TIME Magazine has named its 2019’s Person of the Year, and this year’s honors go to climate activist Greta Thunberg.
Noting that she began her climate protests 16 months ago and has since become a leader of the movement to get governments to act on preventing climate change, TIME bestowed the honor onto the 16-year-old on Wednesday.
Thunberg has been worried about climate change since she was about 11, when her school showed a video about climate change’s effects. It resulted in her becoming withdrawn, to the point of no longer eating or caring about leaving her bed. Years later, she became determined to speak out against inaction, and began skipping school to protest in front of the Swedish Parliament.
Her now-weekly protests have become a worldwide phenomenon.
“I want you to panic. I want you to feel the fear I feel every day. And then I want you to act,” she told the World Economic Forum in January.
.@GretaThunberg is TIME's 2019 Person of the Year #TIMEPOY https://t.co/YZ7U6Up76v pic.twitter.com/SWALBfeGl6
— TIME (@TIME) December 11, 2019
Choosing who should be TIME’s Person of the Year is always a difficult endeavor, and has resulted in some controversial picks over the years (remember that time when “YOU” was named Person of the Year?). But Thunberg’s activism definitely made huge headlines this year, particularly when she came to the United States and spoke in front of the United Nations.
“You are failing us, but the young people are starting to understand your betrayal. The eyes of all future generations are upon you, and if you choose to fail us, I say, we will never forgive you,” Thunberg said at the UN General Assembly.
We want to hear from you. Where do you stand on TIME’s pick for Person of the Year? Is Thunberg your choice as well? Would you have picked someone different? Take part in our poll below to let us know how you feel about it.