Mila Kunis was born in Chernivtsi, Ukraine, to Taissa, a physics teacher, and Michael Kunis, an engineer who works for an oil company. She moved with her family to the United States at age seven and lived in Los Angeles and Tulsa before settling in Scarsdale, New York. After her parents divorced when she was 15 years old, she moved to Los Angeles with her mother and attended Beverly Hills High School before returning to New York two years later.
Profile of Greta
Greta is an environmental activist and campaigner who has been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize. She was one of three recipients of Friday’s United Nation’s Humanitarian Award, which honours outstanding children’s rights campaigners. The 16-year-old holds weekly protests outside Sweden’s parliament in Stockholm where she demands that politicians take urgent action against climate change to halt what she says is an ecological crisis. I want you to panic, she told BBC Newsnight earlier this year. I want you to feel the fear I feel every day. In September 2018, Greta began skipping school on Fridays to sit outside parliament with her father, Svante Thunberg – himself a former UN climate negotiator – as part of her campaign. Her protest caught on after Swedish TV aired a short film about her efforts and it spread across social media. Since then, she has inspired other young people around Europe to stage their own rallies in solidarity. On 15 March 2019, tens of thousands took part in similar demonstrations worldwide under the banner #FridaysForFuture. What are her aims? Greta wants world leaders to declare a global climate emergency and commit to net zero carbon emissions by 2025 at latest.
What Are Her Demands?
Last week Swedish teenager Greta Thunberg went on strike from school to protest against climate change. Her demands are simple: she wants government leaders across Europe and beyond to declare a climate emergency and promise that global warming must be kept below 1.5C above pre-industrial levels, or it will be too late for her generation to turn things around. She said: I’m doing what no one else is doing and saying out loud what no one else is saying. Politicians aren’t listening because they think we don’t care about our future, but we do. We want to have a future. In an interview with The Guardian earlier in March, Ms Thunberg explained why she has chosen to go on strike until action is taken at an international level: I think adults have failed us in many ways and I think they have done their best already… So now we children have to try everything possible before it’s too late.
Why Did She Start This Activism?
The 16-year-old climate activist and schoolgirl was just trying to do her homework when she began skipping classes to sit on a bench outside Sweden’s parliament. Since then, she has inspired hundreds of thousands of people around the world—and sparked some serious political change in Sweden itself. To learn more about how Greta Thunberg came to be known as the girl who started a climate revolution , let’s start at the beginning: how did she get involved with activism? What motivates her? What are her goals for the future? And what can we learn from her experience?
The Background – How Did She Get to Where She Is Today
Greta Thunberg was born in September 2003 and grew up in Sweden, where she became concerned about climate change and inspired to act. After experiencing difficulty getting people to listen to her concerns during school talks, she began going on strike. She has since achieved global recognition and has inspired other young people around the world to follow suit with their own climate strikes. Her message is simple: I don’t want you adults to tell me that I can’t talk about politics when I go to school because it’s not political. It is political! We are talking about what is wrong with our world and what we are going to do about it!
Bigger Picture – Why Should We Care About This Young Swedish Woman?
This Swedish schoolgirl-turned-climate activist rose to fame in August 2018 when she staged her first solo protest outside Sweden’s parliament. Since then, she has made headlines around the world for her unwavering stance on climate change and activism. But who is Greta Thunberg? And what is it about her particular platform that has got everyone talking? In short: everything. In long: read below! Thunberg’s Biggest Moment Yet: On Friday 10 September 2019, 15 year old Greta joined more than 70 young people in a peaceful sit-in at London’s Heathrow Airport – in protest of new proposals which would see an increase of 1 million flights at Heathrow over 20 years, as well as increasing capacity by another 1 million passengers per year.
Some Statistics on What Sweden Has Done on the Environment
Sweden is considered to be one of Europe’s leaders in environmental initiatives. In 2015, it became Europe’s first fossil-free country. This was achieved through heavy subsidies for green energy sources and phasing out coal power plants. One result has been that there are now more electric cars on Swedish roads than anywhere else in Europe. The other result has been that carbon dioxide emissions have fallen by 25% since 1990 – way ahead of schedule. And unlike many countries where climate change is still debated, 97% of Swedes believe it is happening. The same number also say they want their government to do more about it. It is no coincidence then that Greta Thunberg took her protest to Sweden when she decided not to go to school anymore last year because she felt her government wasn’t doing enough about climate change. She protested outside parliament every Friday with just two demands: an ambitious climate law and immediate political action against global warming.
Why Was She Arrested in Her Country?
In Sweden it is not illegal to be 15 and in school. But Greta had skipped school for more than two weeks to protest inaction on climate change outside of Sweden’s parliament. One day she was picked up by police who were concerned for her safety after media reports about her health. She was dropped off at home and warned that if she skipped school again she could end up in detention or face prosecution under laws covering truancy. The following day she was arrested again. How Is Her Cause Different?: Her cause has gained international attention thanks to her age and directness. Aged just 16, she has been invited to speak before United Nations officials in New York as well as European Parliament members in Brussels, among others. She has also appeared on major news outlets including CBS News and The Guardian newspaper, where she spoke out against what some see as government inaction on climate change.
Where Does Her Movement Go From Here?
Greta’s now established herself as a powerful voice in climate activism. Will her movement grow or fizzle out? Right now, it’s unclear—but regardless of whether it grows or not, Greta will continue to be an important figure in the fight against climate change. If her movement withers into insignificance, so be it: at least she did what she could and made a positive difference while she was here. But if history remembers Greta as one of its most influential figures? Well, that would certainly be something. And we can all dream, right?
