Greta's Story

Greta's Story: The Schoolgirl Who Went on Strike to Save the Planet by Valentina Camerini, translated by Moreno Giovannoni, illustrated by Veronica Carratello

Greta Thunberg was not doing well. She was extremely impacted after learning about climate change in school. She fell into a deep depression after learning that the earth was doomed and we were doing little to stop it. However, she was quiet and her family didn't know what was wrong. Eventually she was diagnosed with Aspergers, which often is associated with people becoming dedicated to single goals. For her, the environment was the goal. She started a school strike at Swedish parliament. Many people later joined her strike. She spoke before many influential people. Her goal was to call attention to the issue, and ask leaders to do what they commited to do to save the environment.

She was in the right place to do what she did. Her parents were actors and musicians. They had some renown and the means and flexibility to support their daughter. She was diagnosed with Aspergers rather than lumped into an "autism" bucket. This contributed to her getting appropriate attention and an understanding of what she was doing. Her personal solutions to climate may be naive. (Driving an electric car may have lower emissions in Sweden, but in Poland where most energy comes from fossil fuels, it is a heavy polluter.) However, her goal is to look at the big picture.