Svante Thunberg (L), father of Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg (C), says it's clear his daughter is much happier since starting her protest (AFP Photo/ NICHOLAS KAMM) |
Stockholm (AFP) - Svante Thunberg, father of eco-warrior Greta Thunberg, thinks his daughter is happier being an activist but admitted in an interview he at first had reservations about her taking up the struggle.
The
50-year-old actor-turned-producer told the BBC he and Greta's mother -- opera
singer Malena Ernman -- originally objected to their daughter's decision to
become a climate activist.
"Obviously
we thought it was a bad idea, putting herself out there with all the hate on
social media," he said.
Greta,
described as a shy 16-year-old, has found herself in the role of spokesperson
for a generation haunted by climate change after she started sitting outside
the Swedish parliament in August 2018 with her "School Strike for the
Climate" sign.
Instantly
recognisable with long braids and impish looks, she has become the face of
youth concerns over climate change, inspiring millions and being invited to
address the United Nations climate summit.
Greta's
family realised just how much the existential threat of climate change weighed
on her when she became depressed at age 11.
She stopped
eating, started missing school and even stopped talking.
Despite his
initial apprehension Svante Thunberg -- who has accompanied Greta on two sail
trips over the Atlantic -- also said he thought it was clear his daughter was
much happier since taking up activism.
"She
changed and she could do things that she could never have done before," he
said.
Diagnosed
with Asperger's syndrome, Greta used to be able to eat only in her own home and
"didn't speak to a single person".
She is now
"an ordinary child", her father added.
Greta has
also faced severe criticism and been subjected to a swarm of online conspiracy
theory.
Some have
claimed she is a puppet of doomsayers, or paid by the "green lobby".
But her
father said she was prepared for the "hate" she would receive even
before she started her protest.
"She
knew exactly what she was doing and I think quite frankly she's very surprised
that she has been so well received," Svante Thunberg told the BBC.
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