Front Burner

Greta Thunberg and the rise of the youth climate movement

Today on Front Burner, Washington Post science and environment reporter Sarah Kaplan tells us about the year that was for teen climate activist Greta Thunberg, and whether this unprecedented moment for global climate protests might lead to lasting policy change.
Climate change activist Greta Thunberg talks with participants at the COP25 in Madrid, Spain, December 6, 2019. (Juan Medina/Reuters)

She's the teenager who skipped school — and sparked a global protest. Today, Greta Thunberg is instantly recognizable by her stern demeanour and singular message: When it comes to climate change, listen to the scientists. But it was only last year that she was an unknown 15-year-old, protesting outside Swedish parliament. In the time since, she's dressed down heads of state at the UN, inspired millions of people to march in the global Climate Strike, and been named Time magazine's Person of the Year. But in 2019, it wasn't just Greta and the youth movement she inspires — there were other large-scale protests, led by groups like Extinction Rebellion. Today on Front Burner, Jayme Poisson talks to the Washington Post science and environment reporter Sarah Kaplan about whether these movements can produce real change in the year to come.

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