the world needs to tackle the coronavirus pandemic and climate change simultaneously, and guard against people who try to use the current crisis to delay action on cutting carbon emissions, greta thunberg has urged. greta thunberg has urged the world to tackle the the world needs to tackle the coronavirus pandemic and climate change simultaneously. the swedish climate activist has also drawn to attention to concerns people are trying to use the current crisis to delay action on cutting carbon emissions.

 

in an interview with new scientist, thunberg advised that both the coronavirus crisis and the climate crisis should not be compared and that one doesn’t rule out the other. she then went on to use the coronavirus as an example to prove the world’s invincibility as well as the potential impact of collective action in response.

 

video by new scientist

 

 

‘if one virus can wipe out the entire economy in a matter of weeks and shut down societies then that is a proof that our societies are not very resilient,’ she told adam vaughan, chief reporter at new scientist. ‘it also shows that once we are in an emergency, we can act and we can change our behaviour quickly.’

 

greta thunberg is currently in self-isolation as she believes she and her father may have been infected by the coronavirus. the climate change campaigner shared the news on her facebook page where she explains that they both had symptoms after a recent train tour around europe together.

 

‘the last two weeks I’ve stayed inside,’ reads the facebook post. ‘when I returned from my trip around central europe, I isolated myself (in a borrowed apartment away from my mother and sister) since the number of cases of COVID-19 (in germany for instance) were similar to italy in the beginning. around ten days ago I started feeling some symptoms, exactly the same time as my father – who traveled with me from brussels. I was feeling tired, had shivers, a sore throat and coughed. my dad experienced the same symptoms, but much more intense and with a fever.’

greta thunberg urges people to fight the climate crisis and pandemic simultaneously
(above and main) images taken from greta thunberg’s facebook page, she also shared the news via her twitter account

 

 

‘in sweden you can not test yourself for COVID-19 unless you’re in need of emergent medical treatment. everyone feeling ill are told to stay at home and isolate themselves,’ she continues. ‘I have therefore not been tested for COVID-19, but it’s extremely likely that I’ve had it, given the combined symptoms and circumstances.’

 

 

 

‘now I’ve basically recovered, but – and this is the bottom line: I almost didn’t feel ill,’ she concludes. ‘my last cold was much worse than this! had it not been for someone else having the virus simultaneously I might not even have suspected anything. then I would just have thought I was feeling unusually tired with a bit of a cough. and this is what makes it so much more dangerous. many (especially young people) might not notice any symptoms at all, or very mild symptoms. then they don’t know they have the virus and can pass it on to people in risk groups.’