Episode 2

NARRATOR: THIS YEAR, THE WORLD'S BEST-KNOWN CLIMATE ACTIVIST, GRETA THUNBERG, TURNED 18.

GRETA, VOICE-OVER: PEOPLE SAY A LOT OF THINGS ABOUT ME.

DONALD TRUMP: GRETA.

YOU KNOW GRETA?

[CROWD JEERING AND BOOING] GRETA, VOICE-OVER: PEOPLE CALL ME A BRAT, AN IDIOT... AND YET, FOR REASONS I DON'T UNDERSTAND, PEOPLE LISTEN WHEN I TALK.

[CROWD CHEERING] YOU ARE LISTENING TO ME RIGHT NOW... [CROWD CHANTING "GRETA"] BUT I DON'T WANT THAT.

I DON'T WANT YOU TO LISTEN TO ME.

I WANT YOU TO LISTEN TO THE SCIENCE.

MAN: WE ARE SEEING A HUGE CHANGE IN THE TEMPERATURE OF THE PLANET.

DIFFERENT MAN: WILDFIRES AND FLOODS AND DROUGHTS AND SUPERSTORMS AROUND THE WORLD.

THAT'S WHERE WE'RE HEADED IF WE DON'T TAKE ACTION.

NARRATOR: THIS SERIES FOLLOWS GRETA ON AN EXTRAORDINARY YEAR IN HER FIGHT AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE.

GRETA: I'VE BEEN GOING THE WHOLE WAY AROUND THE WORLD THE WRONG WAY.

NARRATOR: IN 2019, SHE TOOK A YEAR OFF SCHOOL TO WITNESS FIRSTHAND THE IMPACT OF GLOBAL WARMING... WOMAN: AS SOON AS THE ICE IN THE ROCK STARTS TO GET WARMER, THAT STABILIZING INFLUENCE DISAPPEARS.

NARRATOR: AND DISCOVER WHETHER TECHNOLOGY CAN HELP PROTECT OUR FUTURE.

MAN: WE COULD STORE ALL THE EMISSIONS WE COULD POTENTIALLY IMAGINE.

GRETA, VOICE-OVER: WE SHOULD BE HOPEFUL, BUT HOPE DOESN'T COME FROM WORDS.

HOPE ONLY COMES FROM ACTION.

"UNLESS WE DO SOMETHING, WE'RE GOING TO LOSE OUR FISHING."

NARRATOR: GRETA'S TAKEN HER PROTEST TO THE GLOBAL STAGE... GRETA: WORLD LEADERS ARE BEHAVING LIKE CHILDREN, SO IT FALLS ON US TO BE THE ADULTS IN THE ROOM.

NARRATOR: BUT IN A YEAR WHEN COVID BROUGHT LIFE TO A STANDSTILL... URSULA VON DER LEYEN: THE CORONAVIRUS CONTINUES TO SPREAD.

NARRATOR: CAN GRETA CONVINCE A WORLD REELING FROM ONE CRISIS TO FINALLY FACE ANOTHER?

WOMAN: COVID-19 HAS GIVEN THE WORLD A TREMENDOUS OPPORTUNITY TO RESET.

DIFFERENT WOMAN: HOW WE ADDRESS THE CLIMATE CRISIS WILL DETERMINE WHAT THE FUTURE OF LIFE ON EARTH LOOKS LIKE.

GRETA: WE CAN ACT, BUT WE DON'T HAVE TIME TO WAIT.

♪ ♪ NARRATOR: JANUARY 2020.

THE MOST POWERFUL PEOPLE IN THE WORLD ARE PREPARING TO GATHER IN DAVOS, SWITZERLAND, FOR THE 50TH WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM.

AND THEY'VE INVITED GRETA, WHO PLANS TO USE THE OPPORTUNITY TO PERSUADE THEM TO ABANDON FOSSIL FUELS.

IT'S THE NEXT STEP IN A REMARKABLE JOURNEY THAT'S TAKEN HER THROUGH NORTH AMERICA, WHERE SHE WITNESSED CLIMATE CHANGE FIRSTHAND... MAN: WE THINK OF GLACIERS AS GREAT AND POWERFUL, BUT, IN FACT, WE KNOW WE'RE NOT BRINGING THIS GLACIER BACK.

NARRATOR: BACK ACROSS A STORMY ATLANTIC TO THE MAIN STAGE OF THE UNITED NATIONS CLIMATE SUMMIT IN SPAIN.

GRETA: WE NO LONGER HAVE TIME TO LEAVE OUT THE SCIENCE.

NARRATOR: AFTER A TIME AT HOME IN SWEDEN, GRETA IS TRAVELING NORTH TO THE EDGE OF THE ARCTIC CIRCLE TO SEE FOR HERSELF THE HUMAN COST OF GLOBAL WARMING.

GRETA, VOICE-OVER: THE SÁMI PEOPLE ARE ACTUALLY EUROPE'S LAST AND ONLY INDIGENOUS PEOPLE.

THEY HAVE A VERY RICH CULTURE AND TRADITIONS.

BECAUSE OF THE CHANGING CLIMATE, THEIR WAY OF LIFE IS BEING THREATENED.

NARRATOR: INDIGENOUS SÁMI HERDERS, LIKE CARL-JOHAN UTSI AND SANNA VANNAR, HAVE BEEN CARING FOR REINDEER FOR OVER A THOUSAND YEARS.

GRETA: WHAT DOES THE REINDEER MEAN TO YOU AND TO THE PEOPLE HERE?

VANNAR: IT'S SO IMPORTANT FOR US WHEN WE LIVE WITH NATURE AND ALSO WITH ANIMALS.

WE GET EVERYTHING FROM THE REINDEER.

WE GET THEIR ANTLERS AND THEIR SKINS AND THE MEAT, BUT MOSTLY, IT IS A WAY OF LIVING AND A WAY OF LIFE.

NARRATOR: BUT NOW THE REINDEER ARE FACING STARVATION.

SO WHY IS CLIMATE CHANGE MAKING IT HARDER FOR THE REINDEER TO FIND FOOD?

THIS LICHEN GROWS NATURALLY IN THE FOREST AREA.

THAT'S THE MAIN FOOD FOR THE REINDEER IN WINTERTIME.

THE SNOW COULD EASILY BE ONE METER DEEP, BUT THE REINDEER STILL CAN FIND IT BY SMELLING IT THROUGH THE SNOW AND DIGGING IT UP WITH THEIR HOOVES.

BUT THIS YEAR, WE HAVE TO GIVE THEM EXTRA FOOD BECAUSE ALL THE NATURAL FOOD IS BENEATH HARD-PACKED SNOW AND ICE.

NARRATOR: CLOSE TO THE POLES, TEMPERATURES ARE RISING FASTER THAN ANYWHERE ELSE ON EARTH.

AND WARMER TEMPERATURES MEAN IT OFTEN RAINS WHEN IT USED TO SNOW.

WHEN THE RAIN HITS THE COLD GROUND, IT FORMS A LAYER OF ICE, WHICH THE REINDEER CAN'T BREAK.

GRETA: WHAT WOULD HAPPEN TO THESE REINDEERS IF YOU WEREN'T HERE TO GIVE THEM THIS-- THEY WOULD SPREAD OUT ON A HUGE AREA, AND A LOT OF THEM WOULD DIE FROM STARVATION.

NARRATOR: IF THESE PRESSURES CONTINUE, MANY SÁMI MAY BE FORCED TO ABANDON HERDING, AND THIS UNIQUE WAY OF LIFE COULD BE LOST FOREVER.

VANNAR: I HOPE, LIKE, THAT THE NEXT GENERATION CAN STILL HAVE A LIFE WITH THE REINDEERS.

UTSI: WE HAVE BEEN FOLLOWING THE REINDEER FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS, AND WE DON'T WANT TO GIVE UP JUST YET.

GRETA, VOICE-OVER: THE CLIMATE CRISIS IS A VERY UNFAIR CRISIS.

