Climate Change Protests - will they make a difference?

I do not agree

mycatisahacker the “sulky looking kid” has Asperger so maybe that’s why she doesn’t smile a lot?

Please don’t jump on me Alexa because this is a genuine question.

When you say “She has done more to sort the extinction crisis than most other people” what exactly in practical terms has changed?

I get that she has played her part in raising awareness but is there anything that is substantially different because of that? Has any government or big commercial/industrial organisation committed to or even carried out any effective change?

If she is autistic. I wonder, among all the adulation, who is looking after her mental health.

There is another thread discussing this, or at least there was yesterday.

You accidentally got the wrong word there Monica. You said "adulation*. Sure you meant admiration.

I loved her cheeky sense of humour when she was addressing the MPs. "Is my English ok? Can you hear me. Because sometimes I wonder". I don't think she was referring to that speech alone.

Eglantine she has got governments listening. Now Extinction Rebellion want to hold talks with ours to get them moving. So far progress has been very slow. (Unenthusiastic?)

Bellsnonna

Well if that is indeed the case then her parents are massively letting her down instead of turning her into a public spectacle she should be in school.

In my view lording and fawning around any child is crazy behaviour. Seeing the adult MPs hanging on her every word was Frankly embarrassing.

She is obviously being taken advantage of and it should stop.

mycat you are simply wrong.

Gonegirl

I think you meant to say you disagree with me. I think you are wrong but you are fully entitled to your opinion as are everyone else on this thread.

I don’t think children should be taken advantage of whatever the cause. It’s disturbing and again I say she should be in school getting an education.

Mmmm - so this 16 year old is too young to understand and is being exploited by others in her life whereas recently a 15 year old schoolgirl was held by many on GN to be completely responsible for all her actions and knew exactly what she was doing? Mmmm mmmm

When people on here say you "are worried abou her", I don't believe you. You are trying to justify your out-of-date pathetic views.

Monica you say you have not heard her in action. Shame on you. There are links on the threads.

She does go to school and has obviously had a good education if the standard of her English is anything to go by. Her parents are very supportive. Maybe you’d be ok with her watching the Kardashians all day like other 16 year olds.

I meant to say what I said mycat.

Well you know I don’t think the protest will change anything GG.

I think it will become yesterday’s news and nothing will change.

Time will tell.

When it comes to doing something about it I think my ideas are more radical than most!

out of date pathetic views

So you agree with a vulnerable child being paraded as the poster girl for climate change? A child who seemingly has Aspergers!

I think it’s almost akin to grooming actually.

Very distasteful and exploitative.

I think your eagerness to defend the actions of these protesters has clouded your judgment.

My 16 year olds didn’t watch the kardashians all day neither did we allow other adults to exploit them.

Normal parenting falls in the middle.

I find it actually very worrying as we all know where very passionate views take young people.

As you point out Maryeliza teenage brains are very vulnerable to exploitation by adults with agendas.

Glad you see the similarity

How can she be a "poster girl"?! She, very bravely, started the whole thing off. She is heading the youth side of this campaign. Why should that be described as being a "poster girl"?

"almost akin to grooming"!!! Just how far are you going to take this?

Gillybob and co - ok, grumble about the inconvenience ER is putting people to if you like

Firstly Rowantree I do not have an "and Co." on Gransnet

and secondly whilst the protesters, road closures and filth left behind etc. do not effect me directly (as I live no where near London) I do feel for those ordinary people who are paid by the hour and will have lost wages during over the last couple of weeks. Likewise people who have been unable to get to hospital appointments etc.

To be honest I am fed up with the people who poo-poo and pull apart those of us who do as much as they can for the environment _within the confines of their own individual circumstances_. Are they saying that unless we all walk out of work and responsibilities and camp in London we are not doing enough? Ridiculous.

I wonder if these young people will remember that they are as guilty as anyone with their mobile phones and plastic bottles of water etc, do they just think its everyone else
I agree Governments should do more about climate change, but i think these protesters are being very unfair disrupting peoples holidays and also people trying to get to work etc

No one is saying that. Each to their own.

The protestors cleaned up. There were plenty of road diversions. No one lost their jobs. Or do you have evidence of the latter?

She very bravely started the whole thing off

What climate change debate?? Don’t be silly. That debate is older than this kid.

And yes I do say akin to grooming as she’s obviously being manipulated by older adults for a cause.

And now we hear she has Aspergers then I find it doubly troubling

Gonegirl

Yes people were laid off due to the protests. Many on zero hours contracts. You should listen to the radio more and local London stations not radio 4 perhaps.