GRETA, YOU'RE NOT THE ONLY ONE

A few weeks ago, when the leaves of fall began to brown and the air became crisp, a young white Swedish girl rocked everyone’s world by speaking sternly about climate change.

16-year-old Greta Thunberg, who is also diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome, picked up the staff for climate change advocacy when she was 8 years old, realizing that the detrimental effect of human action was escalating the earth’s destruction in a manner which would not sustain life healthily in the near future.

Soon, global social media began to blow up with images of a white girl with chocolate brown hair, speaking passionately and with anger that came from deep within against those who have the resources to battle climate change yet choose to remain silent.

It was a life changing moment – until the news highlighted 15 other kids who were also present at the United Nations to deliver speeches on the same topics.

It’s worth mentioning that they weren’t white.

It’s interesting how a white girl’s cry for help garnered more fame, while the other 15 kids remained hidden. Climate change is a global agenda – not a white problem where a white solution or white leader is enough.

Besides Greta, there are equally powerful child-activists who spoke on that platform. Now, I’m not hating on Greta— her argument was true and powerful, the future of the earth is really bleak and I wonder how today’s teenagers will fare in the future as adults when resources are depleted and the air is too toxic to breathe in.

My point is that Leah Namugerwa from Uganda also deserves the spotlight. She’s gathered a group of teen activists who regularly liaise with the government to take action against plastic use – seriously, check out the hashtag #BanPlasticUG and see what she’s all about.

Even 11-year old Ridhima Pandey is noteworthy – at the mere age of 8, she sued the Indian Government for inaction against the climate devastation and was very vocal about the Uttarakhand flooding.

And what about Xiye Bastida from Mexico? The 17-year-old formed an environment club at her school and joined various groups that work towards climate action like the People’s Climate Movement, the Sunrise Movement, Extinction Rebellion and even Fridays For Future; working with the leaders to promote education for climate activism.

And not to mention, 16-year old Isra Hirsi, a black and Muslim girl residing in the United States, who cofounded the US Youth Climate Strike and uses the platform to speak about how climate change is detrimental to impoverished and disadvantaged social groups.

Where are these voices? Why don’t we know these names? Is it because they’re not fair and don’t have smooth brown hair or blue eyes?

I’m not a fan of conspiracy theories but turning climate into an agenda primary for those who were archaically considered a supreme race is pretty ridiculous, don’t you agree?

I think #ClimateChangeForAll should cut it for now.