IT IS THE ONES WHO ARE ALREADY THE MOST VULNERABLE THAT ARE GOING TO SUFFER THE MOST.

WOMAN: AROUND THE WORLD, WE ARE ALREADY STARTING TO SEE HUMAN MIGRATION DUE TO CLIMATE CHANGE, AND IT'S ONLY GOING TO ACCELERATE.

MAN: IF YOU LOOK AT AFRICA, FOR EXAMPLE, YOU'RE ALREADY SEEING DESERTIFICATION.

PEOPLE WILL HAVE TO MOVE AWAY FROM PLACES WHERE THEY CAN NO LONGER LIVE, WHICH MIGHT CREATE CONFLICT.

THOSE WHO CANNOT MOVE MAY WELL PERISH WHERE THEY ARE.

WE CAN ADAPT TO SOME OF THIS, BUT THE SCALE IS SUCH THAT WE CANNOT ADAPT TO IT ALL.

AYANA ELIZABETH JOHNSON: THE REAL INJUSTICE OF THIS IS THAT THESE ARE PEOPLE WHO HAVE CONTRIBUTED OFTEN THE ABSOLUTE LEAST.

THEY HAVE NOT BEEN THE ONES BURNING TONS OF FOSSIL FUEL, BUT THEY ARE BEARING THE BRUNT OF THE IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE.

♪ [CONVERSATION IN SWEDISH] NARRATOR: GRETA IS SETTING OFF ON A JOURNEY THAT WILL TAKE HER TO THE WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM IN DAVOS.

NARRATOR: THERE SHE WILL DEMAND AN IMMEDIATE REDUCTION IN FOSSIL FUEL USE, PUTTING PRESSURE ON WORLD LEADERS, PARTICULARLY U.S. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP.

NARRATOR: GRETA USUALLY TRAVELS WITH HER FATHER SVANTE, BUT FOR THE FIRST TIME, SHE'LL BE GOING WITHOUT HIM.

SVANTE, VOICE-OVER: SHE'S BECOME, LIKE, AN ADULT NOW.

SHE WAS, YOU KNOW, A CHILD WHEN SHE STARTED THIS.

AND NOW SHE'S MUCH MORE OF AN ADULT, YEAH.

SVANTE: YOU KNOW, SHE DOESN'T WANT ME AROUND AS MUCH, WHICH IS GREAT.

SVANTE: THIS IS HER THING.

NOW SHE'S OLD ENOUGH TO DO IT BY HERSELF.

♪ NARRATOR: GRETA WON'T BE COMPLETELY ALONE.

A FAMILY FRIEND IS TRAVELING WITH HER, BUT FOR GRETA, IT'S STILL A BIG STEP.

GRETA: NOW I'M 17.

I HAD MY 17TH BIRTHDAY.

I CELEBRATED WITH A STRIKE, AS USUAL, OUTSIDE THE SWEDISH PARLIAMENT.

SOON I'M OFFICIALLY AN ADULT, 18 YEARS... YEAH, I DON'T--I DON'T LIKE THAT.

HA HA.

♪ ♪ GRETA, VOICE-OVER: OF COURSE, I WANT TO BECOME MORE INDEPENDENT BUT ALSO WANT TO REMAIN A CHILD BECAUSE LIFE IS SO SIMPLE WHEN YOU'RE A CHILD.

♪ THANKS.

NARRATOR: THE EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE ARE NOW BEING FELT ALL OVER THE WORLD.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

LOVE WHAT YOU'RE DOING.

NARRATOR: HERE IN EUROPE, INCREASINGLY SEVERE WEATHER IS ALREADY WREAKING HAVOC IN TOWNS AND CITIES.

NEWSCASTER: SEVERE FLOOD WARNINGS ARE IN PLACE THIS AFTERNOON IN PARTS OF ENGLAND, MEANING THERE IS A DANGER TO LIFE.

REPORTER: HEAVY RAIN FORCED A RIVER RIGHT THROUGH THIS TOWN IN BAVARIA.

PARTS OF FRANCE HAVE SEEN THE SAME SORTS OF PROBLEMS.

THERE'S CLEARING UP TO DO, AND THERE'S MORE RAIN TO COME.

NARRATOR: TO UNDERSTAND MORE ABOUT THE CAUSES OF FLASH FLOODING, GRETA IS STOPPING OFF IN GDANSK, POLAND.

NARRATOR: SHE'S HERE TO MEET A CLIMATOLOGIST WHO STUDIES EXTREME WEATHER, PROFESSOR JACEK PISKOZUB.

HI.

HELLO.

IT'S NICE TO SEE YOU, NICE TO MEET YOU.

I'M GRETA.

VERY NICE TO MEET YOU, TOO.

NARRATOR: IN 2001, TORRENTIAL RAIN LED TO FLOODS ACROSS GDANSK.

MORE FLOODING FOLLOWED IN 2016.

THIS IS SOME FOOTAGE FROM THE LAST.

GRETA: THE FLOODS.

TO THE CLIMATE CRISIS YOU EXPECT, YOU EXPECT MELTING GLACIERS, AND WE DON'T EXPECT THESE KINDS OF EVENTS IN THIS PART OF EUROPE.

WHAT DO YOU THINK COULD BE THE CAUSE OF THESE FLOODS?

THE MAIN REASON IS THAT THE WARMER THE AIR GETS, THE MORE WATER VAPOR IT CAN HOLD.

AND YOU HAVE SOMETHING LIKE 7% MORE WATER VAPOR PER EVERY DEGREE INCREASE OF TEMPERATURE.

NARRATOR: MORE WATER IN THE AIR MEANS HEAVIER, MORE EXTREME DOWNPOURS.

[THUNDER] WARMER TEMPERATURES ARE ALSO AFFECTING AIR CURRENTS, DRIVING MORE STORMS OVER NORTHERN EUROPE.

GRETA: IN THE FUTURE, IS THIS WHAT THE PATTERN IS?

IS THIS WHAT WE SHOULD BE EXPECTING?

YEAH.

WE SHOULD PREPARE FOR, I SHOULD SAY, TROPICAL RAINS HERE, BECAUSE SOONER OR LATER, WE WILL GET TEMPERATURES IN SUMMERS LIKE IN TROPICAL COUNTRIES HERE.

[THUNDER] WOMAN: WE SEE VERY STRONGLY IN NORTHERN EUROPE THIS PATTERN OF MORE EXTREME RAINFALL AND HEAVIER RAINFALL.

BUT, OF COURSE, THERE ARE OTHER EXTREME WEATHER EVENTS FOR WHICH CLIMATE CHANGE PLAYS AN IMPORTANT ROLE.

WOMAN: HEAT WAVES ARE BECOMING MORE SEVERE AND MORE COMMON.

FRIEDERIKE OTTO: IN 2019, WE HAD A HEAT WAVE ACROSS EUROPE WITH TEMPERATURE RECORDS BEING BROKEN IN FRANCE AND GERMANY AND MANY OTHER COUNTRIES.

AND WE FOUND THAT WITHOUT CLIMATE CHANGE, THE HEAT WAVE IN FRANCE WOULD HAVE BEEN 2 DEGREES COOLER.

TAMSIN EDWARDS: AND THAT COSTS LIVES.

THE 2019 EUROPEAN HEAT WAVE CAUSED THE DEATHS OF AROUND 2,500 PEOPLE.

MAN: WE'VE SEEN THAT JUST ONE DEGREE CELSIUS OF WARMING HAS LED TO UNPRECEDENTED EXTREME WEATHER EVENTS.

THAT'S JUST ONE DEGREE CELSIUS, AND WE'LL SEE FAR MORE THAN THAT IF WE CONTINUE ON THE COURSE THAT WE'RE ON.

NARRATOR: GRETA IS TRAVELING SOUTH TOWARDS POLAND'S INDUSTRIAL HEARTLAND.

