Why do old white men hate Greta Thunberg so much?

[MotherOfDragonite]

My 65 year old uncle and friends of a similar age (and also white, though not necessarily all British -- others are American, German and Australian) seem to talk about her an awful lot with great vitriol and hatred.

They seem to have shared views about climate change, but I still can't understand why they hate Greta so much. Not only do they comment on her, but they post unpleasant memes about her. While I understand that they fundamentally disagree with the concept of climate change, I don't really understand why a 16 year old girl with Aspergers, who does not live in the UK and who clearly has good intentions even if they disagree with them, is the focus of so much of their ire.

What is it about Greta that older men find so very "triggering"?

Seems to me that they have agreed that man made etc. is part if the problem but not to what extent. we go from about, as a result of, largely, and extremely likely. Some C&P from your links. Seems to me that more research needs to be done. (and I agree that climate change is happening.

about 97% of climate scientists have concluded that human-caused climate change is happening

largely as the result of human activities.

it is extremely likely that human activities,

scientific consensus that the Earth is undergoing adverse global climate change and that anthropogenic contributions are significant

extremely likely that human influence has been the dominant cause of the observed warming since the mid-twentieth century

"largely as a result of human activities" suggests it is to a great extent.

There is plenty of other consensus that says we need to reduce carbon usage along with a whole other raft of measures.

Climate change is happening, and humans bare most of the responsibility for it. We should be taking action in order to reduce our impact on the planet.

and humans bare most of the responsibility for it

That simply has not been proven.

I am very familiar with 3 of the studies on the list you linked to, and all have been criticised (by scientists) for their methodology. What they absolutely do NOT do - very far from it! - is survey 100% of scientists and get 97% of them to agree with the fact that humans bear most of the responsibility for climate change (or even get them to agree on whether or not a warming planet is necessarily a bad thing).

Science results in knowledge that is often presented as being fixed and universal. But scientists can never prove conclusively that they have described some aspect of the natural and physical world with complete accuracy. In that sense, all scientific results must be treated as susceptible to error.

• (that’s a quote from On Being A Scientist)

This attitude of, “The science is in! All scientists agree! It’s a consensus!” bothers me hugely in this debate. In fact it was one of the things that turned me into a much more of a sceptic. Why the continued pushing of “consensus science”? Why not allow for people to challenge the current narrative? Why can’t you question, without being labelled “a denier”?

This is a very measured, sensible video that looks in depth at the origins of the 97% figure, how these figures were arrived at, and what it actually means.

malylis

So the consensus is that humans have an impact that could possibly, most likely, maybe is probably ranging from some to a lot.

Mind boggling science there.

So much for facts, figures and objective data.

3 of the studies out of thousands?

Some crticism in methodology but pasdd the majority of peer review ? Who were thise criticising? Do they have any vested interest in trying to deny this?

The fact that the vast majority of all scientific organisations agree ?

Oooh look a youtube video.

Any consensus against this? Nope

Nope you are playing with semantics there, and changing the wording.

Still not able to present any kind of consensus against global warming being caused by humans.

Just playing semantics and linking to youtube vids

malylis
Nope you are playing with semantics there, and changing the wording.

I have been quoting from your link.

linking to youtube vids

I realise that its not Wikipedia, and that it has real scientists on it. but hey. its better than nothing.

As for your consensus its that scientists say that humans have a link to global warming.
The question is by how much?

Not quoting from any of the quotes you used earlier though, changing the language.

By how much? All of tbe the quotes you pull out suggest significantly.

They suggest (your wording) that its "likely" to be significant.

Words do have meanings and I am not changing them. nor am I ignoring words that I don't like.

As an old white man of roughly the same age as your uncle and his friends, I am offended at you bracketing me ( and all other old white men) with ignorant shits like your uncle. good to see sweeping irrational generalisations will be alive and well in 2020.

