As Glastonbury entered its second day, Greta Thunberg made a surprise appearance to deliver a powerful speech. Check it out:
The 19-year-old climate change activist took to the iconic Pyramid Stage today (25 June) in front of thousands of festival-goers where she said we are 'in the beginning of a climate and ecological emergency'.
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She continued: "But the biosphere is not just changing, it is destabilising, it is breaking down. The delicately balanced natural patterns and cycles are a vital part of the systems that sustain life on earth as we know it are being disrupted. And the consequences could be catastrophic.
"And no, unfortunately this is not the new normal. This crisis will continue to get worse until we manage to halt the constant destruction of our life supporting systems until we prioritise people and planet over profit and greed."
Thunberg went on to say that the 'world we used to safely inhabit no longer exists', adding that global CO2 emissions rebounded to their highest level in history in 2021.
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"If we are to stay below the targets of the Paris agreement and thereby minimise the risks of setting off irreversible chain reactions, we need immediate, drastic, annual emissions reductions unlike anything the world has ever seen," she declared, adding we need to make 'fundamental changes' in society.
The activist criticised those in power for not doing enough to curb the climate crisis, saying it is a symptom of the far larger issue of inequality and 'the idea that some people are worth more than others' and therefore think they have the right to steal other people's resources and exploit them for their own benefit.
Her speech marked a sobering change-up from the other acts, with the crowd quietening down to listen to what she had to say and cheering as she made impactful statements.
Thunberg continued: "We have been lied to, we have been deprived of our rights as democratic citizens and been left unaware and this is one of our biggest problems - but it could also be our greatest source of hope, because once we understand the full emergency of this crisis, we can act.
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"Given the right circumstances there are no limits to what we can do."
She finished her speech by asking the crowd to join in with a chant whereby she said 'climate' and they responded with 'justice'.
Thunberg revealed she'd be making an appearance earlier today, taking to Twitter to write: "I’m excited to announce that today I will be on the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury 5.15pm. See you there!”
Beyond her speech, the full Glastonbury 2022 line-up features over 3,000 performances this year, with some big names headlining on the Pyramid Stage including Billie Eilish, Sam Fender, Paul McCartney and Kendrick Lamar, among others.
More than 200,000 punters descended on Pilton, Somerset, on Wednesday (22 June) to enjoy the festival for the first time since 2019, having been cancelled for the past couple of years due to the covid pandemic.
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It's safe to say people are making the most of it, so much so that UK crowds are being described as the best in the world on social media.
Featured Image Credit: BBCTopics: Glastonbury, Festivals