Dear Greta

The last few days I have been fascinated to learn of your sharp pivot from fighting passionately for our planet.

For several years, I was incredibly impressed with your activism and commitment to our environment.

Indeed, my entire four years in high school (before you were born) were devoted to environmental activism.

With a mantra of act locally and think globally, in an era before social media, I worked with my school on sustainable sourcing and purchasing decisions. I organized fundraisers for local land conservation. My fellow student activists visited our elected officials in county, state and federal offices.

You see, I hail from Pennsylvania – the state which gave the world Gifford Pinchot and Rachel Carson. Surely, their reputation as environmental pioneers is taught in Swedish schools or at least within European environmentalist circles?

What is certainly taught in the Swedish curriculum is the unique role your country played in the Second World War. Your country declared an official policy of “non-belligerency.”

Through this, everyday diverse Swedes actively worked to assist war refugees. From across Europe upward of 3,000 Jews migrated to Sweden early in the war. As the Nazis occupied Norway, Swedes rescued 900 Norwegian Jews. This was also true not just for the Jews of Denmark, but also non-Jews being persecuted by the Nazi regime.

One of your most storied diplomats – Raoul Wallenberg in – saved literally tens of thousands from genocide.

Perhaps you missed this section of your high school history curriculum, but this is your heritage.

Your interest in Israel, as an environmentalist (if you still are one), is meritorious.

Indeed, Israel is a global leader in helping the world combat climate change.

Last year, over $613 million was invested in Israel’s climate tech sector. The Israel Innovation Authority invested $257 million over the past three years, including $105 million in 2024 alone. In other words, private and public funds realize that Israeli innovation is not just good for our planet, but a good return on investment.

Put differently, while forced to defend itself on multiple fronts from enemies that have zero consideration for the environment, Israeli taxpayers and their elected representatives have still budgeted considerable money for combating climate change.

It seems perhaps you are not a student of history, but I do not know another instance in world history that combating climate change has been prioritized during a time of existential warfighting.

Over 55% of Israeli climate tech startups are in the pre-seed and seed stages. This is a dynamic eco-system of innovative companies with over 1,300 companies working in unique ways to slow global warming.

Surely, you are familiar with pioneering Israeli water conservation innovation that are currently utilized on every continent. However, you might not know of innovations in alternative proteins, proven technologies harnessing renewable kilowatts from waves, wide scale adaptability of hydrogen fuel cells, carbon and methane capture technology and the list goes on and on and on.

The most recent data indicate that the average Swede was responsible in 2023 for 3.5 tons of carbon. This is half of what your Norwegian or German neighbors contributed to the warming of our planet.

Israel is not perfect – from an environmental or any lens. Find me a country that is.

Alas, the average Israeli was responsible for 6.4 tons of carbon. However, you surely know about what is going on in the neighborhood? Saudi Arabia or Kuwait, for example, are the dirtiest polluters per capita of any country in the world. Could your future activism be directed there?

My understanding is that over the last emotional few days your five-decade old Van Dam Nordia yacht (partially fueled by dirty diesel engines) encountered desperate refugees originally from Sudan.

Climate change is real.

It is responsible for the rapid desertification of the Sahel Region which, in part, is fueling painful conflict in Sudan and elsewhere. This tragedy in North Africa is receiving not only a miniscule fraction of the world’s attention, but also, seemingly, no activism and awareness raising from you and your fellow sailors. Yet, there is a direct through line to climate change as resources grow more scarce in these impoverished and embattled regions.

As your plans changed this week, perhaps you may want to do some summer reading with your free time.

Raoul Wallenberg’s birthday is in August.

Perhaps reading up on his biography will give you a fuller sense of not just your heritage, but what it truly means to help victims of genocide and demonstrate innovative courage.