♪♪♪ greta thunberg: you have stolen my dreams and my childhood with your empty words. how dare you. all: what do we want? climate justice. all: when do we want it? now. barbara miller: when a swedish teenager began skipping school last august to call for tough action on climate change, no one could have imagined it would lead to this. [all shouting] if we don't get it, shut it down. greta: people are suffering. people are dying. entire ecosystems are collapsing.

♪♪♪ barbara: the global youth climate movement has come to new york, here to united nations' headquarters. its leaders want to tell the world that the time for tougher action on climate change is right now. they say it's their generation who will suffer the consequences of global warming. now, the movement's indisputable figurehead, the star, is the 16-year-old swede greta thunberg, but behind her an army of green activists has built up over the past year who are really driving this campaign. tonight we go inside the movement to meet three young women whose stories we've been following, on three continents, in australia, in europe, and here in the us. we ask them what motivates them, what do they think they've achieved so far, and where now for this extraordinary movement?

greta: the world is waking up and change is coming whether you like it or not. ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ luisa neubauer: is this right? barbara: for luisa neubauer, life looks a lot different than it did a year ago. then, the 23-year-old lived in a small town in germany, a student of geography. when we first meet luisa in march this year, she's already spending most of her time in the capital, berlin, leading the german youth-strike movement. and wherever she goes these days, cameras follow.

luisa: i guess i'm in quite a few media outlets these days. i always wonder a bit, like, what people--like, what is that people find interesting about it, because i don't find myself that interesting, but yeah, apparently it's a thing. barbara: luisa is a key organizer of germany's "fridays for future" strikes, regularly leading tens of thousands of students onto the streets, demanding a tougher political response to global warming. luisa: hi, nicholas, it's luisa, luisa neubauer from the climate strikes. good, rather busy, but good. like, the usual mess. barbara: by anyone's standards it's a punishing schedule, with much of the work done on the go. [luisa speaking foreign language]

luisa: i'm traveling so much, and i'm always on my phone, which is so annoying. every single--like, every minute that i'm not on my phone is a minute that i have to spend on it some other time. [female speaking foreign language] barbara: a photo shoot for a microplastics pollution campaign featuring a fake nosebleed wouldn't be everyone's idea of downtime, but it allows luisa a rare moment of calm. luisa: like, people always ask me, like, "how do you feel about the whole cture-taking thing?" and in a weird sense it's, like, very, very, very nice, because i just for once don't have to talk. barbara: the strikers say there's no time to lose if there's any chance of meeting the ambitions of the paris agreement. that's the 2015 un-brokered deal under which member states

pledged to endeavor to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees celsius. luisa: i have no idea where the movement will be going. i just know that we are rushing towards a humanitarian crisis, towards an ecological crisis, towards a quite disastrous future. we need a government to provide a plan on how to reach the 1.5 paris-agreed target, and then show that they are willing to act on it. barbara: it was a meeting with greta last year that inspired her to start this movement of now-weekly strikes across germany. ♪♪♪

barbara: greta thunberg's rise to fame has been meteoric. barely a year after starting her solo protest outside sweden's parliament, she's met the pope, made the cover of time, and addressed the european parliament. today, she's in vienna, sharing the limelight with one of austria's most successful exports, bodybuilder, actor, former governor of california, and climate-action hero arnold schwarzenegger. arnold schwarzenegger: it is the dreamers, not the doubters, who shape the world as we know it. yesterday's crazy becomes today's reality. barbara: greta's been called a puppet, an apocalypse guru, a deeply disturbed messiah, even mentally ill, but the

terminator's having none of it. arnold: when they call you crazy, greta, just remember, keep on going. don't listen to them, because sensible-- [audience applauding] just remember sensible people don't change the world, but you will. barbara: greta has asperger's syndrome, a superpower, she calls it, rendering her single-minded and blunt. greta: presidents, celebrities, politicians, ceos, and journalists. people listen to you. they are influenced by you, and let's be honest, this is a responsibility that most of you have failed to take. but we young people are waking up, and we promise we will not

responlet you get awayst of youwith it anymore.take. thank you. barbara: back in berlin, luisa is leading a major strike. barbara: she's now a star in her own right, but says she's definitely not the german greta. luisa: well, what greta does is extraordinary, but it's also unique. what we do is we build a movement. so, we bring together, like, ten thousands of young people, build structures, find out how to make decisions, which is, i think, a bit of a different job description. [crowd chanting]

