She is the new global teen icon after Malala Yousefzai. Her name has become synonymous with the global climate change movement. The 16-year-old Swedish national Greta Thunberg has amazed the world with her unrelenting struggle for the environment. The girl, who bunked her school last year, sat on a strike outside Swedish Parliament to force her country's politicians to act on climate change.
The activist has called on Indian PM Narendra Modi to take climate change seriously and act on it in an urgent manner. She says PM Modi has a big responsibility and if he doesn't do something, then he will be blamed for this crisis. She adds, since India is a developing nation, first world countries like Sweden must take the lead and reduce emissions. She blames India for emitting a lot of greenhouse gases since it has a big population and has possessed dirty coal.
The young activist says her interest in climate change grew when she was shown pictures of starving polar bears, plastic in the ocean, melting ice caps in her school. The girl said she realized that no one is doing anything about the issue and hence she decided to take the charge. Thunberg said she will consider visiting India if she gets an invitation.
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Thunberg's “School Strike for Climate” has spurred an international movement for climate change. Taking a cue from Thunberg, over one million students globally took part in 'Fridays for the Future” movement in March this year calling for global awareness on the environment. Four years ago, the 16-year-old was diagnosed with Asperger's, a form of autism. But even her condition didn't deter her from her desire to save the environment.