[BELL RINGING] [TV WEATHERCASTER SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE] NARRATOR: IT'S THE END OF HER FIRST WEEK ON THE ROAD.

GRETA, VOICE-OVER: IT'S THE FIRST TIME I'M TRAVELING WITHOUT MY PARENTS.

I WAS EXPECTING TO BE MORE LIKE HOMESICK AND SO ON FROM BEING AWAY FROM HOME, BUT I DON'T REALLY FEEL LIKE THAT.

IT'S--WHICH IS GOOD, OF COURSE.

I DEFINITELY FEEL THAT I'VE BECOME MORE INDEPENDENT AND MORE CAPABLE OF HANDLING THINGS AND SO ON.

SVANTE: IT WAS VERY STRANGE TO SEE HER GO OFF BY HERSELF.

IT TOOK A FEW DAYS OF GETTING USED TO, YOU KNOW.

YOU CHECKED IN ALL THE TIME: "ARE YOU OK?"

YOU KNOW, "HOW ARE YOU FEELING?"

AND, OF COURSE, YOU DON'T THINK THAT THEY WILL SURVIVE AT ALL WITHOUT YOU THERE.

BUT, OF COURSE, THEY DO.

THEY ALWAYS DO.

♪ NARRATOR: IN 2015, WORLD LEADERS AGREED TO A GLOBAL TREATY AIMING TO LIMIT TEMPERATURE RISE.

YET HERE IN POLAND, 80% OF ELECTRICITY IS STILL GENERATED BY BURNING COAL.

AT THE WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM, GRETA WILL QUESTION POLITICIANS ON HOW THEY PLAN TO DELIVER ON THEIR PROMISES.

GRETA: WORLD LEADERS SAY THAT "WE WILL KEEP "THE GLOBAL AVERAGE TEMPERATURE RISE TO BELOW 1.5..." OR "WELL BELOW 2 DEGREES."

AND YET THEY STILL PLAN TO CONTINUE TO BURN COAL FOR DECADES.

NARRATOR: COAL IS THE MOST POLLUTING OF ALL THE FOSSIL FUELS, RELEASING ALMOST TWICE AS MUCH CARBON DIOXIDE AS BURNING GAS.

TO DISCOVER WHY IT'S STILL BEING USED, GRETA IS MEETING HANNA BRAUERS, WHO STUDIES THE IMPACT OF THE COAL INDUSTRY.

GRETA: CAN YOU TELL ME A BIT ABOUT THIS PLACE?

HANNA BRAUERS: WELL, THIS IS THE BIGGEST COAL POWER PLANT IN THE ENTIRE E.U.

IN THE WHOLE OF E.U.

WELL, AND, ALSO, IT'S THE BIGGEST CARBON DIOXIDE EMITTER, SO IT EMITS ABOUT 38 MILLION TONS OF CO2 EACH YEAR.

THAT'S, I MEAN, YOU CANNOT REALIZE HOW MUCH THAT IS.

NARRATOR: THE BELCHATÓW POWER STATION IS BUILT NEXT TO AN OPEN-CAST MINE, STRETCHING 8 MILES ACROSS.

GRETA: I'VE SEEN MANY COAL POWER PLANTS BUT NEVER ONE AS BIG AS THIS.

IT'S MASSIVE.

IT'S JUST ENORMOUS.

BRAUERS: YEAH.

AND WHY ARE WE STILL SO DEPENDENT ON COAL?

WHY ARE WE USING IT SO MUCH?

COMPARED TO OIL AND NATURAL GAS, IT'S JUST EASIER.

COAL IS RELATIVELY EASY TO GET OUT OF THE GROUND.

YOU CAN STORE IT VERY EASILY.

AND WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT COAL, IT'S VERY ENERGY-DENSE.

ONE CAN SIMPLY BURN IT, AND YOU GET A LOT OF ENERGY.

AND IS IT CHEAPER OR MORE PROFITABLE TO USE COAL?

SO SHORT-TERM COSTS ARE VERY CHEAP, BUT IF YOU ACCOUNT FOR ALL THE COSTS THAT COAL HAS--CLIMATE COST, ENVIRONMENTAL COST, AND ALSO HEALTH COST FOR PEOPLE-- I DON'T THINK IT'S CHEAPER IN ANY PART OF THE WORLD.

NARRATOR: THE LOW COST OF EXTRACTING COAL MEANS IT'S STILL RESPONSIBLE FOR OVER 1/3 OF ELECTRICITY GENERATED WORLDWIDE.

MAN: WE NEED A VERY RAPID BUT A CAREFULLY MANAGED TRANSITION AWAY FROM FOSSIL FUELS TO CLEAN ENERGY.

MAN: NUCLEAR MAY HAVE A SMALL ROLE.

IT'S A VERY LOW-CARBON ELECTRICITY SOURCE.

BUT IF YOU WANTED TO, SAY, GET HALF OF OUR ENERGY FROM NUCLEAR, YOU WOULD HAVE TO HAVE SEVERAL THOUSAND NUCLEAR POWER STATIONS BUILT IN THE NEXT 10, 20, OR 30 YEARS.

SO IT'S ONLY WHEN YOU PLAY OUT THE PRACTICALITIES AND THE PLANNING ISSUES AND WASTE ISSUES, YOU START TO REALIZE IT CAN'T PLAY A HUGE ROLE.

MICHAEL MANN: THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT THE ANSWER HERE IS VERY SIMPLE.

THE MIRACLE'S ALREADY THERE.

IT'S THE SUN.

IT'S THE WIND.

IT'S GEOTHERMAL.

THERE'S A RENEWABLE ENERGY SUPPLY FOR EVERY COUNTRY ON THE PLANET.

MAN: THE THING THAT'S SO IMPORTANT ABOUT RENEWABLES AND HAS CHANGED, ACTUALLY, SO MUCH EVEN IN THE LAST DECADE, IS THEY'VE JUST BECOME CHEAPER.

LORD NICHOLAS STERN: IT HAS BEEN DRAMATIC.

AND THEY ARE NOW, RIGHT ACROSS THE WORLD, CHEAPER THAN A FOSSIL-FUELED ELECTRICITY SUPPLY.

KEVIN ANDERSON: ONE OF THE BIG CHALLENGES TO RECOGNIZE WHEN WE THINK ABOUT MOVING AWAY FROM FOSSIL FUELS IS THAT THERE ARE LOTS OF JOBS AND COMMUNITIES INVOLVED WHO HAVE LOCKED IN THIS WHOLE INFRASTRUCTURE.

AND WE HAVE TO RAPIDLY MOVE AWAY FROM THAT.

AND WE SHOULDN'T UNDERPLAY HOW DIFFICULT THAT IS.

NARRATOR: BEFORE LEAVING POLAND, GRETA HAS COME TO THE REGION OF SILESIA, WHERE COAL HAS BEEN MINED FOR OVER 800 YEARS.

MAN: WE WILL GO DOWN.

NARRATOR: SHE'S MEETING A FEW OF THE THOUSANDS OF MINERS WHO LOST THEIR JOBS WHEN THEIR PIT WAS CLOSED IN 2016.

FALLING COAL PRICES AND RISING COSTS MEANT THEY COULD NO LONGER TURN A PROFIT.

MANY IN THE REGION FEAR A SHIFT TOWARDS RENEWABLES WILL LEAD TO EVEN MORE JOB LOSSES.

GRETA, VOICE-OVER: I WANTED TO GO TO TALK TO THE COAL MINERS IN POLAND TO SEE THINGS FROM A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE AND TO SORT OF SEE THE HUMAN IMPLICATIONS THAT THE TRANSITION MIGHT BRING.

GRETA: COULD YOU TELL ME A BIT ABOUT HOW YOU FELT WHEN YOU FIRST HEARD THAT THE MINE WAS CLOSING?

YOU OBVIOUSLY CONTRIBUTED SO MUCH TO THE SOCIETY AND THEN THEY JUST CLOSE IT LIKE THAT.

