What we know about Greta Thunberg’s parents

Greta Thunberg has done more than anyone to educate the world about climate change. Thunberg went from boycotting school to attending climate change protests to calling out world leaders at the 2018 United Nations Climate Change Conference.

Thunberg’s fearless nature has pitted her against influential people; in particular, the former president of the United States, Donald Trump. However, she weathered the storm and continues to express the message of conserving the environment.

Greta’s parents, Malena Ernman and Svante Thunberg, have worked tirelessly behind the scenes to support Greta’s mission.

Malena Ernman is an opera singer, while Svante Thunberg is an actor and producer.

Malena and Svante raised Greta together with her younger sister Baeta. Malena Ernman was born on November 4, 1970 and is an opera singer. She studied music at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm and is a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Music. She represented Sweden in the 2009 Eurovision Song Contest.

Ernman is widely considered to be one of the best opera singers Sweden has to offer. He made his debut at the Salzburg festival in 2006 as Anno in La clemenza di Tito. She sang The voice by Fredrik Kempe in the 2009 Eurovision Song Contest, and came in 21st with 33 points.

Greta’s dad is less famous than her mom, but he’s also an actor. Svante is best known for his role in the television series skargardsdoktorn which ran from 1997 to 2000. He also serves as Ernman’s manager.

Greta influenced her parents to be more environmentally conscious.

Before appearing on the world and national stage, Greta had to shake things up at home. She convinced her parents to go vegan and stop using airplanes. According ExpressGreta said;

“More or less, at first, they were just like everyone else. They said, ‘don’t worry, someone will invent something in the future, people have this under control.’ But then I made them feel so guilty that they were stealing our future and they couldn’t stand up for human rights while living that lifestyle, so they decided to make those changes.”

Since then, Greta’s parents have become champions of environmental conservation. In 2017, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) named Malena Environmental Hero of the Year. According SunMalena expressed the following after the recognition to WWF;

“My small role in the environmental movement is as a public persona trying to lend my voice to those who are not heard in the media noise. No other issue is more important or more difficult to spread.”

Malena and Svante allowed Greta to protest

In 2018, Greta decided to skip school to protest in front of the Swedish parliament in central Stockholm. She claimed that she was doing it because she wanted politicians to prioritize climate change.

Greta’s protests caused a bit of outrage, with some people saying she should be at school instead of protesting in front of parliament. Elsewhere, Greta received praise for her commitment to a good cause. It also turned out that Greta’s parents agreed with her cause. svante said The Guardian;

“Greta forced us to change our lives. She had no idea of ​​the weather. We started to investigate, reading all the books, she has read them too. She’s supposed to be at school, we can’t support her action. But we respect that she wants to take a stand. She can stay at home and be really unhappy, or protest and be happy.”

Greta’s parents must be happy they let her protest. Greta is now the face of environmental conservation around the world.

Greta’s parents wrote a book about her condition.

Before Greta became famous, her parents wrote a book about a time when Greta suffered from obsessive-compulsive disorder and a severe eating disorder. The book, scenes of the heart, also praised Greta’s keen eye for the environment. Part of the book says;

“She was part of that minority of people who could see carbon with the naked eye… She watched the wind blow the emissions coming out of our smokestacks, turning the atmosphere into a giant, invisible dumping ground.”

The Thunberg family is also the author of a book titled Our house is on fire: Scenes from a family and a planet in crisis. The book was published in March 2020. Part of the book summary on good reads says;

“This is the story of a family facing a crisis they never anticipated. At eleven years old, her eldest daughter has stopped eating and talking. Along with a diagnosis of autism and selective mutism, her parents are slowly becoming aware of another source of her anguish: her future in jeopardy on a rapidly warming planet.”

Greta’s father became concerned for Greta’s mental health due to the intense online hate she received.

When Greta arrived on the international stage, Svante became her companion as she sailed across the globe towards climatic peaks. Greta refuses to use airplanes due to its impact on the environment. svante said BBC who sailed by Greta more than by time:

“I did all these things. I knew it was the right thing to do. But I didn’t do it to save the climate, I did it to save my son. I have two daughters and to be honest they are all I care about. I just want them to be happy.”

Svante added that activism has made Greta happier. “She dances, she laughs a lot, we have a lot of fun and she’s in a really good place.”

However, Greta’s activism efforts have also generated a lot of hate, which makes Svante very concerned. People have abused Greta’s appearance, clothing, and behavior. Svante is mainly concerned with the false stories being created about his daughter.

Fortunately, the vitriol doesn’t seem to affect Greta. “Frankly, I don’t know how she does it, but she laughs most of the time,” Svante said. “She finds it hilarious.”

Now that Greta is over seventeen, Svante doesn’t have to accompany her on trips. However, he is happy to oblige Greta’s request. He explained:

If you need me there, I’ll try to do it. But I think she’s going to be there, more and more, and she’s going to do it on her own, which is great.”

Categories: Biography
Source: vcmp.edu.vn