What do we want? - Climate justice!

- When do we want it? - Now!

I'm impressed by the political oomph

that this movement seems to have got.

Climate change has never been on the headlines like this

for as long as I can remember.

It's really making people understand that this needs to be tackled now.

It is the most pressing political issue of our time.

Society is like an amoeba,

it moves from the margins, not from the center.

If the young people can sustain this, this actually could change the world.

Are you ready to meet Greta?

Make some noise!

This is incredible.

For way too long, the people in power

have gotten away with not caring about the climate crisis.

But we will make sure they will not do that any more.

We will be a pain in the ass, we will keep on striking until they do something.

Everybody, raise your hands!

- Hi, how are you? - I'm good. You?

- Nice meeting you. - Nice meeting you too.

It's an honor to meet you. Thank you for inviting me.

- You are welcome. We are very happy to have you here.

What I want to discuss with you is

how you see the situation and on which topic do you want us to focus?

And what are your main concerns and expectations?

I think we are in a time now where more and more people

are becoming aware of what is going on.

And I think we have reached a tipping point.

That people will... Will demand things.

And will realize where we are at.

And I think that you have a great opportunity to take that chance and to act

and to become a figure of this.

And also, I think it's very important that we...

In the rich countries, we need to lead and to act more.

Obviously, because the people in poorer countries

need to have a chance to heighten their standard of living.

So, you are in a rush, so you should probably get going.

Thank you very much. Thank you.

How do you manage everything for school and so on?

I... my school is actually very helpful.

They support me and I do homework at home and I catch up with them.

I-I work hard.

- Wow. And you travel a lot? - Yeah. Sometimes. Yeah.

- By train. - Yeah. Yeah.

Wow. And you read a lot on the climate?

Yeah, I do, yeah. A lot. I'm a nerd.

- My name is Greta Thunberg. I am a climate activist from Sweden.

People always tell us that they are so hopeful.

They are hopeful that the young people are going to save the world.

But we are not. There is simply not enough time

to wait for us to grow up and become the ones in charge.

Because by the year 2020, we need to have bent the emissions curve steeply downward.

That is next year.

We have started to clean up your mess.

And we will not stop until we are done. Thank you.

And now I have the pleasure and privilege

of giving the floor to Jean-Claude Juncker.

Now I'm going to really focus

on what's happening here today.

I change things...

while trying to regulate smaller things.

Now, in terms of flushes, they said that

we need to harmonize all flushes across all toilets in Europe.

Well, it could be useful because we would save a very large amount of energy, but...

I honestly don't understand

why I even get invited.

It feels like all they want is to be spotlighted

to make it look like they care, as if they were doing something.

They know what to say, they know what sells.

But in fact, they're doing basically nothing.

If the solution to the climate crisis was about changing tea bags for loose-leaf tea

and eating vegetarian once a week, then it wouldn't be a crisis.

And we wouldn't even have a problem.

Have you heard any politicians seem to understand the urgency?

Today, President Juncker's speech did not seem to respond to...

You laid out even science facts and he didn't even respond to those.

No. I mean, um, most people like that I talk to

don't really respond, they don't come with any concrete promises.

They only say that we are trying, but that's not enough.

If we don't act now, the world will get so hot

millions of people will lose their homes

and more than 10% of the world's insects, plants and animals will die.

Japan is experiencing a record-breaking heat wave

which officials say contributed to the death of 65 people last week...

The impact on sensitive ecosystems and the Arctic

will shift from high to very high risk...

Sixty-three fires are burning in 13 states

and with dangerous heat coming, the situation will only get worse...

Now is the time to stop this.

We don't have another decade to wait.

Greta, I have just one question for you. How does it feel?

I don't know. It's very overwhelming.

Because they're here for you. It's all because you started it.

No, they're here for themselves. And for everyone.

Greta, I think they love you too much.

Please, you're my hero.

Thank you.

Are you not hungry?

- I don't care. No. - You don't care?

- Do you want to go elsewhere? - No, I want to sit here and not eat.

Okay.

Today, we use 100 million barrels of oil every day.

There are no politics to change that.

There are no rules to keep that oil in the ground.

But if being carbon-neutral does not include transportation,

shopping, food, aviation and shipping

then it doesn't really mean that much.

Some would say we are wasting lesson time. We say we are changing the world.

So that when we are older, we will be able to look back

and say that we did everything we could.

And we will continue to do so.

We will continue to fight for our future and for the living planet.

We need to start treating the crisis as a crisis.

And we also need to communicate

in a way that we connect all these environmental disasters.

Like everything from acidification of the oceans, deforestation

to the fact that we are in the sixth mass extinction right now.

We need to make sure the people can connect these dots.

Yeah. Absolutely. Connecting the dots, that's a very good point.

- Hi, Greta, it's a pleasure to meet you. - You too.

