Science Greta Thunberg Megathread - Dax Herrera says he wouldn't have a day ago (I somewhat doubt that)

Why is Greta Thunberg so triggering? How can a 16-year-old girl in plaits, who has dedicated herself to the not-exactly sinister, authoritarian plot of trying to save the planet from extinction, inspire such incandescent rage?

Last week, she tweeted that she had arrived into New York after her two week transatlantic voyage: “Finally here. Thank you everyone who came to see me off in Plymouth, and everyone who welcomed me in New York! Now I’m going to rest for a few days, and on Friday I’m going to participate in the strike outside the UN”, before promptly giving a press conference in English. Yes, her second language.

Her remarks were immediately greeted with a barrage of jibes about virtue signalling, and snide remarks about the three crew members who will have to fly out to take the yacht home.

This shouldn’t need to be spelled out, but as some people don’t seem to have grasped it yet, we’ll give it a lash: Thunberg’s trip was an act of protest, not a sacred commandment or an instruction manual for the rest of us. Like all acts of protest, it was designed to be symbolic and provocative. For those who missed the point – and oh, how they missed the point – she retweeted someone else’s “friendly reminder” that: “You don’t need to spend two weeks on a boat to do your part to avert our climate emergency. You just need to do everything you can, with everyone you can, to change everything you can.”

Part of the reason she inspires such rage, of course, is blindingly obvious. Climate change is terrifying. The Amazon is burning. So too is the Savannah. Parts of the Arctic are on fire. Sea levels are rising. There are more vicious storms and wildfires and droughts and floods. Denial is easier than confronting the terrifying truth.

Then there’s the fact that we don’t like being made to feel bad about our life choices. That’s human nature. It’s why we sneer at vegans. It’s why we’re suspicious of sober people at parties. And if anything is likely to make you feel bad about your life choices -- as you jet back home after your third Ryanair European minibreak this season – it’ll be the sight of small-boned child subjecting herself to a fortnight being tossed about on the Atlantic, with only a bucket bearing a “Poo Only Please” sign by way of luxury, in order to make a point about climate change.

But that’s not virtue signalling, which anyone can indulge in. As Meghan Markle, Prince Harry, and their-four-private-jets-in-11-days found recently, virtue practising is a lot harder.

Even for someone who spends a lot of time on Twitter, some of the criticism levelled at Thunberg is astonishing. It is, simultaneously, the most vicious and the most fatuous kind of playground bullying. The Australian conservative climate change denier Andrew Bolt called her “deeply disturbed” and “freakishly influential” (the use of “freakish”, we can assume, was not incidental.) The former UKIP funder, Arron Banks, tweeted “Freaking yacht accidents do happen in August” (as above.) Brendan O’Neill of Spiked called her a “millenarian weirdo” (nope, still not incidental) in a piece that referred nastily to her “monotone voice” and “the look of apocalyptic dread in her eyes”.

But who’s the real freak – the activist whose determination has single-handedly started a powerful global movement for change, or the middle-aged man taunting a child with Asperger syndrome from behind the safety of their computer screens?

And that, of course, is the real reason why Greta Thunberg is so triggering. They can’t admit it even to themselves, so they ridicule her instead. But the truth is that they’re afraid of her. The poor dears are terrified of her as an individual, and of what she stands for – youth, determination, change.

She is part of a generation who won’t be cowed. She isn’t about to be shamed into submission by trolls. That’s not actually a look of apocalyptic dread in her eyes. It’s a look that says “you’re not relevant”.

The reason they taunt her with childish insults is because that’s all they’ve got. They’re out of ideas. They can’t dismantle her arguments, because she has science – and David Attenborough – on her side. They can’t win the debate with the persuasive force of their arguments, because these bargain bin cranks trade in jaded cynicism, not youthful passion. They can harangue her with snide tweets and hot take blogposts, but they won’t get a reaction because, frankly, she has bigger worries on her mind.

