Greta Thunberg has challenged the perception that she’s an ‘angry teenager’ and says those closest to her know differently.
The 19-year-old climate change activist surprisingly rose to fame when she was a schoolgirl and became the face of school strikes.
Thunberg has said becoming a climate change activist has given her life ‘purpose’ and ‘something to do’ - but her approach has prompted some to believe she’s constantly angry.
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Former US President Donald Trump once sarcastically tweeted that the teen ‘seems like a very happy young girl looking forward to a bright and wonderful future’ after seeing part of an impassioned speech she gave at a climate change summit.
However, in a new interview with Elle, Thunberg has spoken about her ‘angry’ image and how it’s not at all accurate.
“People seem to think of me as an angry teenager,” she told the publication. “They obviously haven't met me. At least two or three times a day I get laughing attacks where I can't breathe. It can be anything. If I’m in a room with people, they suddenly realise I’m not breathing and ask me if I’m OK and it’s because I can’t stop!”
Over the years, Thunberg has spoken at numerous climate change events including the 2019 UN Climate Action Summit, which was attended by politicians from across the globe.
The teen reckons her Asperger’s Syndrome helps her quickly get to the truth of the matter and cut through the soundbites often given by politicians when it comes to climate change.
She said: “It’s helped me see through a lot of the bulls**t because they say, ‘Oh yeah, we’re not in line with the Paris Agreement so far, but at least we’re taking small steps in the right direction.’
"Some people might see that as though we’re trying, but I see it as we’re so far away from what we need to be doing for even the bare minimum.”
The activist, who is releasing The Climate Book this month, said her key point is that people shouldn’t listen to her (which is somewhat ironic considering she often gives speeches to an audience), but instead believe in the experts - something that has been a constant theme of the past couple of years.
She said: “Listen to the scientists, listen to the experts, listen to those who are most affected.
“I could talk about all these things, but I am a privileged white person who lives in Sweden. I don't really have any story to tell, so it's up to others who need to be heard to [talk about] these things.”
Topics: Greta Thunberg, Global Warming
Claire Reid