I wish you well and continue to campaign. Just do what you believe is right.

- Greta, can I have a selfie? Is that okay?

There we go. One, two, three!

Everyone says, "It's so lovely that you are here,"

and, "We promise to improve."

But they never do.

When I'm in these fancy environments,

all these palaces or castles, or whatever it is,

I feel very uncomfortable.

It feels like everyone is in this role-playing game

and just pretending.

It feels kind of fake.

Sometimes it feels like it doesn't even matter

how many of us go on strike.

What matters is that the emissions have to be reduced.

And it has to start happen.

Let's be honest, a lot of people find her very annoying.

And they find her very hyperbolic

and very hysterical and very over-emotional.

Greta. You know Greta?

She's not the messiah.

She's just a depressed and extremely anxious girl.

And a very unhappy one.

Asperger's is very rarely an advantage.

In this case, it's actually a weakness.

She's a kid. She talks nonsense.

She tells the climate alarmists exactly what they want to hear.

You selfish, badly educated, virtue-signaling little turds.

Wake up, grow up, and shut up.

Until you're sure of the facts before protesting.

My parents... I can tell

that they are very worried, and scared.

We've received several letters home that contain death threats.

They're saying that I should avoid going out.

But I am honestly not that scared.

Because I am more worried what would happen if I didn't do this.

You're okay with everything that's happening?

Yeah. But I can't really plan my future.

Like, I want to study that,

and then I want to work there, and I want to get married.

I-I, I can't do...

I can't even plan what I want to do this weekend because someone calls and says,

"Oh, we have an emergency meeting," and I have to go there.

I mean, we don't want to, like, burn out.

If you understand, like...

You don't have any energy left to do something, you have used up your...

- Yeah, I know what you mean. I totally know what you mean.

That's totally true. I think you should especially be really careful for that.

Yeah, we all should. We just have to continue saying the same thing

over and over again until people get it.

- Yeah. - Because if... yeah.

Then we do that.

So the whole area was forest.

It was this ancient, thousands of years old forest.

And 90% of it was lost to the coal mine.

- There, on the horizon... - Is the remaining ten percent.

Yeah. This is our Hambach forest.

It is very important because this is such an important place,

such a symbolic place.

The Hambach forest is very threatened.

And I felt like I wanted to come here to visit that.

And also to gain media attention so that the media would focus on it.

Humanity sees nature as this giant bag of candy.

That we can just take as much as we want.

So one day, nature will probably strike back in some way.

I don't know exactly how.

But there's everything from heat waves to diseases,

or water shortages, which might become problems in the future.

And in that context, we're kind of small.

The Amazon basin is burning at a record rate.

More than 72,000 fires have scorched the country this year,

an over 80% increase compared to the same period in 2018.

Flames destroying one-and-a-half football fields of rainforest every minute.

Smoke spreading across nearly half of Brazil

visible from space more than a week ago.

Often called "the lungs of the earth,"

the rainforest supplies 20% of the world's oxygen.

If it burns to a point of no return, it could turn into a dry savannah

plunging the planet ever deeper into a climate change crisis.

I'm a Member of Parliament, and I have a report I'd like to hand over.

Smile for the cameras.

- Thank you very much. - My name is Greta Thunberg.

I come from Sweden, and I want you to panic.

I want you to act as if the house was on fire.

I have said those words before.

And a lot of people have explained why that is a bad idea.

And it's okay if you refuse to listen to me.

I am, after all, just a 16-year-old schoolgirl from Sweden.

But you cannot ignore the science.

We are in the midst of the sixth mass extinction.

Erosion...

of fertile topsoil, defo...

Deforestation of our great forests, toxic air pollution.

The loss of insects and wildlife.

The acidification of our oceans.

These are all disastrous trends being accelerated by a way of life that we

here in our financially fortunate part of the world

see as our right to simply carry on.

Then you went to the Strasbourg Parliament,

and I saw you, during your speech, crying.

- What made you cry? - I talked about animals going extinct.

Erosion, deforestation, acidification, things like that, which is...

I mean... It's hard to take in, but...

And I talk about that all the time, and once...

I have to get emotional once, it's only reasonable.

- You suffer of Asperger's Syndrome. Is this true?

Yeah. Maybe I wouldn't say "suffer from," but I have it.

- You have it, okay. - Yeah.

Listen, Greta, in Italy, we have talked a lot about you.

And some people describe you like a radical baby.

You know, that...

Sometimes, when they just sit and talk...

I wonder to myself, "What would happen if I just stood up and screamed here?"

It feels like I'm speaking a completely different language.

Or as if the microphone isn't really on.

...of all colleagues across the House to welcome Greta Thunberg

who is with us today, an enthusiastic and dedicated environmental campaigner.

Is the microphone on?