I MEAN, YOU MUST HAVE FELT VERY BETRAYED.

[INDISTINCT CONVERSATION] GRETA, VOICE-OVER: I THINK I WAS A BIT NERVOUS BEFORE BECAUSE I THOUGHT, OH, THEY PROBABLY SEE ME AS SOME KIND OF ANGRY TEENAGER.

BUT I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT TO LISTEN TO THESE PEOPLE AND SEE WHAT THEY HAVE TO SAY.

HONESTLY, I WAS POSITIVELY SURPRISED THAT THEY WERE SO AWARE AND THEY SAID, "YES, WE WANT A SUSTAINABLE TRANSITION, BUT IT HAS TO BE IN THE RIGHT WAY."

GRETA: IF WE ARE TO ADDRESS THE CLIMATE CRISIS, WE NEED TO FUNDAMENTALLY CHANGE WHAT WE PRIORITIZE.

AND, OF COURSE, WE NEED THE POLITICAL WILL TO ACTUALLY CARE FOR AND PRIORITIZE PEOPLE AND THE PLANET SO THAT WE WON'T LEAVE ANYONE BEHIND.

NARRATOR: GRETA IS PREPARING TO TAKE THIS MESSAGE TO THE WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM, NOW JUST A FEW DAYS AWAY.

NEWSCASTER: KEY FIGURES FROM INDUSTRY, WORLD LEADERS, EVEN A FEW CELEBS ALL DESCENDING ON THE ALPINE SKI RESORT OF DAVOS AT THIS YEAR'S WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM.

ATTENDING THIS YEAR WILL BE PRESIDENT TRUMP, TEENAGE CLIMATE ACTIVIST GRETA THUNBERG, AND TOP EXECUTIVES.

NARRATOR: THE REASON A SWEDISH SCHOOLGIRL HAS GAINED THE ATTENTION OF PRIME MINISTERS AND PRESIDENTS IS BECAUSE HER SCHOOL STRIKES HAVE BECOME A GLOBAL MOVEMENT.

[PROTESTORS CHANTING, INDISTINCT] GRETA, VOICE-OVER: WHEN I STARTED STRIKING, I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT IT COULD LEAD TO.

I JUST THOUGHT THAT I NEED TO DO SOMETHING AND I HOPE IT HAS ANY EFFECT.

[INDISTINCT CHATTER] NARRATOR: TODAY WHEN SHE ATTENDS A MARCH, TENS OF THOUSANDS FLOOD THE STREETS, AND MILLIONS MORE FOLLOW HER UPDATES ONLINE.

THIS IS WEEK 74.

GRETA: MARCHES ARE MY THING.

THAT'S WHAT I DO.

BUT IT IS ACTUALLY VERY HARD FOR ME.

I DON'T LOOK FORWARD TO THEM.

I HAVE ASPERGER'S, AND I DON'T LIKE EVERYONE SURROUNDING ME.

GRETA, VOICE-OVER: BEFORE I STARTED SCHOOL STRIKING, DURING A LONG PERIOD, I COULDN'T MOVE AROUND INSIDE SCHOOLS BECAUSE THAT WAS TOO MUCH STIMULATION.

AND SO I HAD TO GO TO, LIKE, A SPECIAL SCHOOL WHERE THERE WERE, LIKE, 5 PEOPLE IN MY CLASS.

GRETA: TO GO FROM THERE TO THIS REALITY, IT'S JUST A BIG CONTRAST.

THERE ARE PEOPLE EVERYWHERE, AND EVERYBODY'S SCREAMING.

AND IT'S QUITE EXHAUSTING.

BUT IT IS MY MORAL DUTY AS A HUMAN BEING TO DO EVERYTHING I CAN.

SO I DON'T KNOW.

I JUST HAVE TO DO IT.

NOW IT MAY SEEM LIKE IT'S ONLY NEGATIVE, BUT, OF COURSE, I GET LOTS OF ENERGY FROM IT AS WELL.

PROTESTORS: CLIMATE JUSTICE NOW!

GRETA, VOICE-OVER: SO ONSTAGE IT'S OK, BECAUSE THEN I CAN GO INTO ANOTHER CHARACTER.

[CROWD CHEERING] GRETA, VOICE-OVER: OF COURSE, IT IS VERY INSPIRING TO SEE THAT SO MANY PEOPLE ACTUALLY SEEM TO CARE ABOUT THIS.

BONJOUR, LAUSANNE.

GRETA, VOICE-OVER: BUT IT FEELS LIKE TODAY, WE'VE PUSHED ALMOST AS FAR AS WE CAN.

UNLESS PEOPLE IN POWER START TO ACTUALLY TREAT THE CRISIS LIKE A CRISIS, WE WON'T GET ANYWHERE.

[GRETA SPEAKING FRENCH] [CROWD CHEERS] I MEAN, WE COULD GO TO THE MOON AND STRIKE.

THAT WOULDN'T CHANGE ANYTHING.

BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN WE WON'T CONTINUE.

TO THE WORLD LEADERS AND THOSE IN POWER, I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT YOU HAVEN'T SEEN ANYTHING YET.

[CHEERING] GRETA: AND THAT IS THE MESSAGE THAT WE WILL BRING TO THE WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM IN DAVOS NEXT WEEK.

[CROWD CHEERING] NARRATOR: WHILE THE GREAT AND GOOD BEGIN TO GATHER IN DAVOS, GRETA IS VENTURING INTO THE MOUNTAINS ABOVE THE TOWN TO SEE HOW CLIMATE CHANGE IS ALREADY CAUSING SEVERE ROCK FALLS IN THE ALPS.

MAN: OH, BOY.

THAT'S BIG.

NARRATOR: IN 2017, A ROCK FACE ABOVE THE VILLAGE OF BONDO GAVE WAY, BRINGING MILLIONS OF TONS OF BOULDERS AND MUD CRASHING THROUGH THE STREETS.

[INDISTINCT CONVERSATION] WOMAN: IT WAS SO LOUD.

AND THERE WERE STONES AND MUD EVERYWHERE.

NARRATOR: THE ENTIRE VILLAGE COST $18 MILLION TO REPAIR.

EIGHT PEOPLE LOST THEIR LIVES.

WOMAN: IT WAS-- IT WAS TERRIFYING.

NARRATOR: ALPINE ROCK FALLS ARE BECOMING MORE FREQUENT, AND SCIENTISTS HAVE BEEN TRYING TO FIND OUT WHY.

I THINK WE CAN START DIGGING HERE, AND WE'LL JUST TAKE TURNS DIGGING.

YEAH?

SO RIGHT HERE.

NARRATOR: GRETA HAS JOINED DR. MARCIA PHILLIPS, WHO STUDIES PERMAFROST, GROUND THAT REMAINS FROZEN ALL YEAR-ROUND.

PHILLIPS: AND THIS SNOW IS LIKE OLD SUGAR, ISN'T IT?

GRETA: YEAH.

THAT'S A SIGN IT'S BEEN THERE FOR A LONG TIME.

NARRATOR: DR. PHILLIPS HAS FOUND THAT SNOW COVER HAS A SURPRISING EFFECT ON THE FROZEN EARTH.

NOW WHAT WE SHOULD DO IS MEASURE THE TEMPERATURE RIGHT AT THE BOTTOM OF THE SNOW COVER AND AT THE TOP AND SEE IF THERE'S A DIFFERENCE.

HERE.

YOU CAN PUT IT IN LIKE THIS.

LIKE, YEAH?

EXACTLY.

YUP.

AND JUST LEAVE IT.

I'M GONNA DISAPPEAR IN HERE.

[CHUCKLING] SO WE HAVE ZERO AT THE BASE.

AND THEN WE'LL LOOK AT THE TOP HERE, LIKE THIS.

GRETA: -2.1.

PHILLIPS: STILL GOING DOWN, ISN'T IT?

