The Ambientalist - Missing You
Thunberg struggled with depression for almost four years before she began her school strike campaign.[27] When she started protesting, her parents did not support her activism. Her father said he does not like her missing school but said: "[We] respect that she wants to make a stand. She can either sit at home and be really unhappy, or protest, and be happy."[28] Her diagnosis of Asperger's syndrome was made public nationwide in Sweden by her mother in May 2015, in order to help other families in a similar situation.[29] While acknowledging that her diagnosis "has limited [her] before", Thunberg does not view her Asperger's as an illness, and has instead called it her "superpower".[30] She was later described as being not only the best-known climate change activist, but also the best-known autism activist.[31] Thunberg commented in 2021 that many people in the Fridays for Future movement had autism, and were very inclusive and welcoming. She thinks that the reason for so many people with autism becoming climate activists is that they cannot look away, and have to tell the truth as they see it: "I know lots of people who have been depressed, and then they have joined the climate movement or Fridays for Future and have found a purpose in life and found friendship and a community that they are welcome in." She considers the best things that have resulted from her activism are friendships and happiness.[31]
The Ambientalist - Missing You
Thunberg said her teachers were divided in their views about her missing class to make her point. She says: "As people, they think what I am doing is good, but as teachers, they say I should stop."[28]
In discussions on confidential business information (CBI), the fact that information drives innovation was missing. CBI never expires, meaning that chemical mixtures and their properties remain confidential for their entire market lifetime. Although industry hopes to preserve CBI, secrecy hinders the ability of innovators to identify areas for improvement and to create safer chemicals and formulations. Access to information on chemical hazards will not only allow others to identify regrettable substitutes before they are made available on the market, but also incentivize the development and adoption of safer alternatives. As safer alternatives are increasingly adopted and used, they will enjoy the economies of scale that now favor entrenched hazardous chemicals. It is crucial that all chemicals have basic health and safety information in the public domain to move towards an environment in which our food, water, consumer products and homes are free of toxic-chemicals. The release of certain information about chemicals (at least after a certain timeframe) and confirming the legitimacy of CBI claims will encourage innovation toward safer alternatives. 041b061a72