Greta Thunberg to Congress: 'Don't listen to me. Listen to the scientists'

Record ID: 1432904

  • Title: Greta Thunberg to Congress: 'Don't listen to me. Listen to the scientists'
  • Date: 18th September 2019
  • Summary: WASHINGTON, DC, UNITED STATES (SEPTEMBER 18, 2019) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF THUNBERG WALKING, STANDING IN FRONT OF U.S. SUPREME COURT VARIOUS OF THUNBERG SITTING AT NEWS CONFERENCE OUTSIDE U.S. SUPREME COURT
  • Embargoed: 2nd October 2019 17:32
  • Keywords: Greta Congress Thunberg climate Congress climate
  • Location: WASHINGTON, DC, UNITED STATES
  • City: WASHINGTON, DC, UNITED STATES
  • Country: USA
  • Topics: Environment,Climate Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA002AX6RMFB
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text:Swedish teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg delivered a short and direct message before a Congressional hearing on Wednesday (September 18): "I don't want you to listen to me. I want you to listen to the scientists."
    The 16-year old founder of the 'Fridays For Future' weekly school walkouts to demand government climate-change action that have inspired a global movement, submitted a 2018 report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in lieu of testimony. It urged rapid, unprecedented changes to the way people live in order to keep temperatures from rising 1.5 degrees Celsius (34.7 Fahrenheit) by 2030.
    "I want you to unite behind the science. And then I want you to take real action," she said.
    Thunberg was one of four students invited to address a joint hearing of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Europe, Eurasia, Energy, and the Environment and the Select Committee on the Climate Crisis, to give the next generation's view on climate change.
    She has been in Washington since last week to join U.S. and indigenous activists build up support for a global climate strike on Friday and put pressure on lawmakers to take action on climate change.
    In addition to meetings on Capitol Hill, Thunberg met former President Barack Obama on Tuesday. Obama described the teenager on Twitter as "already one of the planet's greatest advocates."
    Later on Wednesday, she joined seven young Americans who have sued the U.S. government for failing to take action on climate change on the steps of the Supreme Court. They urged political leaders and lawmakers to support their legal fight and take action to phase out the use of fossil fuels.
    (Production: Kevin Fogarty, Kia Johnson, Scott Vaughan)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2019. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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