barbara: when we next catch up with luisa in may, she's on the move again, and the pace is wearing her down. luisa: people often say, "oh, luisa, like, you know, take a break, don't do so much," but it's really-- i've cancelled 90% of events that i'm invited to. barbara: but there's no time to rest. she's on her way to brussels, where the activists are stepping it up a notch. luisa: it's going to be fun and wild and a big eu party and, yeah, good. barbara: voting is underway in elections to the european parliament, and the activists who've travelled to brussels from across europe want to occupy the parliament's forecourt, a way they think of ensuring climate change is on

voters' minds as they cast their ballot. all: what do we want? climate justice. all: when do we want it? now. all: what do we want? climate justice. all: when do we want it? now. barbara: the plan works up to a point. they hold ground and manage to lure out the parliament's spokesman. [crowd chanting] jaume duch guillot: thanks for what you are doing. you are those who will take the responsibility about the future of the european union in the next years. it will be for good. it will be for bad. you are the ones who are going to decide. luisa: thank you so much. jaume: thank you very much. [crowd applauding] luisa: i think this is such an amazing action. i'm like--i'm really like-- i'm overwhelmed right now. i--it's really cool. ♪♪♪

♪♪♪ barbara: greta thunberg has also been the inspiration for activists across the atlantic. ♪♪♪ she's only just turned 14 when we first catch up with her in may, but alexandria villaseñor has already been protesting for six months. every friday, she heads across town to carry out a greta-style school strike at the united nations building. her only tools: a cardboard sign modeled on greta's trusty prop and the extensive reach of social media. ♪♪♪ alexandria villaseñor: when i first started my school strike, it was in december, and so it was cold.

i've protested in wind, rain, sleet, snow, even the polar vortex. it's really just making an impact by being here. the act is--the act speaks many words, when you're just sitting here with the sign. all: no oil, keep the climate, keep the climate. [whistle blowing] barbara: these days she's never alone for long. female: chms fourth graders, this is alexandria villaseñor. she is the person organizing this strike in new york city. talk, introduce yourselves. we made it. girl: we came here today, well, as you can see, to stop global warming and go on strike. barbara: what does it achieve, coming here? do you think it changes something, you guys being here? girl: i definitely think we're trying to raise awareness. and since there are so many cameras around, we're likely going to be somewhere on the internet.

♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ barbara: alexandria's mom, kristin, is a phd student in climate and cultural studies, and the other half of this savvy double act. kristin hogue: so, we're meeting with cristian fleming from the public society. he's our branding guy. he's awesome. ♪♪♪ barbara: mother and daughter have founded a not-for-profit climate-education organization, and they're getting advice on massaging the message. cristian fleming: there is something to be said for being careful about how good you are at branding in activism.

barbara: the key takeaways: don't look too slick. cristian: it's always a bad idea when you go to protests to see, like, signs that look like they were printed en masse and given to people, because that's easy for somebody who wants to discredit an entire movement to say, "somebody is funding this, look, they just gave them signs, and they're holding them." barbara: lesson number two, don't hog the limelight. cristian: it's like, always do your best to promote other people. you know, so you can always point to that and say, "it's not about me," you know? barbara: but it's not just your political opponents you have to watch out for. cristian: there is, obviously, politics in movement organizations, and you know, you'll find as you get more and more into it, that people are very, like, very protective of their power. i'm sure you've probably already experienced this. kristin: we have. alexandria: yes. kristin: he knows what he's talking about. [boat horn honking] barbara: alexandria's mom is heavily involved in planning and

coordinating the campaign. so, what really drives this extraordinary global movement? is it the spontaneous expression of the next generation, or the cynical exploitation of well-meaning children? barbara: what would you say to people who say these kids are too much steered and directed by adults? kristin: that's a difficult one, give me a second here, but it needs to be answered. what i would say to adults who are making the claim that the students are being steered by adults is i would tell them that the science is solid. the students are being steered by the science. the students are capable of reading the science, and it's actually very simple. male announcer: what a journey. swedish teen climate activist greta thunberg, who crossed the

atlantic on a zero-emissions sailboat, has finally arrived in manhattan. ♪♪♪ barbara: greta took the slow boat to the un summit in new york, 15 days on a racing yacht to avoid 8 hours in a carbon-emitting airliner. ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ [crowd cheering] greta: the trip was--it was very--surprisingly good. i did not feel seasick once. it's--as you said, it is insane that a 16-year-old had to cross the atlantic ocean to make a stand. barbara: front and center of the welcoming committee: alexandria.

