Although more and more Americans are taking the threat of climate change seriously, less than 40 percent expect to make “major sacrifices” to tackle the problem.  According to Greta Thunberg, a Swedish teenager and climate activist, drastic action is exactly what needs to happen to address the problem. In this NewsHour interview, Thunberg discusses the importance of galvanizing young people across the globe to the climate cause.

Thunberg spoke at the United Nations on September 23, 2019 and testified in front of Congress the week prior. She spoke in Washington, D.C. at the Friday Sep. 20 climate strike, as protestors in cities across the globe took to the streets to demand action on climate change. The demonstrations, easily the largest ever to focus on climate, represent a movement driven primarily by young people — many of whom left school to join the walkout. Several participants talked to the PBS NewsHour about their mission to reduce fossil fuel emissions and how they plan to execute it, including meeting with elected representatives and supporting the Green New Deal, closing coal-fired power plants and converting as well as filing lawsuits alleging that the U.S. government has failed to adequately address climate change.

September 21, 2019 video and resource materials from PBS NewsHour.

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