How Dare You

Delivered: September 23, 2019, United Nations Climate Action Summit, New York

The Accusation

My message is that we'll be watching you.

This is all wrong. I shouldn't be up here. I should be back in school on the other side of the ocean. Yet you all come to us young people for hope. How dare you!

You have stolen my dreams and my childhood with your empty words. And yet I'm one of the lucky ones. People are suffering. People are dying. Entire ecosystems are collapsing. We are in the beginning of a mass extinction, and all you can talk about is money and fairy tales of eternal economic growth. How dare you!

The Science

For more than 30 years, the science has been crystal clear. How dare you continue to look away and come here saying that you're doing enough, when the politics and solutions needed are still nowhere in sight.

You say you hear us and that you understand the urgency. But no matter how sad and angry I am, I do not want to believe that. Because if you really understood the situation and still kept on failing to act, then you would be evil. And that I refuse to believe.

The Numbers

The popular idea of cutting our emissions in half in 10 years only gives us a 50% chance of staying below 1.5 degrees [Celsius], and the risk of setting off irreversible chain reactions beyond human control.

Fifty percent may be acceptable to you. But those numbers do not include tipping points, most feedback loops, additional warming hidden by toxic air pollution or the aspects of equity and climate justice. They also rely on my generation sucking hundreds of billions of tons of your CO2 out of the air with technologies that barely exist.

So a 50% risk is simply not acceptable to us -- we who have to live with the consequences.

The Betrayal

To have a 67% chance of staying below a 1.5 degrees global temperature rise -- the best odds given by the [Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change] -- the world had 420 gigatons of CO2 left to emit back on Jan. 1st, 2018. Today that figure is already down to less than 350 gigatons.

How dare you pretend that this can be solved with just 'business as usual' and some technical solutions? With today's emissions levels, that remaining CO2 budget will be entirely gone within less than 8 1/2 years.

There will not be any solutions or plans presented in line with these figures here today, because these numbers are too uncomfortable. And you are still not mature enough to tell it like it is.

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.

The Warning

We will not let you get away with this. Right here, right now is where we draw the line. The world is waking up. And change is coming, whether you like it or not.

Thank you.

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Speech Analysis

Historical Context: Delivered at age 16, after Greta had sparked a global youth climate movement through her school strikes. The speech came at a critical moment in climate negotiations.

Key Techniques:

• Emotional Intensity: Raw anger and passion
• Repetition: "How dare you" creates powerful accusation
• Data-Driven: Combines emotion with specific numbers
• Direct Address: Speaks directly to world leaders
• Moral Authority: Youth speaking truth to power
• Stark Contrast: Dreams vs. reality, words vs. action

Impact: The speech went viral globally, with "How dare you" becoming a rallying cry for climate action. It galvanized youth movements worldwide and put pressure on world leaders.

Lessons for Speakers:

1. Emotion can be powerful - When authentic and justified
2. Youth can lead - Age doesn't limit impact
3. Data strengthens emotion - Numbers add credibility
4. Direct confrontation works - When situation demands it
5. Moral clarity resonates - Clear right and wrong
6. Brevity has impact - Short, intense speeches work

Controversy and Criticism: The speech's emotional intensity drew both praise and criticism. Some saw it as powerful advocacy; others felt it was too confrontational. This demonstrates how bold speaking can polarize while also mobilizing supporters.

Modern Applications:

• Advocating for urgent causes
• Speaking truth to power
• Youth activism and leadership
• Combining data with emotion
• Demanding accountability
• Mobilizing movements

Legacy: This speech cemented Greta's role as a global climate leader and inspired millions of young people to demand climate action. It showed that youth voices can command world attention.

Key Quotes

"How dare you!"

"You have stolen my dreams and my childhood with your empty words."

"We are in the beginning of a mass extinction, and all you can talk about is money."

"You are failing us. But the young people are starting to understand your betrayal."

"The world is waking up. And change is coming, whether you like it or not."

Related Resources

• Malala Yousafzai - UN Youth Assembly Speech
• Building Authentic Confidence
• Persuasive Speaking Mastery