Our Earth is a million years old, and humans have inhabited it for a long time now. Our world and environment have undergone numerous changes due to certain human activities. Climate variability and change are a result of irrational human activities. Climate change refers to the changes in Earth’s climate system. It results in a change in weather patterns. Climate change has been happening since the Industrial Revolution and has given birth to global warming as well. The anti-climate change movement is on a high the rise now-a-days. Young people around the globe have come forward to change the system and fight climate change. Some of the anti-climate change activists are: Autumn Peltier, Leah Namugerwa, Ridhima Pandey, Xiye Bastida, Isra Hisri, and Greta Thunberg among others.

Xiye Bastida, Naomi Klein, and Greta Thunberg are three influential voices shaping the international climate narrative, each with her own style informed by identity, experience, and type of activism. In this article, we will elaborate on the differences among Xiye Bastida, Naomi Klein, and Greta Thunberg.

Xiye Bastida

Xiye Bastida is a Mexican-Chilean who embodies Indigenous knowledge in climate justice. A Mexican-Chilean from the Otomi-Toltec community, she bridges ecological responsibility and ancestral values. Fridays for Future is an initiative organized by Xiye and others to give voice to climate activism in New York City.

Her activism is not only about reducing carbon emissions but also about the rights of oppressed groups. She co-founded the Re-Earth Initiative and has advocated for intersectionality in climate solutions, a focus that is often overlooked in mainstream activism.

Naomi Klein

Naomi Klein is a Canadian author, social activist, and filmmaker. She is famous for her political analysis and criticism of corporate globalization. She is currently serving on the Gloria Steinem Chair in Media, Culture, and Feminist Studies at Rutgers University.

Naomi Klein is a seasoned intellectual leader in climate politics. She is not a protester by trade, unlike the other two, but a sharp critic of capitalism’s role in ecological disaster. Her seminal book This Changes Everything redefined the climate conversation by exposing how unregulated markets, corporate greed, and colonial plunder drive environmental decay. Klein advocates for systemic solutions such as Green New Deals and is thus the leading strategist in the climate struggle.

Greta Thunberg

Greta  Thunberg is a Swedish environmental activist, the public face of youth-led worldwide climate protests. Only 15 when she ignited a global phenomenon with her isolated school strike, Greta’s activism is rooted in scientific imperative, insisting leaders “Unite behind the Science”.

 She is famous for giving the view that humanity is in a deep existential crisis arising from climate change. She is known for her straightforward speaking manner with public and political leaders alike. In her speeches and assemblies, she has criticized the world leaders for not taking enough action to address the climate crisis. Though frequently lambasted, her unsparing honesty and unprecedented impact have altered public conversation and mobilized millions.

Three Voices, One Planet: How Bastida, Klein & Thunberg Lead Climate Justice Differently

Date of Birth & Nationality

  • Xiye Bastida was born in 2002 in Toluca, Mexico. She is an 18-years-old Mexican Chilean girl. Her hometown is San Pedro Tultepec, Lerma.
  • Naomi Klein was born on 8 May 1970 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. She is a 49-year-old Canadian.
  • Greta Thunberg was born on 3 January 2003 in Stockholm, Sweden. She is a 17-year-old Swedish girl.

Parents

  • Xiye Bastida’s parents are Mindahi and Geraldine. They are also environmentalists.
  • Greta Thunberg’s mother’s name is Malena Ernman. Her grandfather is Olof Thunberg.

Precursor of the Movement

  • Xiye started her anti-climate change activism by joining an environmental club. The club protested at Albany and New York City Hall. It protested for CLCPA-the Climate and Community Leaders Protection Act and the Dirty Buildings Bill.
  • Before becoming an environmentalist, Naomi Klein wrote books and made films. Her focus was on globalization and its negative impacts. She authored the books No Logo, Fences and Windows, The Shock Doctrine, and directed the documentary The Take.
  • Greta Thunberg’s activism began when she encouraged her parents to adopt certain lifestyle choices to reduce their carbon footprint on the planet. At the age of 15, Greta started spending her school days outside the Swedish parliament to advocate for stronger action on climate change. She held a sign that said, “School Strike for Climate.”

Movement

  • Xiye Bastida is famous for ‘School Strike for Climate’ or ‘Fridays for Future.’ It is an international movement of school students who come together on Fridays to demand action from political leaders against climate change. It urges the fossil fuel industry to transition to renewable sources of energy so that people emit fewer pollutants and the world can be saved. Xiye started this movement because of political inaction regarding global warming. The movement had 2 million followers by 2019. It is seen in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, the Netherlands, Germany, Colombia, New Zealand, Uganda, Finland, Denmark, Japan, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
  • Naomi Klein is an environmentalist focused on climate change. This is the fundamental idea she presented in her 2014 book, This Changes Everything: Capitalism versus the Climate Change. Naomi is part of 350.org and participated in their “Do the Math” tour, which encouraged a divestment movement. She believes that the financial and climate crises share the same root: unrestricted corporate greed. She delivered a speech at Occupy Wall Street about depleting natural resources. In 2009, Klein attended the Copenhagen Climate Summit and referred to her own country, Canada, as a ‘climate criminal’. In a bold move, Klein called for an international campaign to impose economic sanctions on the United States if Donald Trump‘s administration refuses to abide by the terms of the Paris agreement.
  • Greta Thunberg joined the School Strike for Climate movement in 2018. She collaborated with other students protesting in the same manner and organized a movement named Fridays for Future. Greta sailed to North America to attend the 2019 UN Climate Action Summit. In her speech, she exclaimed, “how dare you.” This phrase was picked up by the press and used in music as well. She became a leader, and critics also began to target her. Her influence on the world has been described as the ‘Greta’ effect by The Guardian.

Notable Works

  • Naomi Klein is a non-fiction author. Her notable works are: This Changes Everything: Capitalism versus the Climate, No Logo, The Shock Doctrine, The Take, etc.
  • Greta Thunberg wrote the book Scenes from the Heart in 2018 with her mother, father and sister. Her collection of speeches on climate change is named as No One Is Too Small To Make A Difference.

Awards & Honors

  • Xiye Bastida was awarded “The Spirit of the UN” award for giving a speech on Indigenous Cosmology at the 9th United Nations World Urban Forum.
  • Naomi Klein won the National book Award for Nonfiction in 2017 and Sydney Peace Prize in 2016. The University of Amsterdam and Saint Thomas University have given an honorary doctorate to her.
  • Greta Thunberg has won numerous awards. Some of them are: Fritt Ord Award, Ambassador of Conscience Award, Rachel Carson Prize, International Children’s Peace Prize, Right Livelihood Award. She was Time Person of the Year in 2019. She is included in the Forbes list of The World’s 100 Most Powerful Women in 2019. Additionally, she has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for 2019 and 2020 consecutively.

Conclusion

People, especially youth, are joining together to demand greater action on climate change. They are leaving their education and jobs to urge the government to take action and are refusing to settle for anything less than a solution. Let’s join hands with them and make this planet a better place to live. What do you say?