Bon voyage Greta Thunberg

Nobody feels threatened by this child, sorry for her, certainly, and exasperated that she is being to used by people who would be much more usefully employed actually making practical and useful steps to achieve the aims that they claim to support.

An enormous amount could be done by people working at ground level to bring in lots of small scale energy savings and explaining to people how small changes in their lives can contribute to the reduction in global warming. If they want to be activists they can do the job properly and not just prance around waving placards and causing disruptions and turning a young an vulnerable girl into some kind of Joan of Ark, who like the original will probably end up going up in flames with possible life long deleterous effects on her mental health.

What is the “agenda” people believe this young woman is being manipulated to push? Do you think she doesn’t believe in the important message that we are in an environmental and climate emergency? Do you think she doesn’t know or care that hundreds of species are likely to be extinct in a few years as a direct result of human activity? That the oceans are polluted by plastic and oil by humans? Well it doesn’t matter because she is a silly girl only saying it as she is being manipulated ( by whom? Why?)so we can all continue to destroy the planet by our selfishness and short sightedness. We’re ok jack.

I hear what you are saying but I can't agree.

I have been keeping company with a teenage wwoofer (willing worker on organic farm) these last few weeks and I can guarantee the younger generation needs their own heroes.

Greta may be a poster girl. She may be a hypocrite. She maybe exploited. She may be all or any of these things but she is young and has woken up to this reality unlike millions of her peers.

So let' me understand this Happi - you don't actually intend to patronise by posting patronising comments and we should all read Greta's book to truly understand how serious things are on the environmental front?

I couldn’t agree more Monica, but of course she is only sixteen, and as yet hadn’t had real opportunity to effect any changes. My hope is that if she is bright enough, and many on the autistic spectrum are, that she will take her passionate interest in climate change into higher education and eventually research. Then she, and others, could contribute to the essential changes.
At the moment she is being used as a mouthpiece by people eager to exploit her, and possibly her own parents are behind this, as someone up thread said. All her talk and actions amount nothing yet, except unjustified idealisation by some. Let’s hope that she is allowed by her parents to drop all this, and she can finish her education in the normal way of any teenager, and eventually put her passion to good use.

Maddyone, I don't believe I was being rude and it was not my intention to patronise.

I do, however, believe this to be an existential crisis like never before. It's hard to understand why people feel threatened by a girl who looks and behaves a little differently than we have been conditioned by global advertising to expect. And I'm surprised that anyone with a professed interest in learning would be reluctant to find out first hand what the fuss is all about. Unless their mind was already made up, without the tedious nuisance of facts?

I don't believe the world has time to criticise the messengers for not arriving as the stereotypes of our choosing.

I agree with Callistemon, I think she is being manipulated by people wanting to use her youth and enthusiasm (and exploit the vulnerability disability provides to achieve that) to push their own agendas.

Agree with Callistemon and M0nica.

I feel uncomfortable for her SirChenjin because I think that she is vulnerable but unaware of that.

Greta Thunberg is utterly irrelevant to the desperate need to halt global warning. Individuals, governments and companies have been becoming aware of this and ramping up their efforts to deal with it for the last 20 years. I am not suggesting enough has been done, but asking what she has contributed to it?

What has GT contributed to the number of wind turbines we have that led to us getting nearly half our power from wind and solar this week? What has she contributed to the ramping up of insulation requirements in new houses? What has she contributed to the improvement of design in all parts of industry to make all engines more efficient.

I am not saying thse things are enough but they have been happening bit by bit for at least 20 years and the speed it is happening at is accelerating. What has GT contributed this this? Nothing.

Where are the coherent carefully thought out plans for the yet more rapid move to emission free energy GT and her followers in ER are demanding. What have any of them ever done that makes a direct and useful contribution to limiting the effects of global warming except stunts like this that simply hug headlines.

The global warming band wagon, started running a long time ago. She is just jumping on, pushing her way to the front and making a lot of noise. She certainly doesn't have her hands on the reins, nor would she know what to do with them if given them - except run it into a ditch.

