Climate Change activist Greta Thunberg named Person of the Year for 2019

Youth climate activist Greta Thunberg on Wednesday was named Person of the Year for 2019 by a leading global publication. The 16-year-old is the youngest person to be chosen by the magazine in a tradition that started way back in 1927. Thunberg made headlines for her solo strike against global warming outside Sweden's parliament last year. Thunberg was in Madrid at a UN climate forum tasked with saving the world from runaway global warming when the results of the poll were announced.

The magazine interviewed Thunberg aboard the sailboat that took her from the United States to Europe after a hectic 11-week North American trip to several US cities and Canada. Thunberg has taken her disarmingly straightforward message, "listen to the scientists" to global decision-makers, accusing them of inaction.

Furthermore, the winner of four new categories were also announced which included -- Athlete of the year is the US women's soccer team, the Entertainer of the Year is Lizzo, and Businessperson of the Year is Disney CEO Bob Iger. 

READ: Greta asks media to focus on other young climate activists

READ: Greta slams 'misleading' climate pledges at chaotic UN summit

Fridays for Future

Greta Thunberg started a singular protest outside Sweden's Parliament one late afternoon in August 2018. Reacting to the heatwave that washed over Northern Europe, Thunberg camped outside Sweden's Parliament holding up a placard that said, "School Strike for Climate Change" in Swedish. In November of the same year, she camped again outside Parliament demanding that Sweden cut its emissions.

Since then, Greta Thunberg has spent every Friday on strike. Her continued protests, inspired many, including other children her age in her country, and others around the world. Soon millions had joined in her Fridays for Future movement, taking up protests in various countries around the world like Japan, Australia, UK, Belgium, and the US. Thunberg had become the poster girl for the Climate Change activism movement.

In the sixteen months after this, Greta Thunberg has travelled around the world attending multiple protests, accused and lambasted world leaders at multiple public forums of doing nothing, and sometimes contributing to harming the environment. This includes her iconic speech at the United Nations General Assembly where she famously addressed world leaders and said, "How dare you?"

Greta Thunberg was also a favourite to win the Nobel Peace Prize in 2019. She also won the Right Livelihood Award, also known as the 'Alternative Noble Prize' along with three other candidates this year.

READ: Greta Thunberg has a subtle response Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro's insult

READ: 8-year-old meets Greta Thunberg, urges PM Modi to pass laws on Climate change

(With inputs from agencies)