I think we all owe a debt of thanks to Greta Thunberg, a 15-year-old from Sweden, for her speech calling out ‘leaders’ for their failure to lead!
Some excerpts from her remarks (at COP-24 in Katowice, Poland):
We can no longer save the world by playing by the rules, because the rules have to be changed.
So we have not come here to beg the world leaders to care for our future. They have ignored us in the past and they will ignore us again.
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. Since our leaders are behaving like children, we will have to take the responsibility they should have taken long ago.
—Greta Thunberg, December 2018
More information:
- Greta Thunberg speech to UN secretary general António Guterres
- Greta Thunberg’s COP24 speech on YouTube
Well said, Peter. And thank you for helping spread awareness of the efforts and impact of this young leader. I continue to discuss the FridaysForFuture movement, climate change, and sustainability with my Liberty HS students. In fact, we joined with Lincoln Leadership Academy and Moravian Academy on its Upper School campus Saturday March 30 at the 1st LV Student Sustainability Symposium to learn, share, and commit to and report back on projects to live sustainably.
Working to grow understanding and commitment in the HS and greater community.
Greg Zahm
gzahm@ptd.net