alexandria: your atlantic voyage may have come to an end, but the climate action we will all take together on this continent has only just began. [crowd applauding] barbara: if greta was the inspiration for alexandria, it was a budding australian activist who provided some practical tips. alexandria: back in november, i had reached out to jean hinchliffe, the--one of the lead organizers in australia for school strike 4 climate. and i had said, "hey, i wanna organize here. how can i do this?" jean hinchliffe: hey. alexandria: hi, how are you? jean: well, my audio's gone wacky, just give me a sec. barbara: the two still trade anecdotes and advice. jean: if you're just promoting online or just

promoting in particular areas, you're already--it's like preaching to the converted, it's like-- alexandria: yeah, i had sent it to one of the other organizers like-- barbara: both are gearing up for the un summit. jean: dude, i am so excited. i've never traveled internationally by myself, so it's gonna be crazy. i'm very, very excited. ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ [laughing] lisa healy: hey, do you mind me talking about your lateness? jean: no--yes--no. barbara: in sydney, 15-year-old jean hinchliffe is packing a lot into her days as an activist, a part-time actor, and a full-time school student. the new york trip is now just weeks away. lisa: so, jeanie, what i do need to know are your details of

your accommodation. jean: i messaged him, but also he lives ages away, so he's asleep, so, like, in a couple hours. lisa: okay, so i'll get details today. jean: see you, mum. barbara: jean says she fell into the role of organizing the sydney school strikes almost by accident, after contacting some student activists in victoria last year. jean: actually, i just sent an email saying, "oh, i'd love to help out if there's anything i can do." and suddenly i got a response saying, "oh, we'd love to help you achieve this goal." and i'm like, "oh, my gosh. i'm the organizer now. i'm in the middle of this." ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ jean: i mean, i've spent my life growing up surrounded by this constant news of, like, polar ice caps melting and the great barrier reef dying and animals losing their homes and

bushfires and floods and this really enormous issue which no one is seeming to care that much about. and that's been really scary for me growing up, knowing that this is my future, and this is what we're leading into. ♪♪♪ barbara: in jean's neighborhood, a relic of another age. a decommissioned coal-fired power station in the heart of sydney. phasing out coal is a key demand of the climate kids. in australia, the controversy over adani's carmichael coal mine fuels the debate. jean: our three major goals are, firstly, for no new sources of fossil fuels, including the adani mine; full renewable energy and exports by 2030; and for a just transition and job creation for all fossil fuel-employed workers and communities. ♪♪♪

female announcer: more than 2,000 businesses are backing school students around the country who will strike today to demand more action against climate change. barbara: the day before she departs for new york, jean heads out for one more protest. jean: oh my god, hey! female: hello. barbara: she's mc of a sydney student strike, part of a national and international day of action. all: what do we do? stand up, fight back. our future is under attack. jean: it is 100% youth-led. we do have adults involved occasionally for, say, some logistical work, but all the decisions are made by young people and the vast majority of organizing is done by young people. all: what do we want? climate action. all: when do we want it? now. all: what do we want? climate action. all: when do we want it? now. ♪♪♪

♪♪♪ jean: how are you feeling? how are you feeling? jean: oh, my goodness. this is amazing. look, look, they're still coming. jean: i can't believe this. i can't believe they're coming. female: me either, i am freaking out. [crowd cheering] barbara: an estimated 80,000 people pack sydney's domain. across australia, organizers say 300,000 people took part. jean: oh, okay. hello everyone. [crowd cheering] barbara: globally, the movement claims 4 million protestors have turned out in more than 150 countries. jean: this is not an inner-city issue or a greenie issue.

this is not a young person's issue or a wealthy person's issue. this is an everybody issue. we are the majority, and we demand change. barbara: it must be incredible to see your daughter kind of talking to a crowd of tens of thousands. lisa: i know, i know, it's like it's a different person. i don't feel like it's my daughter. it's just someone else up there who's such a great speaker, yeah. [crowd chanting] stop adani. stop, stop adani. barbara: adults have been expressly invited to this event for the first time. it's not just parents and pensioners here. you also have a number of businesses who've given their employees permission to be here, and also in the crowd, representatives from more than two dozen unions. that means this is the big league now.