That’s not to say that we should accept everything Thunberg says without question. She is an idealist who is young enough to see the world in black and white. We need voices like hers. We should listen to what she has to say, without tuning the more moderate voices of dissent out.

Why is Greta Thunberg so triggering? Because of what she represents. In an age when democracy is under assault, she hints at the emergency of new kind of power, a convergence of youth, popular protest and irrefutable science. And for her loudest detractors, she also represents something else: the sight of their impending obsolescence hurtling towards them.

joconnell@irishtimes.com
https://twitter.com/jenoconnell

https://web.archive.org/web/2019090...certain-men-1.4002264?localLinksEnabled=false
Found this thought-provoking indeed.

 

[Bum Driller]

I feel bad for Greta Thunberg.

She is obviously a product of her parents, based on the information we know. Her parents are using her as some kind of political "Joan of Arc," and taking her autism into consideration, all of this is really fucking gross.

I believe Greta's tears. I believe that she believes what she's saying. And mostly, I believe her childhood was taken from her. Her parents obviously raised her to be absolutely petrified.

While I agree with most of what you say, do you really believe in that "raised her to be absolutely petrified"? Do you think that a) children should be raised in some fucking cotton to block out all the dark aspects of the reality, of which the climate change obviously is one, or b) that 16-year old person, who is not exactly a kid anymore, would not have beliefs which are not the result of their upbringing?

 

[TFT-A9]

Mark Humphries on Twitter

“THE GRETA THUNBERG HELPLINE: For adults angry at a child. https://t.co/JAtIKyG4Va”

twitter.com

I bet your parents called a helpline like that a lot.

 

[Tasty Tatty]

ZOS has had laws against correcting your children for more than a generation.
https://www.cnn.com/2011/11/09/world/sweden-punishment-ban/index.html

Spanking your kid into their senses is haram, but parade around your autistic daughter is good for her, apparently.

 

[Jet Fuel Johnny]

Adolf Merkel is gonna kill us all because GERMans are actually incapable of believing anyone would ever want to protest their government.

Sounds like Mama Merkel got her natural gas bill in the mail and realized that she might not be able to pay it LOL.

"Ve Germains are very eco-conscious. Ve haff removed out coal plants und newcleare plants."
>Buys natural gas and electricity from France
"We are dismantling our nuke reactors! Honhonhonhon!"
>Buys natural gas and electricity from Russia
>Gets bill in mail
"IT'S BANNON'S FAULT!"

 

[Lucille Bluth]

I always wondered how a “random” 15/16 year old was allowed to skip class and travel and do a bunch of other shit in the name of “activism” then I found out that her grandfather and parents all have some level of fame and I assume she must be rich To a degree.

She’s nothing more than an indoctrinated puppet and mouthpiece for the views of others in her life.

I don’t know why the media keeps mentioning her and praising her like she’s a female Climate Jesus Christ who’s “opening eyes”. In a few years people will be going “Who?” When you say her name. And she’ll join a long list of people who keep screeching that climate change is horrible.

 

[FoofaFliffa]

Her parents are both TV actors, doesn't look like she has her technique down quite yet but I'll be damned if she ain't tryin'.

 

[Larry David's Opera Cape]

So she drove a kid to suicide now.

mark shepard (@markshe15059164) | Twitter

The latest Tweets from mark shepard (@markshe15059164). Husband & father of 4, hgv driver and incident officer @ oulton park. Manchester, England

twitter.com

He deleted the tweet because his wife asked him to out of sensitivity to the family, but here's a cap:

 

[Water-T]

So she's an autistic, funny-looking girl that screeched to the UN, and drove a guy to suicide? Are we sure she's not a clone of Zoe Quinn?

 

[JambledUpWords]

This sperg has a kill count now?

 

[AnOminous]

This sperg has a kill count now?

"Emma has been leading regular climate protests in Manchester city. . ."

