Page 32 - ARUBA TODAY

A32 FEATURE
Wednesday 14 august 2019
Greta Thunberg's sailing adventure no pleasure cruise

By JO KEARNEY and DANI- then, she's met the pope,
CA KIRKA spoken at Davos and at-
Associated Press tended anti-coal protests in
PLYMOUTH, England (AP) Germany. She is now taking
— Greta Thunberg's two- a year off school to attend
week voyage to the United the events in North and
States will be no pleasure South America and meet
cruise. with some of the people
The 16-year-old climate most affected by climate
change activist who has change. She decided not
inspired student protests to fly to New York because
around the world will leave of the emissions caused by
Plymouth, England, later air travel and plans to use
this week bound for New the least carbon-intensive
York in a high-tech but de- methods of travel available
cidedly low-comfort sail- as she continues her trip.
boat. "By this journey I hope to in-
Highlighting the urgency crease awareness among
of cutting carbon emis- people, to spread informa-
sions, the young Swede last tion and communicate the
month announced that science about what is real-
while she would not fly to ly going on so people can
environmental conferenc- understand what is really
es, she'd found a way to get going on with the climate
there without hurting the and ecological crisis," she
planet. Pierre Casiraghi, the Greta Thunberg poses for a picture on the boat Malizia as it is moored in Plymouth, England Tues- said. "That is what I am hop-
grandson of Monaco's late day, Aug. 13, 2019. ing to achieve with every-
Prince Rainier III and Ameri- Associated Press thing and that will also lead
can actress Grace Kelly, to international opinions so
and fellow yachtsman Boris Casiraghi steering the craft. hard." atmospheric carbon is that people come togeth-
Herrmann offered her pas- He described life on board Casiraghi and Herrmann's changing the oceans. er and put pressure on the
sage on a racing yacht as as a mixture of camping Team Malizia was founded Thunberg became a glob- people in power so that
she travels to U.N. climate and sailing, with a thin mat- to sail the biggest ocean al celebrity last year when they will have to do some-
summits next month in New tress and sleeping bag the races — the Vendee Globe she refused to go to school thing."
York and in Santiago, Chile, only comforts. 2020 and The Ocean Race in the weeks before Swe- Rising levels of greenhouse
in December. "It's a very simple life and 2021. They also developed den's general election to gases, primarily carbon di-
"It's not very luxurious, it's not then the rest of the day the Malizia Ocean chal- highlight the impact of cli- oxide, are already increas-
very fancy but I don't need depends on the wind," Her- lenge, a science and edu- mate change and to put ing global temperatures,
that. I need only a bed and rmann told the AP. "It can cation project aimed at pressure on politicians to according to the UN. This
just the basic things," Thun- be calm and smooth and teaching children about do something about it. She will lead to shifting weath-
berg told The Associated going along and you can climate change and the continued her school strike er patterns that threaten
Press. "So I think it will be read a book, or it can be ocean. Their vessel has an on Fridays after the elec- food production and rising
fun, and I also think it will be really rough and you hold onboard sensor that mea- tion, spurring thousands of sea levels, though scientists
fun to be isolated and not on and try to fight seasick- sures CO2 levels in sea- young people around the hope that by curbing emis-
be so limited." ness and can be really water, a measure of how world to follow suit. Since sions catastrophic conse-
Sailing on the 60-foot quences can be avoided.
(18-meter) Malizia II, outfit- Thunberg will be accom-
ted with solar panels and panied on her trans-Atlan-
underwater turbines to tic voyage by her father,
generate electricity, Thun- Svante, and filmmaker Na-
berg will make a zero-car- than Grossman of B-Reel
bon trans-Atlantic journey. Films, who will document
But to call it a no-frills pas- the journey. She's brought
sage would be an under- audiobooks and has note-
statement. The sailboat is books to fill.
built for high-speed, off- Beyond that, everything
shore racing, with weight depends on the wind.
kept to a minimum. The The Atlantic Ocean in hur-
only alterations for the voy- ricane season can be a
age are fitting curtains in rocky place. Herrmann
front of the bunk and add- plans a southern route
ing mattresses for comfort. since three of the five sail-
There is no toilet or fixed ors on board have no ex-
shower. There's a small gas perience. During a trial run
cooker and the food will be in the Bay of Plymouth on
freeze dried. Monday, Thunberg said
Inside, the yacht resembles she was seasick for "five
the interior of a tin can. It is minutes" when the boat
dark and gray, with no win- stood still."Of course, I will
dows below deck. A view below deck of the boat Malizia, with a sleeping bunk shown on the left side, in Plymouth, be a little bit seasick," she
Herrmann, who is skippering England Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2019. Associated Press said. "But I don't think I will
the boat, will take turns with be very seasick."q