Swedish teen climate activist Greta Thunberg arrived in New York City to chants and cheers Wednesday following a trans-Atlantic trip on a sailboat to attend a global warming conference.
Thunberg, 16, and her crew were escorted into a lower Manhattan marina at about 4 p.m., concluding a two-week crossing from Plymouth, England.
As the boat docked, hundreds of activists welcomed her from a Hudson River promenade. Thunberg waved then was lifted onto a dock.
“All of this is very overwhelming,” she said of the reception, looking slightly embarrassed.
The teenager refused to fly because of the carbon cost of plane travel. A 2018 study said that because of cloud and ozone formation, air travel may trap two to four times more heat than that caused by just emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.
Speaking to reporters after she landed, Thunberg said the trip wasn’t as uncomfortable as she expected.
“I didn’t get seasick once,” but she stressed that “this is not something I want everyone to do.”
READ MORE: Students worldwide skip class to demand action on climate
Thunberg has become a symbol of a growing movement of young climate activists, leading weekly protests in Sweden that focused on the issue and that inspired similar strikes in about 100 cities worldwide.
She’s in New York to speak at the United Nations Climate Action Summit next month. There, she’ll join world leaders who will present plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The Associated Press
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Greta Thunberg, 16, a Swedish environmental activist, sails into New York harbour aboard the Malizia II, Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2019. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)
Greta Thunberg, 16, a Swedish environmental activist, sails into New York harbour aboard the Malizia II, Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2019. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)
Greta Thunberg, 16, a Swedish environmental activist, sails into New York harbour aboard the Malizia II, Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2019. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)
