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16-Year-Old Environmental Activist Nominated for Nobel Peace Prize

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Greta Thunberg started a student movement in Sweden to push for policy action to address climate change.

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Morris MacMatzen/Reuters

Sixteen-year-old environmental activist Greta Thunberg was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize on Wednesday for her efforts to raise awareness about climate change in Sweden, HuffPost reports.  “We have proposed Greta Thunberg because if we do nothing to halt climate change it will be the cause of wars, conflict and refugees,” Norwegian lawmaker Freddy André Øvstegård reportedly told a Norwegian news outlet. “Greta Thunberg has launched a mass movement which I see as a major contribution to peace.” Thunberg reportedly started her efforts after Sweden had the hottest summer on record. She created the #FridaysForFuture movement, encouraging young people to skip school on Fridays to march for action on environmental problems. She also reportedly spoke at the United Nations Climate Change Conference late last year and World Economic Forum in January. “Honoured and very grateful for this nomination,” the teen tweeted on Thursday. 

Read it at HuffPost