Driver feeling threatened by 16yo girl raising awareness for the climate crisis.

For the record: I believe climate change is man-made and that we aren't doing enough to combat it as a species.

With that said:

  1. Greta was obviously putting on a show during the UN speech. Her facial expressions, her deliberate pauses - it makes the message seem less genuine.

  2. Her level of drama occludes the message she is trying to communicate. When you hear a very privileged young girl say "you have stolen my childhood!" it is hard to break that mental frame when she later says "we have 8.5 years before humans won't be able to stop climate change".

  3. Why Greta? She isn't a scientist. She doesn't have any meaningful experience in the world. What credentials does she have that make her someone others should be listening to? Why are any of us even talking about her when there are thousands and thousands of more qualified people?

  4. Have you seen her interviews when she is off script? She has trouble answering very basic questions, and her demeanor is completely different than the prepared interviews and speeches. I get that anyone is going to have off days, and preparing for major events is expected. But the illusion of a teenage girl who is passionate and knowledgeable about climate change is completely destroyed as soon as she goes off script.

  5. Who does Greta speak for? She isn't a representative of her government nor her people. What body stands behind her that would make world governments consider her message?

  6. It is difficult to take someone seriously when they say "all you talk about is money instead of fixing climate change." Money is the incentive that gets people to address climate change over staying home to farm. And let's say that, as an example, the US completely eliminates its defense budget for 10 years to put that money exclusively toward climate change. And China doesn't. The net effect to the world will be a single-digit reduction in emissions, while China now has a military that the US can't engage effectively. How are you going to sell a government (or it's people) on something like that?

There is plenty that is valid to criticize Greta for. The lack of authenticity, the lack of credentials, the hyperbole statements eroding trust in her message - and none of it has to do with her being a girl.

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