 

[Hux]

 

[Bunny Tracks]

So she drove a kid to suicide now.

mark shepard (@markshe15059164) | Twitter

The latest Tweets from mark shepard (@markshe15059164). Husband & father of 4, hgv driver and incident officer @ oulton park. Manchester, England

twitter.com

He deleted the tweet because his wife asked him to out of sensitivity to the family, but here's a cap:

View attachment 950071

Can we get any verification on this, please?

 

[Diana Moon Glampers]

While I agree with most of what you say, do you really believe in that "raised her to be absolutely petrified"? Do you think that a) children should be raised in some fucking cotton to block out all the dark aspects of the reality, of which the climate change obviously is one, or b) that 16-year old person, who is not exactly a kid anymore, would not have beliefs which are not the result of their upbringing?

They told her about climate change by age 8 in ways scary enough that she pretty much disengaged from everything in her life and developed anxiety and eating disorders. This has all been admitted to by the parents.

I don't think you should raise kids with no knowledge that bad stuff exists, but you should make sure it's at a level they can handle, and that you take steps to deal with anxiety or depression that develops. Kids need to know it's not their responsibility to change the entire world, that their very minor changes like veganism don't matter, and that by the time it is their turn, they'll have better tools and skills to take on the problem if it's still their priority.

Mr. Rogers said "look for the helpers," when times are hard, and he's fucking right. While Greta talks shit about older generations, she'd have none of the science she's talking about, and none of the activist organizations she's working with, if it wasn't for those generations. No one putting out the papers about climate science is a teenager. But instead of seeing this as a complicated, multigenerational problem that has always had good and bad actors, she's gone for a very teenage "young people have had their future stolen by old people" narrative that was honestly being pushed when my own parents were young and people were heading to Woodstock to get free.

Parents have a responsibility to help their kids see the world in a way that helps them to stay grounded and sane. When your kid is developing eating disorders because of her anxiety and guilt over the damage she's doing to the planet just by existing, there's probably some daylight between that and "wrap her in cotton wool and never let her see the dark side of the world."

 

[Yotsubaaa]

Can we get any verification on this, please?

Agreed. Honestly, I was surprised that Twitter account was even legit. It's using that same computer-generated, "start of name + 8 random digits" Twitter handle style that all the bot accounts use.

The only other place that's even mentioned anything about this so far is this opinion piece by the Toronto Sun (https://archive.li/gC8zZ), and their only source is Shepard's deleted tweet. I'm pressing X on this one.

 

[StarkRavingMad]

While I agree with most of what you say, do you really believe in that "raised her to be absolutely petrified"? Do you think that a) children should be raised in some fucking cotton to block out all the dark aspects of the reality, of which the climate change obviously is one, or b) that 16-year old person, who is not exactly a kid anymore, would not have beliefs which are not the result of their upbringing?

You see, there's teaching your child that there's harsh realities in the world, and then there's teaching your daughter that she won't live beyond her early adulthood. There's teaching your child to be smart, and then there's teaching your child to live in despair and paranoia. Two majorly different things.

Plus, it's determined she's on the spectrum. How far into that spectrum, I don't think anyone can say. I'm pretty certain that her parents are absolutely involved with how she formed her opinion. Do the research on them: The parents are quite a pair.

 

[Lucille Bluth]

View attachment 949455

This photo is abusing Greta as EVERYONE knows.

The vile co-ordinated campaign of abuse against Greta Thunberg

The Swedish teenager has been campaigning to try and get governments to take more action on climate change

www.walesonline.co.uk

 

[Sīn the Moon Daddy]

There's no point in bemoaning the tragedy of Greta being turned into what she is, upon further reflection. It won't help her. It won't make this stop. Nothing will make this stop because no one is both inclined and able to break her mother's grasp on Greta's mind. This is the pinnacle of spectacle and people are lapping it up like it's the cure for all their ills.

