Environmental activist Greta Thunberg has taken the world by storm, and she’s only 16 years old! Her work has even led to a Nobel peace prize nomination and an environmental award from the Nordic Council, which she declined. Her School Strikes 4 Climate led to a revolution in which students around the world were participating in Fridays for Future when they’d march out of school to protest Climate change inaction. Thunberg inspired millions of people around the world to join the Global Climate Strike, after which she gave an impassioned speech to the United Nations demanding action to combat Climate change.

The very busy young activist has been very busy recently spreading awareness on Climate change during her trip to the United States which she made on a emissions-free yacht. Ellen DeGeneres, beloved talk show host waited two months to get Thunberg on her show. She was welcomed with a powerful video compilation of her activism and they went on to discuss Climate change activism.

A notable point of the interview includes Thunberg’s response to DeGeneres’ question about whether or not she would sit and explain Climate change to Trump (6:00). She said it would be a waste of time because anything she would tell him are things he’s heard before and from experts. Another great part of the interview was when Thunberg spoke of her Asperger’s syndrome as a gift (6:30). She said: “It is a gift to be different. If you are on the autism spectrum, that makes you different. Especially in a crisis like this we need to think outside the box. We need people who think differently and I think that people who work differently can be a good resource for that.”

One of the most important things we can take from the interview, however, is the moment Thunberg shares the personal lifestyle changes she’s made to be environmentally-friendly and do her own part to combat Climate change:

1. She’s stopped flying

This may not be a solution to people on a budget, but for those who are able to prevent flying, it’s important to remember that flying in airplanes has quite an environmental impact. As Roger Tyers explains in The Conversation: “aviation is essentially a fossil fuel industry, one which guzzles an eye-watering 5m barrels of oil every day.” You can even make better choices by simply flying less and flying coach because business class flights have about three times the emissions as flying coach.

2. She went vegan

Eating plant-based is great for animals, our health, and the environment. Even influential people like Oprah are eating more plant-based meals to help combat Climate change. To help you make this transition you can check out our vegan recipes and we highly recommend downloading our Food Monster App, which is available for iPhone, and can also be found on Instagram and Facebook. The app has more than 15,000 plant-based, allergy-friendly recipes, and subscribers gain access to new recipes every day.

3. Shop stop

Thunberg says she does not buy things unless they are absolutely necessary. This could be an effective way of saving money as well as helping the planet.

4. Communicate and put pressure on people in power

Like Thunberg and the other young activists around the world, we can speak up. Join protests and contact members of the government to remind them of the urgency of the climate crisis and demand action! We an also hold companies responsible for their part in plastic Pollution and greenhouse emissions. You can begin by signing this petition demanding that top polluters be held responsible for what they do to the planet.

For more Animal, Earth, Life, Vegan Food, Health, and Recipe content published daily, subscribe to the One Green Planet Newsletter! Also, don’t forget to download the Food Monster App on iTunes — with over 15,000 delicious recipes it is the largest meatless, vegan and allergy-friendly recipe resource to help reduce your environmental footprint, save animals and get healthy!

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