The Daily Show: Ears Edition - ICYMI - Greta Thunberg Leads the Way in the Fight Against Climate Change

Episode Date: January 3, 2020

Climate activist Greta Thunberg explains her decision to stop travelling by plane and reflects on the impact of widespread ignorance about the severity of the climate crisis. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Please welcome to the Daily Show. Greta, Tunverick. Welcome to the Daily Show. Thank you so much. And welcome to New York City. You came here on a zero emissions boat. And, thrown, and part of me thinks that's because you love the climate. The other part of me wonders if thatthat's because you love the climate. The other part of me wonders if that's just your Viking heritage.

Maybe it is. It might be? Tell me why you did that. Why didn't you fly to New York City to come and, you know, speak at the UN and, you know, inspire people to move forward in the climate change movement? I did it because I have the enormous the the enormous the enormous the enormous the enormous the enormous the enormous the enormous the enormous the enormous the enormous the enormous the enormous the enormous the enormous the enormous the enormous the enormous the the to the to the enormous to to the enormous to to to to, to, to, to be to, to, to, to, to, to, thiolomea, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, the, the, thi, the, thi, their, their, their, thi, their, thi.eeeeeeeeeeeeea., thiiiiiiiiiiiiiia., thia, thia, thi,. I did it because I have since a few years stopped flying because of the enormous impact aviation has on the climate individually. And just to make a stand and I am one of the very few people in the world who can actually

do such a trip. So I thought, why not? Wow. I mean, I know I wouldn't do that as a kid and I wouldn't do it now. But what is inspiring is your determination and what's inspiring is your determination and what's inspiring is that it doesn't just affect other young people. It started to affect older generations in Sweden, in Germany. People are starting to call it the Greta effect where people are taking more trains. Since you started this movement, they've said they feel ashamed to fly unnecessarily in Europe.

Your mom is an opera singer, and she stopped flying, which means she couldn't perform the way she used to. Do you sometimes feel bad that she can't perform, or are you more excited that she's not part of, I guess, polluting the planet? I don't care, honestly, about how she performs. She... She... She...

She's doing musicals now. So, I mean, she had to change career, but it wasn't that big. And the planet is the most important thing for you. Yeah, I mean, for all of us, I think it should be. Why? Why do you think... Why do you think young people are so focused on climate change now? There's a definite disconnect between older generations and younger generations when talking about the climate.

Why do you think that is? I mean, I think it is because we in a way feel like it is more a direct threat. Others feel like I won't be alive then anyway so screw it. But we we actually know that these consequences will face us during our lifetime and it is already happening now and it will get worse and so I think that is why so many young people especially care about this. And of course, the awareness is not as it needs to be.

It's not as much as it needs to be. People are still very unaware, it's my experience. And so we need to continue, but you can see that among young people, the concern is bigger. What do you think people need to learn about climate change? Many people have heard of the climate warming up. Some people have a small understanding of what it means, but what do you think is lacking in the understanding of this issue? I think pretty much everything, because, I mean, we know that something is wrong, that the planet is warming because of the planet? I think pretty much everything, because I mean, we know that something is wrong, that the planet is warming because of

increasing greenhouse gas emissions, and that might lead to that the ice caps will melt, and the global temperature will rise, and there will be more extreme weather events and so on. But they... they don't understand how severe this crisis actually is. And it is because they have not been informed. I mean, we are right now in the beginning of the sixth mass extinction. And people don't know these things.

Up to 200 species go extinct every single day. And people don't even know that we have for a 67% chance of limiting the global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees. We had on January 1st 2018 420 gigatons of carbon dioxide left to emit to stay within that target. And now we are already down to less than 360. If we continue at the same emission level as now, we have less than eight and a half years until that budget is gone, according to the IPCC from the SR 15 report. And that is for a 67% chance.

Wow. And, um... Wow. 67% chance, and we're not even hitting those targets. What do you think people could do, and what do you think governments should be doing? I think people should do everything but I think right now if I would choose one thing everyone would do it will be to to inform yourself and to try to understand the situation and try to to push for a political movement that

doesn't exist because the politics needed to fix this doesn't exist today. So I think what we should do as individuals is to use the power of democracy that to make our voices heard and to make sure that the people in power actually cannot continue to ignore this. That's powerful. Wow. Do you feel a difference in the conversation traveling from Sweden to America? Is there a different feeling around climate change?

I would say yes. Because here it's like it is being discussed as something you, whether you believe in or not believe in. And where I come from, where I come from, it's more like, it's a fact. And... So then I have to ask you this. You sail from Europe to New York City. Um, New York City is quite an assault on the senses when you come from anywhere else. What is the biggest thing that has stuck out to you in New York City?

I mean, just everything, all the impressions, everything is so much, so big, so loud, and... And... so big, so loud, and people talk so loud here. And because when you are on that boat, when I was on that boat, there is nothing, there's just the ocean, and of course the sound of the waves crushing, but that's it. No, no smells. Apart from sweat, but... but that's it. No smells. Apart from sweat, but. Right.

So I remember the first thing I noticed when I, when we came into the harbor was I woke up and suddenly it smelled something. And of course it was pollution, but it's still something. And that was, it was undescribable. To go from this extreme environment. You're disconnected from everything and everyone. You only have yourself in the ocean and the boat, of course, to New York. That is an accurate and brilliant description of New York.

It is undescribable and it smells. I think that is fantastic. I'm excited for your journey. I can't wait to see what else you're going to do. Thank you for making time for us. The next global climate strike will be on Friday, September 20th to find or register your local strike. Go to Fridays for Future.com. Go to Fridays. Everybody. The Daily Show with Kvernoa, Ears Edition. Watch the Daily Show weeknights at 11, 10 Central on Comedy Central and the Comedy Central app. Watch full episodes and videos at the Daily Show.com.

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and subscribe to the Daily Show on YouTube for exclusive content and more. This has been a Comedy Central podcast. When 60 Minutes premiered in September 1968, there was nothing like it. This is 60 Minutes. It's a kind of a magazine for television. Very few have been given access to the treasures in our archives. But that's all about to change. Like none of this stuff gets looked at. That's what's incredible.

I'm Seth Done of CBS News. Listen to 60 Minutes, a second look on Apple podcasts starting September 17.