Welcome to the brave new world. We have made such fantastic advances and along the way we apparently lost our humanity and decency.

That's essentially it. We are the captive audience of this little girl's destruction. Any attempt to save her is only going to spun as a hateful assault against a stunning and brave special needs goddess.

We have no choice but to try and avert our gaze from this human tragedy.

 

[heathercho]

'She should be getting treatment': Leading Australian psychologist says he's worried about the mental well-being of 'entitled' autistic climate change poster girl Greta Thunberg

• Dr Michael Carr-Gregg compared Greta Thunberg's fame to that of a child star
• He is worried she could 'burn out' after being thrust into the spotlight so young
• The doctor noted Greta's history of mental health in his analysis on the teenager
• According to Dr Carr-Gregg, the 16-year-old has a 'sense of entitlement'

By ALANA MAZZONI and ZOE ZACZEK FOR DAILY MAIL AUSTRALIA
PUBLISHED: 06:09 EDT, 25 September 2019 | UPDATED: 06:11 EDT, 25 September 2019


A leading psychologist has voiced his concern about the mental well-being of autistic teenage climate change activist Greta Thunberg.
Greta made international headlines last week after inspiring millions of people across 150 countries to take to the streets for the Global Strike 4 Climate on Friday.
The 16-year-old schoolgirl from Sweden then made a passionate speech berating world leaders for climate inaction at the UN summit in New York on Tuesday.
But as the teenager continues to divide opinion for her opinions on climate change, one of Australia's most-high profile psychologists has accused the girl of being an 'entitled political pawn' in need of treatment.
Dr Michael Carr-Gregg compared Greta's position in the spotlight to the fame of a child TV star who could 'burn out' after being thrust into the spotlight.

The 16-year-old Swedish environmental activist went head-to-head with President Donald Trump on social media after berating global leaders at the UN summit in New York on Tuesday

'I worry about her going the same as child TV stars, that they just burn out and potentially have a disastrous psychological outcome,' he told 3AW on Wednesday.
'Can I make it clear, I am not a climate change denier. I actually think that we do need to do more about saving the planet.'
Dr Carr-Gregg said he was wary of Greta's Asperger's and history of mental health in his analysis of the teenager, who he believes has a 'sense of entitlement'.
'I am worried that we use a kid like this, who arguably should be getting treatment because she's said she's had anorexia, said she's got Asperger's and said she's battled depression,' he said.
'As a parent, if this was my child, I'm not sure I'd be putting them on the world stage.'
Dr Carr-Gregg said he was worried about Greta's future, her current psychological health and how it would impact other young people.
'It sends a message to other teenagers that they can speak to adults in this very, very dismissive way',' he said.
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'She seems to be caught up in a doomsday scenario where she's massively exaggerating the threats posed by climate change and that has a flow-on effect because it causes all this existential anxiety in our children, hence the climate strikes,' he said.
He said kids should be in school but are instead rallying because 'they've been convinced the end of the world is nigh'.
'She's now put herself at the centre of worldwide either Greta-phobia or Greta-mania and I don't think any 16-year-old girl should be,' he said.
Dr Carr-Gregg mentioned the 'Twitter war' between Greta and Donald Trump where the president appeared to mock the teenager.
'She seems like a very happy young girl looking forward to a bright and wonderful future. So nice to see!,' Mr Trump tweeted following Greta's impassioned speech.
The climate activist swiftly responded by changing her Twitter bio to 'A very happy young girl looking forward to a bright and wonderful future.'

Dr Michael Carr-Gregg compared Greta's position in the spotlight to the fame of a child star who could 'burn out' after being thrust into the spotlight

The Swedish 16-year-old scolded international delegates telling them 'you have stolen my my dreams and my childhood with your empty words' during a speech at the UN headquarters in New York
In her explosive speech, Greta said: 'We are in a mass extinction. And all you can talk about is money and fairytales of eternal economic growth. How dare you!'
The teenager first rose to fame a year ago when she held a one-person climate strike out the front of Swedish parliament.
The School Strike for Climate protests quickly rose to success, with millions of people across the world rallying for action during the most recent demonstrations on Friday.
Dr Carr-Gregg said he didn't think children should be used as 'political props'.

