AIBU Greta Thunberg?

[onalongsabbatical]

AIBU to ask everyone who can to get behind Greta Thunberg, even if only online, as she's now getting a lot a lot a lot of hate. She clearly threatens people - especially her polar opposites, men, rich old men, powerful men (did I mention men?). Let's all give her the lurve and support she needs.
So on FB I challenged one just now - Why are you attacking a young woman? - and he disappeared. Funny, that.

Blue Planet wasn't extremist. It was very measured.

What has GT asked us to do, specifically?

It’s about the baby boomers and generation X (and maybe Millenials too) who have often lived lives of luxury and comfort (compared yo pre war generations)

We can’t go back to the pre-war way of life. You should know this. So whining about it gets nothing done.

if we understand how little time we now have to save ourselves from climate catastrophe

Scientists believe in climate change. They do not agree on how to solve it, nor do they agree on what will happen nor the timeline. Yet, you’ve somehow worked it out?

There are sensible things government can do, like encouraging mass transit, a grid powered by nuclear and even renewables where appropriate, and discouraging waste. Very few could disagree with it.

But this 100% renewables at all cost and repeated calls for a forced downgrading of our lifestyles is based in hysteria and not supported by science

We can all do our bit but massive change in the infrastructure is what is needed. I'm trying to cut back on meat, I haven't bought new clothes for years and I try to get public transport whenever I can. But I have to drive to my job 8 miles away because I can't cycle along a dual carriageway. I have to buy a lot of food wrapped in plastic because it's often the only option. I have to fly if I ever want to see half my family again, because we're immigrants, as a result of my mum flying here for a business meeting and meeting her husband. People's constant flying and the way our infrastructure is built forces us into certain behaviours.

If flights weren't a thing, my family would all still live in the same city. If single use plastic wasn't a thing, I could buy refillable everything. If communities shared things, we wouldn't each have to buy things like wetsuits, drills, wheelbarrows, rollerblades, prams and other items that get used very rarely yet cost a lot to make.
Christmas is coming and social pressure dictates you should buy everyone presents, even if you know you're buying them total crap which will go to landfill.
I would love to cycle to work but there are no cycle paths to the nearest towns, and I don't fancy being roadkill.

How can we really do our bit when everything is geared up against us?

Tbh Ds hasn’t been allowed on strikes by school. I’d have to ask him about GT not sure what he thinks, he does read Wired and think she may have been on the cover.

But I can still see this exposure which came about at some point after her first strike is a good thing for many.

She's front page news today, fish and chip wrapping tomorrow.

JP has an excellent point about child nutrition and alleviating poverty being a possible way to solve the seemingly unsolvable.

There can be a multi prong approach. In fact there’s going to have to be.

If GT gets it in millions of minds that’s her bit. Still impressive, more than others, and helpful.

I expect she will be alive long after us

Not too sure about that.

I live in London, can I ask why we don't have climate change protestors on days like today, cold and pouring down with rain

I'm loathed to get embroiled in this thread due to the turn it's taken but fwiw GT is clearly a passionate and inspirational public speaker and is clearly speaking to a young generation genuinely and rightly worried for their future.

The problem lies in the fact that those kind of speeches work fantastically on those that are already, at least partly, already on board with the message but are entirely counter productive to those that aren't.

Scaring people sounds logically like it should be an effective way of reaching them but time and time again we have seen that it isn't. If we scare people we create a fight or flight response so people either fight (double down further on their opposing views) or flight (run away and bury their heads in the sand).

While the speech was a great call to action for those already worried and thinking about it, anyone in denial is not going to be influenced by fear (see Brexit - project fear eg).

I'm not saying we should hide or play down the realities but it needs to be presented in a manner that won't terrify people into that fish or flight response.

Trewser the way I see it is that GT is mainly asking the politicians do stuff differently, rather than "us" so much. What she's asking if us is to prioritise environmental policy when we chose who to vote for.

The side effect of what she's doing is to slowly change the public's view of what is acceptable or not, and to consider things from an environmental pov. So should I fly to Edinburgh, or get the train (which takes an hour longer)? These days most people would at least consider taking the train for environmental reasons. Those individual choices aren't the big move that she's really working for, but they're still a step in the right direction.

If communities shared things, we wouldn't each have to buy things like wetsuits, drills, wheelbarrows, rollerblades, prams and other items that get used very rarely yet cost a lot to make

You don’t have to buy any of these things new. Plenty of people willing to sell them off for a good price (occasionally free, even). No one likes to borrow shit, as communal property usually gets treated like an office coffeemaker

All I can see from your post is “my carbon footprint is okay because of XYZ reason.”

But it’s okay, whatever anyone in the UK does is a drop in the carbon bucket anyway.

I say that clearly from an effectiveness of message ooh to vote view, not as a criticism of GT who clearly is heartfelt and sincere.

*effectiveness of message point of view

Not sure people listen anymore to the usual reason and facts. Or haven’t for decades.

People have limited abilities to hear messages. Cut through is rare. Even rarer for climate messages.

But she wasn't inspiring. I didn't understand what she meant, really. Who has stolen her childhood?

I agree Marsha. But positive messages work better than negative messages.

I mean in terms of being effective to change minds and alter behaviour.

Trewser she's clearly inspired some people on this thread and that I've seen on Twitter. Clearly not everyone!

I’m not sure Bent! Attenborough cut through with his message. Yes he got derided too but it made people sit up

People won’t change even if they know it’s better for them, and their children. Plastic bag reduction happened with the pay system. A nudge in behaviour change.

There’s lots of tactics that work and I’d say positive night but cut it. I remember a talk at university from TAC who did drink and drive you’re a bloody idiot. Really graphic. They got good results in behaviour change.

Positive might not cut it

You might not be convinced but there is evidence to back it up. Nothing happens overnight.

I’m talking about data too. Do you have a link?

Most in behaviour change accept that you need to interrupt first and support positively after.

Trewser the way I see it is that GT is mainly asking the politicians do stuff differently, rather than "us" so much. What she's asking if us is to prioritise environmental policy when we chose who to vote for.

But who do you think will be impacted by changes to government policy? The government isn’t a separate entity to the rest of us!

We –

Sorry Marshe, I knew you would ask that but I've now been distracted by Supreme Court decision so you'll have to take or leave my claims. I studied this, albeit many years ago, so I accept research may have updated on that time.