Our House is on Fire
Greta Thunberg is a Swedish environmental activist. She has worked to address the problem of climate change, founding a movement known as Fridays for Future in 2018. Her action inspired thousands of students around the world to participate in their own Friday for Future in 2018. She received various awards and was also nominated for Nobel Prize in 2019 but missed it. She has received worldwide appreciation for her honest efforts to fight climate change.
‘Our House is on Fire’ is a speech delivered by Greta Thunberg at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland in 2019. She states that the world still has not got the message on how urgently climate change must be fought. She criticizes the world leaders for their empty words and promises for the prevention of the climate crisis. The speech, in particular, has been a wake-up call to the climate activists.
Greta, in her speech, speaks on human beings’ disability to correct their mistakes regarding the climate change in a certain period of time. She claims that people have been successful financially but failed to prevent the undesired climate change. Even the media have failed to create broad public awareness. She is hopeful for turning everything around. For this, we have to recognize the failures of our current systems. She expresses that humans are facing a disaster of unspoken sufferings. Everyone has to speak clearly on what we can do.
According to her, solving the climate crisis is the greatest challenge humans have ever faced. The main solution for fighting against the crisis is to stop the emissions of greenhouse gases. She says that we have a choice between creating transformational action that will protect the living conditions for future generations or continuing with our business as usual and fail.
She disagrees with those who are not in favor of activism but the idea of leaving everything to the politicians for a change. She doubts on the action having no political will. She expresses her worries about the people’s interest in growth and money.
She blames that people are not treating the climate change as a crisis. She gives emphasis on the importance of establishing a wide, public awareness and understanding of our rapidly disappearing carbon budget. She strongly suggests us that everyone with any insight of the climate change, must speak out in clear language. She also suggests the adults to panic, feel the fear and act as if our house is on fire.
Exploring the text
a. According to Greta Thunberg, what is the present situation of climate in the world?
b. Who are home sapiens and where have they failed?
c. What is that makes human beings fail in fulfilling their objectives?
d. How does Thunberg interpret black and white?
e. What, according Thunberg, should we do to save our civilization?
f. How does Thunberg blame politics?
g. How does Thunberg justify the title of her speech?
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