Is the microphone really on?

- Is my English okay? - Yes!

Because I'm beginning to wonder.

You lied to us. You gave us false hope.

You told us that the future was something to look forward to.

During the last six months, I've traveled around Europe

for hundreds of hours on trains, electric cars and buses

repeating these life-changing words over and over again.

But no one seems to be talking about it and nothing has changed.

Despite all the beautiful words and promises, emissions are still rising.

We have not taken to the streets for you to take selfies with us

and tell us that you really admire what we do.

We children are doing this for you to put your differences aside

and start acting as you would in a crisis.

We children are doing this because we want our hopes and dreams back.

I hope my microphone was on. I hope you could all hear me. Thank you.

In a few weeks, school will end.

After the summer holidays, I am starting gymnasium.

It's like Swedish high school.

And this is what I really want to do because I love studying.

But I have also been invited to attend the United Nations Climate Summit in New York.

And since time is running out, I have decided to go there.

And since I don't fly because of the enormous climate impact of aviation,

it's going to be a challenge.

- Greta! It's good, what you're doing. - You too.

Thanks, first of all, for your interest

in our suggestion to sail over together.

It may be a crazy idea, but I really like it.

And please, ask me any question you want on the boat.

I'll show you around with the camera. Um, so...

This, for example, is a bunk bed.

A carbon fiber tube with just a cloth on it.

And a rope, where I can pull.

It's a race boat for a small crew, to, um...

to be, uh, to be efficient.

I'll show you the kitchen as well.

- This is the kitchen. - Ah-ha!

And we heat water here.

And then, this area here we spend most of our time.

I don't want to be a person

says one thing and then does something else.

I don't want to be the kind of person who says, "This is so important"

and then the next second, flies across the world because it's easier that way.

Many people would say this is crazy.

Just take a flight.

Why do you not want to do that?

Because by taking a boat,

it shows that it's basically impossible to live sustainable today.

She faces a really, really tough journey.

I mean, it's an incredible boat. It's fantastically exciting to sail.

It's basically a huge sail attached to a super-light hull.

It leaps in the wind, really muscular, jumps forward.

What that means is, that it crashes against the waves.

Essentially, it's a giant drum that bangs against the waves. As the...

And then, here's a button.

There's only one button, so you will remember that.

And this sends your GPS position... This has a GPS.

It sends it to a satellite.

This is kind of the worst-case scenario thing.

It transmits for probably 24 hours your position.

The problem, why is it dangerous to fall in the water?

It's because you can get very cold.

Um, the other thing is to find you is difficult.

For finding you, this is one thing to have...

- Greta, lots of love. - Yeah, you too.

- The UK strikers made you a video. - Oh, thank you! Yeah.

The whole world thinks you're wonderful. Be a brave girl.

Hip, hip, hooray! Hip, hip, hooray!

And here the wind is from behind, and light.

Here's a high pressure. This will be quite bumpy.

And after that, the wind is strong from behind.

It starts to blow stronger at five in the morning tomorrow morning.

It will be a bit challenging, but nothing dramatic, really.

Humans are social animals.

And in a herd, everyone has different roles.

We are dependent on each other to survive.

If you see a threat...

It's your responsibility to sound the alarm.

And I feel like this is my responsibility, in a way.

Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,

welcome to the 2019 Climate Action Summit.

If I may ask you to please take your seats.

Greta, your first climate strike

was a lonely event, a little over a year ago

demanding action for climate change.

What's your message to world leaders today?

This is all wrong. I shouldn't be up here.

I should be back 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.

And, yet, I'm one of the lucky ones.

People are suffering. People are dying.

Entire ecosystems are collapsing

and all you can talk about is money and fairy tales of eternal economic growth.

How dare you?

For more than 30 years, the science has been crystal clear.

How dare you continue to look away?

And come here, saying that you are doing enough?

When the politics and solutions needed are still nowhere in sight.

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 that we will never forgive you.

The world is waking up.

And change is coming, whether you like it or not.

If you deal with crises in time, instead of waiting...

the problems won't get as big.

Because if you do that, you come out on the other side.

And there, it's better.

Actually, I don't see the world in black and white.

It's just the climate issue I see in black and white.

Sometimes I feel like it would be good if everyone had a bit more Asperger's.

At least when it comes to the climate.

We, the youth, say you are not doing enough!

We, the youth, demand action now!

We're on the outskirts

of the biggest catastrophe humanity has ever faced

and our government is doing nothing!

Tell me why there are children who have to stand up for themselves.

Where are our parents, where are our grandparents?

We, as a human population, need to be the change.

Because I will not sit and worry about a future that I might not have!

Shout out, for the sake of our environment.

And we, the younger generation, we need to raise our voice.

We have contaminated the Earth and all the water,

we have polluted the air.

What have we done?