Swedish teen climate activist arrives in New York by boat for U.N. summit

(Reuters News, 28 Aug 2019) Teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg was greeted by cheers as she arrived after a nearly two-week trip.

Teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg sailed into New York Harbor on Wednesday in a zero-carbon emissions vessel, completing her nearly 14-day journey from England to take part in a United Nations climate summit.

The 16-year-old Swedish schoolgirl, who set sail from Plymouth, England, on Aug. 14, was greeted by cheers, chants and singing as her silver sailboat, the Malitzia II, cruised past the Statue of Liberty through choppy waves and rain to drop anchor in Manhattan's yacht harbor.

"All of this is very overwhelming and the ground is still shaking for me," a seemingly bashful Thunberg, clad in a dark blue jumpsuit, told a gathering of reporters and activists who greeted her and the crew of the Malitzia II on land.

"It's insane that a 16-year-old had to cross the Atlantic Ocean to make a stand on the climate crisis. This of course is not something I want everyone to do," she said.

Thunberg made her trans-Atlantic journey carbon emission-free by traveling on 60-foot (18.30-meter) yacht, which is equipped with solar panels and underwater turbines that produce electricity onboard, along with a large black sail carrying the message: "Unite behind the science."

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Reuters News, 28 Aug 2019: Swedish teen climate activist arrives in New York by boat for U.N. summit