Greta Thunberg Hopes Coronavirus Pandemic Convinces People to Listen to Scientists on ‘Climate Crisis’

Appearing Thursday on CNN’s Coronavirus: Facts and Fears town hall program, Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg said she hopes the Chinese coronavirus pandemic teaches others to listen to experts on climate change.

"People are starting to realize that we are actually depending on science and that we need to listen to scientists and experts." -Teen activist Greta Thunberg on how people are reacting to science and what that means for the climate crisis. #CNNTownHall https://t.co/EvUEaN7gza pic.twitter.com/HLQb1AQ7ax

— CNN (@CNN) May 15, 2020

A transcript is as follows: 

ANDERSON COOPER: One of the things I’ve seen you talk about alone is how important it is to listen to experts and listen to science. This is a time when — you know, I wasn’t a very good science student when I was in school — but this is a time, it seems, that the global scientific community is so critically important and we’re really seeing how important it is to follow science.

GRETA THUNBERG: Yes, exactly. I hope that we can see now the scientific community are stepping up and they are speaking out more than they’ve done before because, obviously, this is a crisis that requires the scientific community to speak up. It feels like science is — the role of science changing now — it’s becoming more — people are starting to realize that we are actually depending on science and that we need to listen to scientists and experts. And I really hope that stays and that also it’s for other crises like the climate crisis and the environmental crisis and that we understand that we have to listen to the scientists.