Does Greta make you feel uncomfortable? She doesn't make me feel that way, nor do I see her as someone on par with Christ or Wilberforce. I think she's become a poster girl this year for environmental issues but I think it's naive to think that Govts are listening to a 16 year old girl and changing policy as a result.

I think we're all very aware of the relevant issues - Greta really hasn't changed the views of millions, or said anything that hasn't already been said, but she's part of the zeitgeist.

Typed slowly and posted before I saw your post Grammaretto

The trouble is that the problems are so enormous that it is going to take an enormous amount of scientific and engineering expertise and innovations not yet thought of to surmount them. Many excellent and brilliant people are putting their efforts and resources into this and it would be a pity if people disregarded news about their work because what seems to be becoming a cult following of one young girl.

Of course we do need all the scientists and engineers to be thinking the same way. Callistemon
Of course this is nothing new. It's just even more urgent now. So urgent that it may be too late.

Gretta said herself in answer to an interviewer that what she hoped to do by travelling to the UN was to draw attention to the crisis and to show that it is actually possible to minimise your footprint and still travel and give the message loud and clear.

She also said at a previous interview that she wanted the scientists and engineers to speak to the politicians and decision makers and for them to listen. Why she as just a girl should be the one to make the m listen seemed strange to her.

Anyone who enters the world arena and speaks truth to power, is always going to be ridiculed. Look at Jesus Christ for example or those who tried to stop slavery. They weren't popular. They make us feel uncomfortable and so we should.
Party poopers!!!

Happiyogi, are you trying to be rude just because I have a different point of view? Or are you always rude and patronising? I am perfectly willing to learn, I went through higher education, I believe in learning, which is why I am advocating more, more, and more scientific education and learning. Just because I don’t want to read a book written by a sixteen year old schoolgirl, and that you consider will convert me to your point of view does NOT mean I don’t want to learn or educate myself further. Now I suggest you leave off the insults aimed at me and discuss the topic properly.

On a Slow Boat to China?

Sorry, couldn't resist, now I'll have it as an ear worm.

Did you know that every Google search uses as much power as a 60w light bulb uses in 17 seconds? 0.2g of carbon emissions per search.
And all of us chuntering on here is a waste of valuable resources and contributing to carbon emissions.

They are the ones with the power

No, I've never believed that. It's big businesses which run the world order.

It's governments she is trying to take the message to. They are the ones with the power.

And governments are listening to her.

She's got a hard task of it in the US though.

Maybe in time she will get to go to the other places where the message needs to be taken. China next?

I couldn't agree more Callistemon

Grammaretto
None of the small steps you quote are due to any influence from Greta Thunberg, unless perhaps your personal decision not to fly is one.

People have been concerned long before she arrived on the scene to tell us all what we should be doing.
There are scientists working quietly to try to improve our prospects, innovations which will change the way we have lived. They have been doing this for years. Now they have to convince governments and big business.

Yes, we need scientists, engineers and people with the education and knowledge to make the changes which people will willingly embrace.

Greta sees the problems and has the questions but we need those with vision to seek the answers.

Can you imagine the cries of "hypocrite!" from those who don't like her message if she had flown to the States? All power to her I say. At least she is getting the message out there.

Maddyone, why are you unwilling to learn by reading? Yes, the subject matter is not cosy or comfortable, but it is vital.

If she were to become the 'great scientist' you'd like her to be, that could take 15 years. During which, in the real world...

And I don't believe we can have too many gifted and public spirited young people. Let's not play them off against one another.

This thread has been busy all morning!! Surely this tells us something.
We are ALL talking about it and her.
Fabulous.
Someone at my group today spoke just the same as some have on here.

Of course we can't change overnight but we are nearly all thinking and considering how we can help to slow the climate catastrophe for the future of our children and the planet.

We are getting used to not getting plastic bags. We are considering electric cars. Some of us don't fly anymore.
Baby steps but good on yer Gretta!!

Happiyogi, I have no wish to read her book whatsoever, I prefer to read the words of people who have experienced a bit more in life than she has. Incidentally, one such person, only a young woman herself, and in my opinion, a much more impressive young woman, is Malala Yousafzai.

Sirchenin, yes, you are quite right. We dare because we are allowed our own opinions.