16-year-old Swedish teenage activist Greta Thunberg implored world leaders in a passionate, angry and tearful speech Monday to act urgently on climate change at the opening of a United Nations summit.
Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg at #UNGA: "This is all wrong...You all come to us young people for hope. How dare you! You have stolen my dreams and my childhood with your empty words—and yet, I'm one of the lucky ones." https://t.co/YTVSvKxTkg pic.twitter.com/px90HghuQd
— ABC News (@ABC) September 23, 2019
Driving the news: The UN convened today's summit hoping to get nations to commit to aggressive plans to curb global heat-trapping emissions, which have been rising amid greater energy demand and continued reliance on fossil fuels in growing economies like India.
The bottom line: Thunberg, who is usually not especially emotive when she talks, was uniquely emotional in this speech, tearing up and showing anger. "You are failing us, but the young people are starting to understand your betrayal," Thunberg said.
- "We will not let you get away with this."
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