GRETA: YEAH.

-2.3.

IT'S NOW -2.8.

THIS DIFFERENCE IN TEMPERATURE BETWEEN THE GROUND AND THE TOP OF THE SNOW COVER SHOWS US THAT THE SNOW COVER IS ACTUALLY KEEPING THE GROUND WARM.

OH.

I THINK MANY WOULD BE SURPRISED TO HEAR THAT.

YEAH.

WE ALWAYS THINK SNOW IS COLD, BUT IT'S LIKE A BIG, THICK BLANKET OVER THE MOUNTAIN.

YEAH.

AND IT TRAPS THE HEAT IN THE GROUND.

SO IT IS KEEPING...

EXACTLY.

THE GROUND WARM.

WITH MORE SNOWFALL, DO WE RISK SEEING MORE ROCK FALL AS WELL?

SNOW HAS A HUGE INFLUENCE ON GROUND TEMPERATURE.

IT WILL INFLUENCE WHETHER ICE IN THE GROUND WILL MELT OR NOT.

AND IT WILL ALSO INFLUENCE HOW MUCH WATER CAN ACTUALLY RUN INTO THE GROUND IN SPRING, WHEN WE HAVE SNOW MELT HAPPENING UP IN THE MOUNTAINS.

AND WATER RUNNING INTO ROCK, OR INTO CRACKS IN THE ROCK, IS VERY BAD.

AND THAT CAN LEAD TO ROCK FALL.

YEAH.

AT HIGH ELEVATIONS, THEY THINK WE'RE GOING TO GET MORE SNOW, WHICH IS NOT SO GOOD FOR THE PERMAFROST.

NARRATOR: ON STEEP SLOPES WHERE SNOW DOESN'T SETTLE, RISING AIR TEMPERATURES ALSO PLAY A PART.

[CONVERSATION IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE] NARRATOR: WARM AIR CAUSES ICE WITHIN THE ROCK TO MELT AND WATER TO SEEP IN, DESTABILIZING THE CLIFF.

GRETA: SO WHAT WORRIES YOU ABOUT THE FUTURE?

ZERO DEGREES IN THE AIR TEMPERATURE HAS CLIMBED 500 METERS IN MY LIFETIME, AND I'M 50 YEARS OLD.

SO THAT'S A 500-METER DIFFERENCE, WHICH IS QUITE HUGE.

[LAUGHING] IT'S NOT VERY POWDERY FOR A SNOW ANGEL, I THINK.

GRETA: NO.

NARRATOR: WHILST ROCK FALLS POSE A DANGER IN THE MOUNTAINS, ELSEWHERE, THAWING PERMAFROST HAS GLOBAL IMPLICATIONS.

EDWARDS: THE AMOUNT OF PERMAFROST ON THE PLANET IS HUGE.

IT'S AROUND 15% OF NORTHERN HEMISPHERE LAND.

EDWARDS: TRAPPED IN THE SOIL IS LOTS OF ORGANIC MATTER FROM PLANTS.

OTTO: AS THE PERMAFROST THAWS, THE ORGANIC MATTER THAT IS FROZEN IN THE GROUND THAWS AS WELL.

AND THAT RELEASES GREENHOUSE GASES, CARBON DIOXIDE BUT ALSO METHANE.

MAN: METHANE IS A POTENT GREENHOUSE GAS.

IT'S ACTUALLY MORE EFFECTIVE AT TRAPPING THE SUN'S RAYS THAN CARBON DIOXIDE IS.

EDWARDS: SO THAT CAUSES EVEN MORE WARMING AND MORE THAWING OF THE PERMAFROST.

SRIDHAR ANANDAKRISHNAN: IT'S WHAT'S CALLED A POSITIVE FEEDBACK LOOP, WHERE THINGS GET WORSE AND WORSE AND WORSE AND WORSE.

NARRATOR: IN A VILLAGE JUST OUTSIDE DAVOS, GRETA IS GETTING READY FOR ONE OF HER MOST IMPORTANT SPEECHES TO DATE, A RARE CHANCE TO PUT THE CASE FOR CURBING FOSSIL FUEL USE TO THE WORLD'S POLITICAL AND BUSINESS LEADERS.

GRETA: THIS WILL BE A VERY INTENSE WEEK.

MY SCHEDULE IS ALREADY FULLY PACKED.

I PROBABLY NEED TO TAKE SOME THINGS OUT.

[CHUCKLES] OBVIOUSLY, WE HAVEN'T GOTTEN ANYWHERE.

AND WE ARE STILL LIKE... [CHUCKLING] MAN: WHAT'S THAT?

IT'S A PIG.

I FOUND THIS ON THE GROUND IN VIENNA.

IT DOESN'T TAKE UP MUCH SPACE.

ONE VERY IMPORTANT PERSON THAT IS GOING TO BE THERE, AND THAT PEOPLE ARE TALKING ABOUT, IS DONALD TRUMP.

NEWSCASTER: PRESIDENT TRUMP PROMISED VOTERS THAT HE'D BRING BACK COAL.

DONALD TRUMP: MY ADMINISTRATION IS PUTTING AN END TO THE WAR ON COAL.

GONNA HAVE CLEAN COAL, REALLY CLEAN COAL.

THE MEDIA HAS MADE ME TO BE, LIKE, ANTI-TRUMP.

SO I AM BEING TREATED AS THE OPPOSITE OF TRUMP.

SO IT'S ME, GRETA, VS. TRUMP.

A SMALL, SHY GIRL WHO'S SPEAKING ABOUT SCIENCE VS. DONALD TRUMP.

MAN: WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU MEET HIM?

I HAVE ACTUALLY NO IDEA.

IT DEPENDS ON THE SITUATION.

I CAN'T BE RUDE, BUT ON THE OTHER HAND, I CAN'T BE TOO NICE.

NEWSCASTER: ON THE EVE OF THE ANNUAL WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM IN DAVOS, FOCUS ON TEENAGE ACTIVIST GRETA THUNBERG IS THERE AS SHE PREPARES TO CHALLENGE THE GLOBAL FINANCIAL ELITE TO FIGHT CLIMATE CHANGE.

NEWSCASTER 2: THE OTHER GLOBAL FIGURE TOPPING THE BILL TODAY WILL BE DONALD TRUMP.

THEIR APPEARANCE TODAY IS BOUND TO FEEL LIKE SOMETHING OF A SHOWDOWN.

PROTESTORS: CLIMATE JUSTICE!

WOMAN: WHEN DO WE WANT IT?

PROTESTORS: NOW!

WOMAN: 2020 IS AN ABSOLUTELY PIVOTAL YEAR FOR OUR WORLD'S CLIMATE.

SOME ARE EVEN CALLING IT THE YEAR OF TRUTH.

WE ARE GOING TO START WITH SOME WORDS FROM GRETA THUNBERG.

[APPLAUSE] YOU SAY CHILDREN SHOULDN'T WORRY.

YOU SAY, "JUST LEAVE THIS TO US.

WE WILL FIX THIS..." AND THEN NOTHING.

SILENCE.

OR SOMETHING WORSE THAN SILENCE: EMPTY WORDS AND PROMISES WHICH GIVE THE IMPRESSION THAT SUFFICIENT ACTION IS BEING TAKEN.

LAST WEEK I MET WITH POLISH COAL MINERS WHO LOST THEIR JOBS BECAUSE THEIR MINE WAS CLOSED.

AND EVEN THEY HAD NOT GIVEN UP.

ON THE CONTRARY, THEY SEEM TO UNDERSTAND THE FACT THAT WE NEED TO CHANGE MORE THAN YOU DO.

I WONDER, WHAT WILL YOU TELL YOUR CHILDREN WAS THE REASON TO FAIL?

WE DEMAND PARTICIPANTS IMMEDIATELY HALT ALL INVESTMENTS IN FOSSIL FUEL EXPLORATION AND EXTRACTION; IMMEDIATELY END ALL FOSSIL FUEL SUBSIDIES; AND IMMEDIATELY AND COMPLETELY DIVEST FROM FOSSIL FUELS.

