Greta Thunberg's speech on climate change is ‘inspiring’ people

Greta Thunberg’s thunderous speech at the climate action summit condemned world leaders, accusing them of stealing her “dreams and childhood with empty words” and the message is resonating with thousands of people online.

“You have stolen my dreams and my childhood with your empty words,” she told a UN climate action summit in New York, addressing some 60 world leaders over their inaction on climate change.

"This is all wrong. I shouldn't be up here. I should be back in school on the other side of the ocean. Yet you all come to us young people for hope. How dare you!

People are suffering. People are dying. Entire ecosystems are collapsing. We are in the beginning of a mass extinction, and all you can talk about is money and fairy tales of eternal economic growth. How dare you!

You are failing us. But the young people are starting to understand your betrayal. The eyes of all future generations are upon you. And if you choose to fail us, I say: We will never forgive you.

We will not let you get away with this. Right here, right now is where we draw the line. The world is waking up. And change is coming, whether you like it or not.

People online have taken her speech as a rallying cry for action

Greta's speech prompted #HowDareYou

Others are advising her to ignore the haters

And argue that much of the criticism levelled her way is the result of ableism and sexism

In a subtle critique of Trump, who she has previously accused of not “listening to science,” she said: “For more than 30 years, the science has been crystal clear.

“How dare you continue to look away and come here saying that you're doing enough, when the politics and solutions needed are still nowhere in sight.

You say you hear us and that you understand the urgency. But no matter how sad and angry I am, I do not want to believe that. Because if you really understood the situation and still kept on failing to act, then you would be evil. And that I refuse to believe.

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