Greta Thunberg urges climate campaigners to protest online rather than in person to stop the spread of coronavirus
- Greta Thunberg has asked climate activists to stop attending public gatherings
- Asked protesters to join her in a ‘digital strike’ to slow the spread of coronavirus
- Teenager took to Twitter to tell activists to post a picture of themselves striking
Greta Thunberg has urged fellow climate activists to protest online and join her in a ‘digital strike’ as the number of coronavirus cases continue to escalate across the world.
The 17-year-old eco-warrior asked that her 4.1 million followers refrain from attending public gathering and instead unite behind the experts and science in order to ‘flatten the curve’ and slow the spread of the killer infection.
The figurehead of environmentalism from Sweden told protesters to keep their numbers low but their spirits high by posting a picture of themselves striking with a sign using the Twitter hashtag #ClimateStrikeOnline!’
Taking to social media the climate activist wrote: ‘We can’t solve a crisis without treating it as a crisis and we must unite behind experts and science. This of course goes for all crises.
Greta Thunberg, 17, from Sweden, asked climate activists to refrain from attending public gatherings and instead protest online
The climate activist took to Twitter to urge her 4.1 million followers to unite behind the experts and science in order to ‘flatten the curve’ of the killer infection
‘Now the experts urge us to avoid big public gatherings for a better chance to #flattenthecurve and slow the spreading of the Coronavirus.
‘So I personally recommend that we do as the experts say. Especially in high-risk areas.
‘We young people are the least affected by this virus but it’s essential that we act in solidarity with the most vulnerable and that we act in the best interest of our common society.
‘The climate and ecological crisis is the biggest crisis humanity has ever faced but for now (of course depending on where you live) we’ll have to find new ways to create public awareness & advocate for change that don’t involve too big crowds – listen to local authorities.
‘So keep your numbers low but your spirits high and let’s take one week at the time.
‘You can join the #DigitalStrike for upcoming Fridays- post a photo of you striking with a sign and use the hashtag #ClimateStrikeOnline! #fridaysforfuture #climatestrike #schoolstrike4climate.’
The eco-warrior told protesters to keep their numbers low but their spirits high and instead protest online
Thunberg (pictured at a European climate strike in Brussels this month) said protesters could instead post a picture of themselves striking with a series of Twitter hashtags
The teenager’s impassioned message comes after she joined a handful of protesters outside the EU Council building in Schuman Square, Brussels, Belgium, as EU environment ministers met inside earlier this month.
The activist accused European Union governments of only ‘pretending’ to urgently tackle the climate crisis and was left unimpressed by the Commission’s announcement to reduce net greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2050.
Calling the plans a ‘surrender’, Thunberg slammed the urgency of the proposed plans to reduce carbon emissions.
She said: ‘When your house is on fire, you don’t wait a few more years to start putting it out.
‘And yet this is what the Commission is proposing today.’
The teenager’s message comes after she joined protesters outside the EU Council building in Schuman Square, Brussels, Belgium, this month
The activist (pictured with protesters) questioned the urgency of the plans made by the Commission
The environmentalist’s plea to refrain from public gatherings comes as the number of coronavirus cases in Britain rose to 456, with 83 more patients having been hit with the deadly infection.
Recent statistics revealed 387 cases had been located in England, 36 in patients in Scotland, 16 in Northern Ireland and 15 in Wales.
The virus, which initially saw millions of residents and tourists in China put on lock down to contain the spread, has now been transmitted between humans in 30 countries across Europe, including Spain, Germany and France, according to the World Health Organization.
In Italy the infection has seen more than 10,000 affected and resulted in 631 deaths, with the country now placing 60 million in an unprecedented lockdown to contain the escalating outbreak.
Meanwhile in China, which is home to 1.4billion people, the number of cases have risen to 80,969, with the number of confirmed fatalities hitting 3,158.