WE DON'T WANT THESE THINGS DONE BY 2050 OR 2030 OR EVEN 2021.

WE WANT THIS DONE NOW.

[APPLAUSE] ♪ STERN: THE OIL AND GAS COMPANIES THEMSELVES ARE RECOGNIZING HOW MUCH THEY HAVE TO CHANGE.

ARE THEY CHANGING FAST ENOUGH?

I DON'T THINK SO.

MAN: WE'VE ALREADY FOUND FAR MORE FOSSIL FUELS THAN WE CAN USEFULLY BURN TO STAY WITHIN OUR INTERNATIONAL TEMPERATURE GOALS.

BY SOME ESTIMATES, 15 TIMES THE AMOUNT.

STERN: BUT FOSSIL FUEL COMPANIES ARE STILL SPENDING A LOT ON EXPLORATION, PERHAPS $55 BILLION A YEAR OR SO.

HEPBURN: IT'S INCUMBENT UPON GOVERNMENTS AROUND THE WORLD TO CHANGE THE RULES SO THAT YOU WIN BY BEING CLEAN AND YOU LOSE WHEN YOU'RE DIRTY.

WOMAN: DESPITE THE FACT THAT WE KNOW JUST HOW DAMAGING FOSSIL FUELS ARE, GOVERNMENTS AROUND THE WORLD ARE STILL SUBSIDIZING THEM.

AJAY GAMBHIR: IT WOULD DEFINITELY BE HELPFUL IF WE WERE ABLE TO TRANSFER SOME OF THOSE SUBSIDIES FROM FOSSIL FUELS TOWARDS CLEAR AIR TECHNOLOGIES.

[INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS] NARRATOR: ON THE SAME DAY AS GRETA'S SPEECH, PRESIDENT TRUMP TAKES CENTER STAGE.

NEWSCASTER: DONALD TRUMP HAS FLOWN OVER 4,000 MILES FROM WASHINGTON TO THE ALPINE HEIGHTS OF DAVOS.

THE MAIN GOAL OF THIS MEETING: TO DO MUCH MORE TO TACKLE GLOBAL TEMPERATURE RISE.

TRUMP: IT'S AN HONOR TO ADDRESS THE DISTINGUISHED MEMBERS OF THIS ORGANIZATION.

THE UNITED STATES IS NOW BY FAR THE NUMBER-ONE PRODUCER OF OIL AND NATURAL GAS ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD.

THE AMERICAN ENERGY REVOLUTION IS LOWERING ELECTRIC BILLS AND, VERY IMPORTANTLY, PRICES AT THE PUMP.

THE UNITED STATES NO LONGER NEEDS TO IMPORT ENERGY.

BUT TO EMBRACE THE POSSIBILITIES OF TOMORROW, WE MUST REJECT THE PERENNIAL PROPHETS OF DOOM AND THEIR PREDICTIONS OF THE APOCALYPSE.

[APPLAUSE] REPORTER: U.S. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP SPENT SEVERAL MINUTES OF HIS SPEECH HAILING THE ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE OF THE OIL AND GAS INDUSTRIES, DISMISSING WHAT HE TERMED "PERENNIAL PROPHETS OF DOOM" ON CLIMATE CHANGE TO AN AUDIENCE THAT INCLUDED GRETA THUNBERG.

YEAH.

I HEARD THE SPEECH, AND THE ONLY THING PEOPLE WERE INTERESTED IN WAS GRETA VS. TRUMP: WHAT DO THEY SAY ABOUT EACH OTHER, THAT I JUST IGNORED HIM COMPLETELY.

THEY JUST WANT TO MAKE HEADLINES THAT CREATES CLICKS.

WHAT I ACTUALLY SAID IN THE SPEECH GOES COMPLETELY, I MEAN, UNNOTICED.

IF THE NUMBERS ARE BEING COMPLETELY LEFT OUT, THEN WE'RE NOT GETTING ANYWHERE.

NARRATOR: GRETA'S FATHER SVANTE HAS TRAVELED FROM SWEDEN TO OFFER HIS SUPPORT.

GRETA: NOW I HAVE THE PRIVILEGE TO PRESENT THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, DONALD J. TRUMP.

ALL THEY WERE SAYING WAS JUST HOW GREAT THEIR OWN COUNTRY WAS AND HOW GREAT THEY WERE.

I MEAN, THAT'S HOW YOU TELL THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN DIFFERENT KINDS OF LEADERS.

I MEAN, IF YOU DON'T EVEN MENTION THE CHALLENGES, THEN THAT'S--IT'S JUST...

BUT IT, YEAH.

SO LIKE, HE... GRETA: EVERY SECOND WAS JUST... YEAH, BUT, GRETA, YOU'VE BEEN SAYING THAT FOR AT LEAST TWO YEARS OR 3 YEARS.

WHAT RULES THE WORLD TODAY IS POWER AND ARROGANCE AND, UM... AND I THINK SHE'S JUST THE COMPLETE OPPOSITE OF THAT.

SHE'S NOT STRONG.

GRETA, VOICE-OVER: I'M VERY EMOTIONAL, I'M VERY SMALL, AND I'M VERY... YEAH, I AM--I AM WEAK IN A WAY.

THAT'S SOMETHING I'M VERY PROUD OF BECAUSE IF YOU ARE ABLE TO LIVE IN THIS SOCIETY WITHOUT...

WITHOUT FEELING BAD, WITHOUT BECOMING DEPRESSED OR SOMETHING... THEN...

IF YOU F--IF YOU FEEL BAD TODAY, SO MANY PEOPLE ARE SO SAD AND SO DEPRESSED AND THEY-- BUT THAT'S A GOOD THING BECAUSE THAT MEANS THEY STILL HAVE EMPATHY AND THEY DON'T WANT TO LIVE IN THIS WORLD WHERE WE HAVE LOST EMPATHY.

♪ GRETA, VOICE-OVER: YEAH, SO MANY PEOPLE COME UP TO ME AND SAY, LIKE, THEY BELIEVE THAT THERE'S SOMETHING WRONG WITH THEM BECAUSE THEY ARE FEELING-- FEELING LIKE [BLEEP].

BUT I THINK IT'S THE OPPOSITE.

IT'S THE REST WHO CAN MAINTAIN LIVING IN THIS SOCIETY WHERE WE ONLY CARE ABOUT PRESTIGE, AND THESE ARE SHALLOW THINGS THAT DON'T MATTER, AND BEING THE BEST AND SO ON.

THOSE ARE THE PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT NORMAL.

THE MORE I'VE BEEN ABLE TO EXPERIENCE, THE MORE I REALIZE THAT THIS WORLD WE ARE LIVING IN RIGHT NOW IS NOT SUSTAINABLE IN MANY DIFFERENT WAYS.

WE HAVE STOPPED CARING ABOUT WHAT IS TRUE OR NOT.

WE NO LONGER CARE FOR THE THINGS THAT ACTUALLY MATTER.

WE ONLY CARE WHAT'S ON THE SURFACE.

AND THE CLIMATE CRISIS IS, OF COURSE, A SYMPTOM OF THAT.

AND NOW WE CAN EITHER CHOOSE TO CONTINUE DOWN THIS ROAD, WHICH WILL LEAD NOWHERE, AND WE KNOW THAT, OR WE CAN CHOOSE TO--CHOOSE A DIFFERENT PATH.

[INDISTINCT P.A.

ANNOUNCEMENTS] ♪ NARRATOR: GRETA'S TRAVELED TO THE U.K. TO FIND OUT ABOUT A MULTIMILLION-DOLLAR PROJECT WHERE THEY'RE RESEARCHING A NOVEL WAY OF TACKLING EMISSIONS.