this is the world of environmental politics, and someone like jean is up there on the national and international stage. for a 15-year-old, it's an awful lot to take on. jean: and we will never back down. whoo! ♪♪♪ barbara: forty-eight hours later and jean is in new york, finally meeting alexandria in person. jean: oh. oh, my goodness. it's so great to meet you. alexandria: hi, nice to meet you, too. how long have you been here? jean: less than a day. i got here, like, late last night. barbara: luisa hasn't come to new york from germany. she's worried about the carbon emissions caused by flying, but jean is less concerned about what's now known as "flight shame." jean: whilst it's a really carbon-intensive process, i do donate for carbon offsetting, but i also think it's important to acknowledge the fact that we're having young

people here at a un summit. this is important for the climate. alexandria: we expect the world leaders to really acknowledge the students and listen to our demands. and if they do not, it will just fuel our fire. ♪♪♪ barbara: over at the united nations, greta thunberg's address to the climate summit is powerful and polarizing. debate about it is to rage on for days. greta: 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. [applauding] barbara: greta doesn't wait around to listen to the rest of the speakers, but hotfoots it to a nearby media conference, joining alexandria and other activists in declaring an

escalation of their campaign. alexandria: on behalf of all of us on the stage, i'm announcing that earlier this morning we have filed an oicial complaint under e convention on the rights of the childs. barbara: the children, aged between 8 and 17, have targeted five countries they say are breaching their human rights and violating the un convention by failing to reduce emissions. greta: i just hope something good will come out of it. i hope it will have a good outcome, but we also have to prepare ourselves for the worst. barbara: campaigns and press conferences are one thing. implementing change is much tougher. few understand this better than former new zealand prime minister helen clark, who went on to become the un's

third-highest ranking official. she's been watching the rise of the climate kids with interest. helen clark: striking brings awareness, but you want awareness to be followed by action. i think the key thing now is for the young people to take this incredible energy and passion they have into more formal political engagement. i started my life as a young person also in protest movements. it was the vietnam war, it was the anti-apartheid struggle, it was nuclear testing, but eventually when governments didn't do any of the things we wanted done, we had to enter political structures and then could start to bring about change. so, i hope that's in the back of their minds, that from outside with your nose pressed to the glass, the impact will be transient. ♪♪♪

barbara: jean, too, is aware of the need to move on from just striking, but she thinks it's too easy to say that young people like her should go into politics. jean: we're really running outta time. by the time that kids our age are at a point where they can, sort of, run for government and have that as a real option, we're already too late. we--this is action that we need right now. barbara: australian prime minister scott morrison has previously said kids like jean should go to school and not strike. scott morrison: make a hole, make a hole, very good. barbara: in new york for the un general assembly, he was a no-show for the climate summit, and appeared unimpressed by greta thunberg's speech. scott: i think we've gotta caution against raising the anxieties of children in our country.

we've gotta make sure that our kids understand the facts, but they also have the context and the perspective, and that we do not create an anxiety amongst children in how we talk about and deal with these very real issues. jean: i'm really disappointed by the fact that scott morrison didn't show up to the climate summit, because i think that's irresponsible of him, really. he's in the city. he should be going. barbara: jean can't get into the un climate summit. the whole precinct is in lockdown. for now at least, her journey ends at this police barrier. jean: i think that it's kind of ridiculous that so many young people aren't allowed inside the un for this event. i mean, it's a climate-action summit. and considering that young people will be impacted more than anyone else by the changing climate, i think it's really important that we're able to be given a voice and have a place within the un. ♪♪♪

barbara: for the activists, it's been a rollercoaster of a year, and from their point of view, hugely successful. they've catapulted themselves and the issue of climate change onto the international stage. despite her frustrations, jean has been invigorated by her new york trip and is determined to keep going. jean: i've got school, i'm working a lot of the time, but it's such an important thing to me that i don't know where i'd be if i wasn't being part of this all the time. it has totally changed my life. ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ cc by aberdeen captioning www.aberdeen.io 1-800-688-6621