Donald Trump appeared to mock Greta on his Twitter account, so the teenager changed her bio to his insult 'she seems like a very happy young girl looking forward to a bright and wonderful future'
'My criticism isn't so much of her, but her parents and the climate change activists who use her shamelessly and I think that the Left can be somewhat hypocritical at times,' he said.
Dr Carr-Gregg said the rest of world needs to put pressure on China and India - the largest emitters.
'I think she's setting herself up for massive disappointment,' he said. 'It's the rest of the world who needs to be pressuring those countries, not one single 16-year-old girl.'
The psychologist said that because Greta is a 16-year-old female 'no one is allowed to debate' her views.
'We all just have to lie down and accept it,' he said.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has also come out swinging against Greta's tough stance on global warming, saying 'we've got to let kids be kids'
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has also come out swinging against Greta's stance on global warming, saying 'we've got to let kids be kids.'
He said children need to be protected from 'needless anxiety' and reminded the younger generation that they live in a 'wonderful country and pristine environment.'
'I don't want our children to have anxieties about these issues,' he said.
'They will also have an economy to live in as well.'
Greta Thunberg's fiery speech at the UN Climate Action Summit in New York
This is all wrong. I shouldn't be standing here. I should be back in school on the other side of the ocean. Yet you all come to me for hope? How dare you! You have stolen my dreams and my childhood with your empty words. And yet I'm one of the lucky ones. People are suffering. People are dying. Entire ecosystems are collapsing. We are in the beginning of a mass extinction. And all you can talk about is money and fairytales of eternal economic growth. How dare you!
For more than 30 years the science has been crystal clear. How dare you continue to look away, and come here saying that you are doing enough, when the politics and solutions needed are still nowhere in sight.
You say you 'hear' us and that you understand the urgency. But no matter how sad and angry I am, I don't want to believe that. Because if you fully understood the situation and still kept on failing to act, then you would be evil. And I refuse to believe that.
The popular idea of cutting our emissions in half in 10 years only gives us a 50% chance of staying below 1.5C degrees, and the risk of setting off irreversible chain reactions beyond human control.
Maybe 50% is acceptable to you. But those numbers don't include tipping points, most feedback loops, additional warming hidden by toxic air pollution or the aspects of justice and equity. They also rely on my and my children's generation sucking hundreds of billions of tonnes of your CO2 out of the air with technologies that barely exist. So a 50% risk is simply not acceptable to us – we who have to live with the consequences.
To have a 67% chance of staying below a 1.5C global temperature rise – the best odds given by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change – the world had 420 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide left to emit back on 1 January 2018. Today that figure is already down to less than 350 gigatonnes. How dare you pretend that this can be solved with business-as-usual and some technical solutions. With today's emissions levels, that remaining CO2 budget will be entirely gone in less than eight and a half years.
There will not be any solutions or plans presented in line with these figures today. Because these numbers are too uncomfortable. And you are still not mature enough to tell it like it is.
You are failing us. But the young people are starting to understand your betrayal. The eyes of all future generations are upon you. And if you choose to fail us I say we will never forgive you. We will not let you get away with this. Right here, right now is where we draw the line. The world is waking up. And change is coming, whether you like it or not.

Psychologist says he's worried about the mental wellbeing of climate …

archived 25 Sep 2019 17:00:34 UTC

archive.li

 

[Positron]

Poor Chelsea, she isn't autistic enough to yell at her parents.

 

[Sīn the Moon Daddy]

CHELSEA DROPPING DIMES

She's your only child Hilldawg please don't take her for a walk!