GRETA: MANY PEOPLE SEEM TO THINK THAT THERE WILL BE A SORT OF MAGIC SILVER BULLET THAT SCIENTISTS WILL INVENT THAT EASILY WILL FIX THE CLIMATE CRISIS WITHOUT US ACTUALLY HAVING TO MAKE AN EFFORT.

AND I WANT TO GO TO SEE THESE SOLUTIONS IN ACTION.

NARRATOR: THE U.K. GOVERNMENT'S PLANS INCLUDE FUNDING FOR PILOT PROJECTS, WHICH AIM TO HELP INDUSTRY REDUCE ITS CARBON EMISSIONS FROM PLANTS PRODUCING HYDROGEN FOR VEHICLES TO STEEL REFINERIES AND POWER STATIONS.

BUT MOST OF THESE PLANS RELY ON A SINGLE TECHNOLOGICAL BREAKTHROUGH, CARBON CAPTURE.

IT'S CURRENTLY BEING TRIALED AT DRAX, A WOOD-BURNING POWER STATION IN YORKSHIRE.

MAN: AND IT'S THE BIGGEST POWER STATION IN THE U.K... NARRATOR: C.E.O.

WILL GARDNER'S TEAM IS DEVELOPING THE PROTOTYPE DESIGNED TO REMOVE CARBON DIOXIDE FROM THE POWER PLANT BEFORE IT ESCAPES INTO THE ATMOSPHERE.

WILL GARDNER: SO THIS IS WHERE WE'RE DOING OUR PILOT PROJECTS FOR OUR CARBON CAPTURE... NARRATOR: THE WASTE GAS IS MIXED WITH A CHEMICAL SOLVENT WHICH SEPARATES THE CARBON DIOXIDE FROM THE OTHER GASES.

THE IDEA HERE IS THAT EACH ONE OF THESE TUBES WILL SORT OF SPRAY THE SOLVENT IN THERE, AND IT INTERACTS WITH THE GAS INSIDE THE COLUMN TO DO THE CAPTURE.

NARRATOR: THE PROTOTYPE CURRENTLY CAPTURES ONE TON OF CARBON DIOXIDE EACH DAY, LESS THAN 0.01% OF THE PLANT'S EMISSIONS.

GARDNER: TO GIVE A SENSE OF SCALE, ONE OF THOSE PIPES THERE ARE CARRYING ABOUT 10,000 TONS OF FLUE GAS A DAY.

AND SO THE IDEA WOULD BE WE NEED TO MOVE FROM THAT ONE TO THAT ONE.

RIGHT NOW YOU'RE CAPTURING ONE TON A DAY.

WHAT IS HAPPENING TO THAT CARBON?

WHERE ARE YOU STORING IT?

SO, I MEAN, TO BE HONEST, MOST OF WHAT WE'RE CAPTURING TODAY WE'RE ACTUALLY RETURNING INTO THE SYSTEM BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THE SORT OF UNDERGROUND STORAGE.

IT'S NOT READY.

SO THE IDEA IS THAT WE'D BUILD A PIPELINE FROM HERE AND TAKE OUT THE CO2 AND STICK IT UNDER THE NORTH SEA AND PERMANENTLY LOCK IT AWAY.

THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE TO-- DO THAT AS FAST AS WE CAN.

APPROXIMATELY WHEN WOULD YOU BE ABLE TO CAPTURE AS MUCH CO2 AS YOU ARE EMITTING?

FOR US TO CAPTURE EFFECTIVELY ALL OF IT IS PROBABLY SOMETIME IN THE EARLY 2030S.

THAT'S THE SORT OF CURRENT THINKING.

I MEAN, WOULDN'T IT JUST BE EASIER TO JUST SPEND THAT MONEY ON, FOR EXAMPLE, BUILDING WIND TURBINES OR...?

AND THE ANSWER IS WE NEED TO DO BOTH, IN MY VIEW.

GRETA: THEY ARE MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.

AND, OF COURSE, I ADMIRE THEIR DETERMINATION, BUT I HAVE SO MANY MIXED FEELINGS ABOUT THIS.

WE HAVE TO ALSO ACKNOWLEDGE AND REALIZE THE FACT THAT EMISSIONS NEED TO REDUCE NOW, TODAY.

WE CAN'T WAIT FOR A COUPLE OF DECADES FOR THESE TECHNOLOGIES TO BECOME AVAILABLE THAT WILL ALONE SOLVE THIS PROBLEM FOR US.

♪ GAMBHIR: THERE ISN'T A ONE-SIZE-FITS-ALL SOLUTION TO TACKLING CLIMATE CHANGE.

WOMAN: CARBON CAPTURE AND STORAGE TECHNOLOGY IS ONE PART OF THE SOLUTION.

IT CANNOT BE THE SOLUTION.

TO REALLY TACKLE CLIMATE CHANGE, WE NEED TO ADJUST, ADAPT, CHANGE ALMOST EVERYTHING WE DO.

GAMBHIR: WE NEED TO FIND TECHNOLOGICAL SOLUTIONS TO DRASTICALLY REDUCE OUR ENERGY USE.

MAN: WE MOVED RECENTLY FROM INCANDESCENT LIGHTBULBS TO LED LIGHTBULBS, WHICH ARE AROUND 90% MORE EFFICIENT THAN THE OLD ONES.

THE AMOUNT OF ELECTRICITY NEEDED NOW TO DO A WASH IN YOUR WASHING MACHINE IS CONSIDERABLY LESS TODAY THAN IT WAS 10 YEARS AGO.

BUT TECHNOLOGY ALONE PROBABLY ISN'T GOING TO FIND ALL THE SOLUTIONS.

MAN: WE NEED TO CURB THE GROWTH IN OUR TOTAL ENERGY USE IN ORDER THAT OUR RENEWABLE ENERGY SUPPLY STANDS A CHANCE OF REPLACING RATHER THAN JUST BEING AS WELL AS THE FOSSIL FUEL THAT WE USE.

JOHN BARRETT: BUT WE'VE GOT TO ACTIVELY THINK ABOUT HOW WE USE LESS ENERGY.

WITHOUT THAT, I DON'T THINK WE CAN CREATE THE NECESSARY CHANGE.

NARRATOR: TO SEE HOW SHE CAN ENGAGE MORE PEOPLE WITH HER MESSAGE, GRETA HAS COME TO LONDON.

SHE'S SEEKING THE ADVICE OF SOMEONE WHO'S BEEN SHARING THE WONDERS OF THE NATURAL WORLD FOR OVER 70 YEARS, SIR DAVID ATTENBOROUGH.

GRETA: HI.

HI.

HOW ARE YOU DOING?

-I'M GOOD.

-NICE TO SEE YOU.

NICE TO MEET YOU.

IT'S AN HONOR TO MEET YOU.

AND THANK YOU FOR... GRETA, VOICE-OVER: I WANT TO ASK YOU, HAVE SOME KIND OF TIPPING POINT?

WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY YOUNG PEOPLE, WHO FEEL LIKE THERE ISN'T ANY POINT IN DOING THIS BECAUSE NO ONE IS LISTENING ANYWAY?

PEOPLE ARE LISTENING.

I MEAN, THERE IS A PRECEDENT, OF COURSE.

THERE WAS A TIME 30 YEARS AGO WHEN IT REALLY LOOKED AS THOUGH WE MIGHT CERTAINLY EXTERMINATE SEVERAL SPECIES OF BIG WHALES.

FISHING NATIONS, MARITIME NATIONS OF THE WORLD DID GET TOGETHER AND DID SAY, "OK, UNLESS WE DO SOMETHING, WE'RE GOING TO LOSE OUR FISHING."

AND THERE JUST COULD BE A CHANGE IN MORAL ATTITUDE FROM PEOPLE WORLDWIDE, POLITICIANS WORLDWIDE TO SEE THAT SELF-INTEREST IS FOR THE PAST, COMMON INTEREST IS FOR THE FUTURE.