I dont hate Greta. I dont agree with climate change.
It's a load of malarkey to me.
She is way to young to be doing this I think.
I believe she is brainwashed.

You're a homophobic trump supporting violent climate change denier. Your opinion is worth fuck all.

Yet again, I have to reiterate that climate change is NORMAL for this planet. Over billions of years, organisms/animals/beings have inhabited the planet and eventually there will be a cataclsymic event which will destroy them. Humans are no different. Something will put an end to the human species and there is nothing any of us can do about it. Sad but true. Could be this year, could be a hundred/thousand years hence, but it will happen, and no bleating about carbon emissions or not eating meat will change it.

@MilkTrayLimeBarrel I'm just waiting for Yellowstone to blow....

It's not just white men who hate her, there seem to be plenty of people around ready to have a dig at her. I was disgusted by this comment that came from a female comedian on the NYE episode of The Last Leg:

"At her age she ought to be doing normal stuff... drinking Prosecco and getting fingered!"

Whatever the rights or wrongs of what Greta Thunberg says about climate change, she is quite young for her age in some ways, and looks younger than she is... all of which made that comment crude and inappropriate IMO. But as it came from a disabled person, no one seemed to bat an eyelid. I'm surprised there weren't complaints about it.

This has been a difficult thread for me to read even with my rhino hide but I hope that there will be some who might want to find out more and do their own research on climate change and people's attitudes to young activists.
However hostile the discussion is at least it is happening and some of us here might seek out new information sources.

I have been wrong on several issues when I look at my younger self like teenage pregnancy, capitalism and drugs for instance - access to better information made me change my mind on this.

Remember, you have the ability to learn and grow until your dying breath. We can overcome 'them and us' and those who prosper from division by talking and listening.

I think it's absolutely hilarious that she has turned so many people against the cause because they find her nauseating and don't want to be tarred with the same brush. People are speaking out against the usual hysterical claptrap and enjoying their lives. And it all becomes incomparable when we are on the brink of war. I'm grateful to the pathetic loser, she made people have joy for life again.

In that case I'm honoured to stand with that pathetic loser. She is the hysterical person looking for the way out of the burning building while others sit there saying 'it's fine, I'm just a little warm here'.

I hope that there will be some who might want to find out more and do their own research on climate change

Absolutely - doing my own research on climate change made me much more sceptical about the whole “end of days” narrative , and much more questioning of Greta Thunberg, XR, and anyone who believes that the majority of scientists share one opinion about this stuff. The more you read, and the greater the variety sources you come into contact with, the more you understand the true complexity of this issue and the ridiculousness of the “burning building” hysteria.

I like Greta. I like that she just doesn't seem to give a fuck what people think & gets on with saying what she thinks.

I like Greta. I like that she just doesn't seem to give a fuck what people think & gets on with saying what she thinks.

That time when she pretended she was travelling in a crowded train even though the photo op corridor was empty. When she was actually sat in first class such japes.

Ah well, damned if you do damned if you don't. The treatment of AS people somewhat reminds me of the treatment of visibly disabled people in the 1980's - seen as reprobates if people in wheelchairs wanted to do normal things like go to pubs and have sex.
Disabled people were either seen as sexless paragons of virtue or diseased freaks.
We still need to listen to the message of 'Spasticus Autisticus' by the late great Ian Drury.

This is nothing to with disabilities , the ruined childhood was embarrassing, being self righteous doesn't endear you nothing to do with disability

Reading a lot of conspiracy theories on the internet and worshiping a young child isn't going to stop nucleur war from wiping us out. If Greta wants to do something useful, send her to Iran to educate the naughty men. I'm sure they will be fascinated by her analysis of their actions. This mass hysteria is very conveniently taking the spotlight away from real, actual, going to happen issues.

Dislike or general weariness of her isn’t confined to white men. And, yes, she can come across as a smuggy mcsmug privileged brat

I'm a white woman 35-45 and I dislike greta. It's not just old white men :)