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.

You do realise there are other people who can tackle that?

Not Greta not even the public

You do realise there are other people who can tackle that?

Who?

So everyone should just keep over consuming then? Is that what you’re for?

@trewser why is it not happening? Political will. Globally.

People who have the power to

GT did not say anything about people over consuming.

@MarshaBradyo was the 'it doesnt matter to me?'

I was driving to work. I didnt say no one uses the word puppet. Read what I said.

No one said anything of the things based, simply, on the fact that she is a 16 year old with an opinion.

God she doesn’t have to do everything what is wrong with people do you need to be spoon fed everything by one child?

She gets the topic in people’s minds - millions

Articles and information on topic increase - people can read more

India, China and the US couldn't give a toss about GT. She is not making them change their minds at all. Parts of India and China are desperately poor. Who are we to say that they can't develop as countries?

I don’t know about the first part of your message and what that means but yes I was checking if you had missed puppet or not.

But no you hadn’t

No she’s not influencing every government. She’s not a bloody superpower.

She’s still making people, millions, take notice.

From what I can make out, scientists agree that climate change is happening. They do not agree over whether CO2 emissions are the main cause. As the planet has been in a cycle of regular climate change for millions of years, I can't help wondering if they have a point. There is an argument that cutting CO2 is not a 'well it won't make things any worse so we might as well try it' solution - that it could in fact cause a great deal of harm, especially in developing countries (who seem to be screwed whatever side of the argument you're on). There are arguments for switching to nuclear power. I had a 'nuclear power - no thanks' sticker in my window in the 80s so this pretty uncomfortable to me but there it is. So no the scientific community, from where I'm sitting, are not in total agreement and would not all support Greta.

Floisme do you think this is a regular climate cycle change and not a climate emergency?

There is an argument that cutting CO2 is not a 'well it won't make things any worse so we might as well try it' solution - that it could in fact cause a great deal of harm, especially in developing countries (who seem to be screwed whatever side of the argument you're on) yes i have heard this.

Noone has the first clue how to reverse or stop climate change. You probably can't. The planet will adjust, probably to our detriment and perhaps the advantage of something else. That's what ecosystems do.

Trewser didn’t you say you’d made changes to your own life that were environmentally better? So you must think you’re doing something

In fact many of the people who dislike Greta proudly stated they’d picked litter or saved turtles

But don't worry, im still being a good little citizen and taking a string bag out shopping and turning off lights!

NEW THREAD!!!!!!>>>>>>>>......... www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/3701009-Greta-pt-2-not-all-about-her-well-duh?watched=1

In the nick of time...

Haha not sure I’m up for another thread of this painful! Will have a look though

I have a background in ecology / sustainable development.

GT and XR pull good publicity stunts but the lack of practical advice, particularly for teens, is frustrating. The reason that GT and XR are not giving any of the usual comforting advice ("go vegan! stop flying! drive less!") is that there is no evidence that any of it will make any impact at all on climate heating. The advice, which is endlessly repeated on countless green / eco-friendly blogs and insta posts, does nothing more than make people feel they are doing something, that they can make some choices and make a difference. It doesn't. The bigger NGOs that repeat this advice in a very consumer-friendly, non-threatening way, and offer "tools" like carbon footprint calculators, do so as a way of engaging, educating and motivating people to campaign or to support their aims - not because it makes even the slightest bit of difference that a bunch of middle-class families can pat themselves on the back for reducing their footprint. It's a marketing campaign designed to drum up support for their cause - not a solution in itself.

GT and XR whole point is that these little changes don't and won't make any difference. GTs whole point is that the climate scientists have sounded the alarm bell loud and clear (climate deniers notwithstanding) - yet no one is doing anything meaningful in response, we're just sitting on our arses while the house burns down around us. She's not going to tell us what to do - she tells us to look to the scientists as our best hope. She doesn't have the answers - she can only tug on our elbows and point out that there's an alarm bell ringing and no-one seems to be responding to it and she can't understand why.

XR want the demonstrations become so huge that governments around the world are convinced that "the public" has given them permission to put climate change at the top of their agendas and to undertake the necessary radical actions to tackle it. Because they really would be radical - in the true sense of the word: beeswax wraps and "staycations" are not going to cut it. They also have a strong socialist agenda - which I personally don't entirely disagree with, but is a huge turn off for many people, especially in the US .

It's ironic that China is probably best placed to implement the radical changes required, because the government - being a dictatorship - can basically do what it likes and not worry about getting voted in. They already do this with their social control system: how easy it would be to link that to environmental outcomes and not just social ones.

Marsha please stay! I'll try and do more today too but you might be better at the ongoing arguments than I am! Don't leeeaaave meeeee!

I don't know Marsha. I'm no scientist but then nor is Greta. But I understand we were in a mini ice age until the middle of the 19th century so this stuff has always been happening. Of course that doesn't mean it's not an emergency but, if it's an emergency that isn't primarily caused by CO2, then is it possible that we're chasing the wrong solution? Is it possible that the best we can hope for is to build massive sea defences and switch to nuclear power? These are the kinds of arguments that I've been trying to make sense of. They may be bollocks. I don't know yet. But this is why I can admire Greta for her bravery and tenacity but still be unconvinced by her.

Great post WallyWallyWally and interesting