WE'VE SEEN MANY YOUNG PEOPLE STARTING TO SPEAK UP MORE AND MORE AND TO REALIZE THE URGENCY.

BUT DO YOU HAVE ANY THOUGHTS OR IDEAS HOW WE CAN ACTIVATE THE OLDER GENERATIONS AS WELL?

BECAUSE WE NEED EVERYONE.

YES, WE DO.

MY GENERATION HAS MADE A MESS OF THINGS.

WE'VE KNOWN THAT IT'S HAPPENING, AND WE'VE DONE NOTHING OR NEXT TO NOTHING.

WE HAVE TO MAKE MAJOR CHANGES TO THE WAY WE LIVE.

AND THAT'S WHY YOU'VE DONE SUCH A LOT.

YOU REALLY HAVE.

AND YOU HAVE SPOKEN FOR THE GENERATION THAT'S GOING TO HAVE TO LOOK AFTER THIS.

I'VE BEEN BLEATING ABOUT THIS A LONG TIME, BUT THE BIG CHANGES CAME WHEN YOU SPOKE.

AND THAT'S--THAT'S BROUGHT HOPE.

GRETA, VOICE-OVER: THIS IS A MARATHON, NOT A SPRINT.

I HAVE MADE A DEAL WITH MYSELF THAT I'M IN THIS FOR THE LONG RUN, AND I CAN'T BE DISCOURAGED BY THINGS NOT HAPPENING THE WAY I WANT THEM TO BE.

INSTEAD OF JUST BEING WORRIED AND DEPRESSED AND SPECULATING ABOUT HOW THE FUTURE MAY BE, THEN YOU SHOULD TRY TO CHANGE THAT FUTURE WHILE YOU STILL CAN IN ORDER FOR THAT FUTURE TO TURN OUT THE WAY IT SHOULD.

NARRATOR: GRETA HAS BIG PLANS FOR THE NEXT STAGE OF HER JOURNEY, A 5,000-MILE TRAIN RIDE.

GRETA: TODAY YOU CAN'T SPEAK UP ABOUT THE CLIMATE OR ENVIRONMENT WITHOUT BEING QUESTIONED ALL THE TIME, "JUST LOOK AT CHINA.

WHAT ABOUT CHINA?"

AND SO THEREFORE, I WANT TO AT LEAST TRY TO GO THERE TO BE ABLE TO SAY, "WELL, I TRIED."

NARRATOR: BUT RECENT EVENTS ARE MAKING THE TRIP MORE CHALLENGING.

TV NEWSCASTER: IT'S BEEN CONFIRMED THAT A NEW VIRUS THAT HAS KILLED 3 PEOPLE AND HAS BEEN SPREADING ACROSS CHINA CAN BE PASSED FROM PERSON TO PERSON.

THE INFECTION IS A NEW TYPE OF CORONAVIRUS.

SVANTE: IT WAS COMING UP IN THE PAPERS, AND, OBVIOUSLY, ALL THE WORLD LEADERS.

WE'RE HAVING OUR EMERGENCY MEETINGS.

AND LOTS OF GRETA'S STUFF WAS BEING CANCELED BECAUSE, YEAH, THINGS WERE CHANGING.

TV NEWSCASTER: THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE INFECTED HAS TRIPLED OVER THE WEEKEND, WITH THE OUTBREAK SPREADING TO THE CAPITAL, BEIJING.

IT'S VERY HARD TO PREDICT HOW THIS IS GOING TO EVOLVE, THE FOLLOWING WEEKS, MONTHS.

I GUESS I WILL START PLANNING, LIKE, TWO WEEKS AT A TIME.

NARRATOR: WITH HER PLANS ON HOLD, GRETA IS HEADING TO THE SOUTHWEST OF ENGLAND.

WOMAN ON P.A.

: THIS IS BRISTOL TEMPLE MEADS.

THIS TRAIN TERMINATES HERE.

[CONTINUES INDISTINCT] NARRATOR: SHE'S NOW HALFWAY THROUGH A YEAR OF SCHOOL.

GRETA, VOICE-OVER: I DON'T THINK I'M MUCH DIFFERENT NOW, BUT, OF COURSE, I'VE MET WITH MANY PEOPLE, I'VE TALKED TO MANY PEOPLE, WHICH, OF COURSE, HAVE HELPED SHAPE THE WAY I SEE THE WORLD.

BUT AT THE SAME TIME, I'M STILL THE SAME PERSON, STILL SAYING THE SAME MESSAGE OVER AND OVER AGAIN.

SVANTE: SHE'S MATURED A LOT.

SHE KNOWS WHAT SHE WANTS TO DO, AND SHE KNOWS HOW TO DO IT.

AND I THINK SHE ALLOWS HERSELF TO ENJOY THAT, TOO.

I THINK THAT'S THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCE, IS THAT SHE'S... SHE'S HAVING MORE FUN.

NARRATOR: GRETA IS IN BRISTOL TO HELP LOCAL ACTIVISTS CELEBRATE A RARE VICTORY.

NEWSCASTER: CONTROVERSIAL PLANS TO EXPAND BRISTOL AIRPORT HAVE BEEN THROWN OUT BY COUNCILORS.

NEWSCASTER 2: THEY CRITICIZED WHAT THE AIRPORT'S PLANS WOULD DO BOTH TO THE LOCAL AREA AND THE GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT.

GRETA, VOICE-OVER: SMALL VICTORIES ARE IMPORTANT BECAUSE THEY KEEP THE MOMENTUM GOING AND SHOWS THAT ACTIVISM DOES ACTUALLY WORK.

AND THEN PEOPLE GET MOTIVATED BY THAT AND WANT TO CONTINUE.

IT'S NOT FOR NOTHING.

WOMAN: I AM SO HAPPY TO INTRODUCE GRETA THUNBERG!

[CHEERING AND APPLAUSE] GRETA: WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING.

GRETA, VOICE-OVER: I DON'T SPEND TIME, LIKE, SPECULATING, IS THIS REALLY POSSIBLE?

GRETA: WORLD LEADERS ARE BEHAVING LIKE CHILDREN, SO IT FALLS ON US TO BE THE ADULTS IN THE ROOM... GRETA, VOICE-OVER: I KNOW WHAT TO DO, AND I DO IT UNTIL I CANNOT DO IT ANYMORE.

AND EVERY SINGLE PERSON COUNTS.

[CHEERING] GRETA, VOICE-OVER: WE CAN'T JUST GIVE UP WITHOUT TRYING.

ONLY A COWARD WOULD DO THAT.

AND I DON'T THINK THAT WE ARE COWARDS.

NARRATOR: NEXT TIME, GRETA FACES HER BIGGEST CHALLENGE, AS THE CLIMATE IS OVERSHADOWED BY A MORE IMMEDIATE THREAT.

GRETA: WE MAY HAVE CONTRACTED THE CORONAVIRUS.

NARRATOR: AND SHE EXPLORES MORE WAYS WE CAN LOWER OUR EMISSIONS.

WE COULD STORE ALL THE EMISSIONS WE COULD POTENTIALLY IMAGINE.

THE LAST YEAR HAS BEEN, HAS BEEN VERY VERY CHAOTIC.

I'VE BEEN GOING HALFWAY AROUND THE WORLD THE WRONG WAY.

WE NO LONGER HAVE TIME TO LEAVE OUT THE SCIENCE.

SO IT FALLS ON US TO BE THE ADULTS IN THE ROOM.

THEY PROBABLY SEE ME AS SOME KIND OF ANGRY TEENAGER, BUT UM, I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT TO, TO LISTEN TO, TO THESE PEOPLE AND SEE WHAT THEY HAVE TO SAY.

I CAN'T BE RUDE, BUT ON THE OTHER HAND I CAN'T BE TOO NICE.

WORLD LEADERS ARE STILL TRYING TO RUN AWAY FROM THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES.

WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY CANNOT DO THAT.

[CHEERS]