Teen climate change activist Greta Thunberg will sail across Atlantic to US in sail boat | Daily Mail Online

Swedish teen Greta Thunberg (pictured), said Monday that she plans to take her message to America the old-fashioned way: by boat 

Teenage climate change activist Greta Thunberg plans to take her message to the United States - but instead of flying, she's going to set sail across the Atlantic after shunning planes. 

The Swedish teenager, who inspired tens of thousands of school students across the world to skip class for a day to protest for faster action against climate change, said she spent months trying to figure out how to travel to the US without flying on a plane. She said she has ruled out using them due to their high greenhouse gas emissions. 

The 16-year-old tweeted that she plans to leave Britain in August aboard the Malizia II to attend the United Nations climate summits in New York in September and Santiago, Chile, in December.

As well as ruling out flying on a plane on the trip, Thunberg also refuses to travel aboard a cruise ship as they're notoriously big polluters. Meanwhile, sailors rarely brave the Atlantic in August because of hurricane risks.

In an interview during her weekly 'Fridays for Future' protest outside Swedish parliament in Stockhold, Thunberg said: 'Taking a boat to North America is basically impossible. 

'I have had countless people helping me, trying to contact different boats.'

The yacht she'll be crossing the Atlantic with is a far cry from the Viking ships that first brought Scandinavians to America. 

Captained by yachtsman Boris Herrmann, the 60-foot Malizia II is fitted with solar panels and underwater turbines to generate zero-carbon electricity on board.

Thunberg will also be accompanied on the two-week journey by a filmmaker, her father Svante and Pierre Casiraghi, the grandson of Monaco's late Prince Rainier III and American actress Grace Kelly.

Thunberg will be crossing the Atlantic on the racing boat Malizia II (pictured)

The 60-foot Malizia II (inside pictured) is fitted with solar panels and underwater turbines to generate zero-carbon electricity on board

The boat will be captained by yachtsman Boris Herrmann (right). Herrmann is pictured inside the yacht on Monday 

'I haven't experienced anything like this before,' Thunberg said. 'I think this will be a trip to remember.' 

Thunberg plans to take a year off from school to keep raising awareness of climate change and pressuring world leaders to step up efforts to curb global warming.

Since starting her 'school strikes' in August 2018, the daughter of an actor and an opera singer has appeared before policymakers at last year's UN climate conference in Poland and harangued business and political leaders at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. 

She also met with Pope Francis, who praised Thunberg's efforts and encouraged her to continue campaigning.

Although little-known in the US, Thunberg has arguably become the figurehead for a new generation of European eco-activists worried that they'll suffer the fallout from their parents' and grandparents' unwillingness to take strong actions to combat climate change.

'This past year, my life has turned upside down,' Thunberg said. 

'Every day is an adventure, basically. Sometimes I have to pinch myself and say 'Is this really real? Has this actually been happening?' Because it has all happened so fast and it's hard to keep up with everything.

'In a way, I am more optimistic, because people are slowly waking up and people are becoming more aware of the situation. This whole 'Fridays for Future' movement is very hopeful,' she said. 'But also ... one year has passed and still almost nothing has happened.'

Greta Thunberg refuses to travel to the US by cruise or plane: Here's why

The climate change activist has ruled out flying on a plane for the trip because on average, a plane produces a little over 53 pounds of carbon dioxide per air mile.

For example, non-stop flights from London to New York City take between 8 to 10 hours based on the airline. 

There are 3,470 miles between London and the Big Apple. When that number is multiplied by 53 it equates to about 183,910 pounds of emissions per flight between the two cities.

Thunberg also refuses to travel aboard a cruise ship as they're notoriously big polluters.

Most cruises travel from the East Coast of the US to the UK – usually England. By sea, it will take six or seven days in transit, and sometimes longer.

A single large cruise ship can emit over five tons of oxides of nitrogen.

Thunberg has opted to take on the Atlantic on a high-tech yacht, known as the Malizia II.

The journey from the UK to New York will take approximately two weeks on the Malizia II.

The boat is fitted with solar panels and underwater turbines that allow it to generate zero-carbon electricity on board

It will be captained by yachtsman Boris Herrmann.

Her visibility has made Thunberg a target for those who reject the overwhelming consensus among scientists that climate change is being driven by man-made emissions of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, released by the burning of fossil fuels.

'I don't care about hate and threats from climate crisis deniers,' she said. 'I just ignore them.'

Thunberg said she's unsure how her message will be received in the US, where there's broad opposition to the kind of radical measures scientists say are required to limit global warming to 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit by the end of the century compared with pre-industrial times.

'I will just try to go on as I have before,' the young Swede said. 'Just always refer to the science and we'll just see what happens.'

Thunberg wouldn't rule out meeting with President Donald Trump, who wants the US. to withdraw from the landmark 2015 Paris climate accord, but appeared doubtful such an encounter would happen because she thinks it would be 'just a waste of time'.

'As it looks now, I don't think so, because I have nothing to say to him,' she said. 'He obviously doesn't listen to the science and the scientists. So why should I, a child with no proper education, be able to convince him?'

Aside from attending a summit hosted by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on the sidelines of the global body's annual assembly on September 23, Thunberg plans to take part in several climate protests in New York. 

The British band The 1975s has released an album with a short essay by Thunberg set to music. It ends with her declaring 'it is now time for civil disobedience. It is time to rebel'.

Thunberg stressed that she rejects violence, citing her school strikes for climate as the kind of action she backs. 

Since starting her 'school strikes' in August 2018, Thunberg (pictured with fellow students) appeared before policymakers at last year's UN climate conference in Poland and harangued business and political leaders at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland

Thunberg (center) seen arriving for a meeting in the French National Assembly, in Paris, France, on July 23

Last week she deleted a tweet showing her wearing a T-shirt with the slogan 'Antifascist All Stars,' after some accused her of supporting far-left extremists.

'You can rebel in different ways,' she said. 'Civil disobedience is rebelling. As long as it's peaceful, of course.'

After New York, Thunberg intends to travel to the annual UN climate conference in December, held in Chile this year, with stops in Canada, Mexico and other countries along the way, traveling by train and bus.

Thunberg will be setting a very high bar for the activists and leaders from outside the Americas who are attending the UN climate conferences, almost all of whom will likely be coming by plane.

'I'm not saying that people should stop flying,' she said. 'I'm just saying it needs to be easier to be climate neutral.'

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