London - Swedish teenage climate activist
Greta Thunberg will set sail for New York on Wednesday, crossing
the Atlantic in a racing yacht with no shower or toilet to join
protests in the United States and take part in a United Nations
summit.
To avoid travelling by air, Thunberg is making her
trans-Atlantic trip on board the 60-ft yacht, the Malizia II,
fitted with solar panels and underwater turbines that produce
electricity onboard, with the aim of making the journey
zero-carbon.
"I might feel a bit seasick and it's not going to be
comfortable but that I can live with," Thunberg told BBC TV in
Plymouth, southwest England, from where she is due to leave on
Wednesday afternoon.
"If it's really hard then I just have to think it's only for
two weeks then I can go back to as usual," said the 16-year-old
who will be accompanied by her father, Svante, and a cameraman
on the journey.
Earlier this month, the boat's skipper told Reuters the
teenage activist, who has become a figurehead for young
environmental protesters, faced a challenging voyage on board
the yacht which is designed for speed rather than luxury.
There are no showers or toilets - those on board have to use
a blue bucket.
"Greta taking on this challenge of sailing across on a race
boat with zero comfort really shows her commitment to the cause
and how far she’s willing to push herself," skipper Boris
Herrmann told Reuters.
He said they will try to make the journey as smooth as
possible.
"By stopping flying you not only reduce your own carbon
footprint but also that sends a signal to other people around
you that the climate crisis is a real thing," Thunberg said.
When she arrives, she will join the UN Climate Action
Summit in New York in September and the COP 25 climate change
conference in Santiago, Chile in December.
"Me speaking to the UN is not going to change the
situation but if that can help to create awareness ... then I
think that together we can try to ... make a change," Thunberg
said on a visit to a German anti-coal protest camp on Friday.