Greta Thunberg is a Pain in the proverbial

Can’t watch her, too shrill. Tried to, but I just get irritated and unfortunately so because a lot of what she stands for is correct.

I think she’s doing a good job raising awareness, but I wonder how much of what she says is impacting on the young people.
They are much more aware, but the group I was talking with a few days ago age 15 - 20 still talked about ambitions to have a car, new clothes and holidays abroad.

And I’m not sure why I’m being singled out by quite a few people on this thread.
I’ve said far less than many others.
All I’ve said is I find her annoying - so what? I’ve not commented on her appearance, or said I think she’s talking rubbish.
Plenty of people before her have said exactly the same things, she’s not saying anything new which is why I’m surprised at all the media attention.
And my point about mobile phones is not ‘silly’ as some of you suggest.
Where is your phone / laptop made?
What are the costs to the environment in having these ( low shelf life ) items?
They’ve only been around about 15 years & I’m already on my 5th phone.
Aren’t Samsung a South Korean company? One of the biggest polluters in the world.
Who are the biggest buyers of smart phones? I’d say younger people, the very people hanging on Greta’s every word ( whilst taking pictures of her on their non essential, bad for the planet, made in the country they’re complaining about, smart phone.

I think what I find bizarre is the insistence that we were green when we were young because we had no central heating but today’s youth aren’t green because they like mobile phones and want to go on holiday.

It’s much bigger than that. This is what I mean when I’ve said that people don’t really understand the problem. We can recycle, stop eating meat, avoid single use plastic, all those things. But it’s a drop in the ocean. It doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be doing them, they are all perfectly valid things, but we need global action. We need the world’s governments to get together and solve the big problems – replacements for polluting energy, replacement for single use plastics, halting deforestation. And it’s no use claiming that China or Russia aren’t doing their bit so why should we – that’s the point. “The Planet” doesn’t care about whether you’re Russian, British or anything else, and that’s what Greta’s raising awareness about.

If you are complaining about her because you think she’s blaming “you” because “you” are in the older generation, that’s not correct. She’s blaming the generations of governments of all nationalities who have known about this for 40+ years and have done nothing about it. Anyone who thinks that the approach of politely asking governments to sort it out is the way to go must see that this hasn't worked?

And by the way if you want to see a country that’s not doing its bit – take a look at Australia.

Good points, well made, Alegrias.

Kandinsky

And I’m not sure why I’m being singled out by quite a few people on this thread.
I’ve said far less than many others.
All I’ve said is I find her annoying - so what? I’ve not commented on her appearance, or said I think she’s talking rubbish.
Plenty of people before her have said exactly the same things, she’s not saying anything new which is why I’m surprised at all the media attention.
And my point about mobile phones is not ‘silly’ as some of you suggest.
Where is your phone / laptop made?
What are the costs to the environment in having these ( low shelf life ) items?
They’ve only been around about 15 years & I’m already on my 5th phone.
Aren’t Samsung a South Korean company? One of the biggest polluters in the world.
Who are the biggest buyers of smart phones? I’d say younger people, the very people hanging on Greta’s every word ( whilst taking pictures of her on their non essential, bad for the planet, made in the country they’re complaining about, smart phone.

For what it’s worth...I agree with you. It’s not just the obvious use of energy, which the ‘big boys’ control. We could make a difference if we really wanted to....
People are on the internet all the time.
Using their cars.
Holidaying
Leaving unnecessary lights on
Watching dross on the tv
Getting shopping delivered when perhaps they could walk or cycle.
Throwing things which could be repaired...away
Cutting down on washing.
Drying clothes outside as much as possible.
No baths...just showers, and not the power kind.

Can anyone think of anymore? Just the small things which we can change right now.

Also, I didn’t realise Greta is 18. How time has flown. I thought she was about 14.

The small things are a start.

DiscoDancer1975

The small things are a start.

Its been 40 years. We need to be getting past the "start" now.

Mollygo

I think she’s doing a good job raising awareness, but I wonder how much of what she says is impacting on the young people.
They are much more aware, but the group I was talking with a few days ago age 15 - 20 still talked about ambitions to have a car, new clothes and holidays abroad.

It is odd and worrying. There seems to be a disconnect with some young people between how they themselves live and their ambitions for their own futures and what they think leaders and politicians and others should be doing to save the planet.

I'm getting increasingly annoyed by all the adverts that are on TV, especially around the time that the news is on, exhorting us to plant a garden or teach our children to put the lights out to save the planet. I'm afraid those rather misguided people annoy me a lot more than Greta does.

I don't particularly warm to her but admit that she is passionate about the planet.
The trouble is, I don't believe she would ever be satisfied. She wants immediate, drastic change, right this minute, and I think she lacks the maturity to understand that humans are not ready to commit to a totally green life.
I'm sure she'd be happy if everyone gave up their cars, all flights were banned, no-one ate beef etc, but she seems to have no idea of the consequences. Farmers going out of business, thousands of jobs lost, not enough green energy to meet needs etc.
It's all very well saying ' insulate your home, install heat pumps' etc, but many people can barely afford food, let alone expensive home improvements.

We need the world’s governments to get together and solve the big problems

But are they the ones really in charge or is it big businesses and investment banks etc?

Antonia

I don't particularly warm to her but admit that she is passionate about the planet.
The trouble is, I don't believe she would ever be satisfied. She wants immediate, drastic change, right this minute, and I think she lacks the maturity to understand that humans are not ready to commit to a totally green life.
I'm sure she'd be happy if everyone gave up their cars, all flights were banned, no-one ate beef etc, but she seems to have no idea of the consequences. Farmers going out of business, thousands of jobs lost, not enough green energy to meet needs etc.
It's all very well saying ' insulate your home, install heat pumps' etc, but many people can barely afford food, let alone expensive home improvements.

I really suggest you read my post Antonia.

Calistemon

^We need the world’s governments to get together and solve the big problems^

But are they the ones really in charge or is it big businesses and investment banks etc?

That's why we need COP. They need to sort it out.

For example - if there were government subsidies to move companies from Oil and Gas production to Greener energy, then companies would move. If it was economically more favourable to build wind turbines than coal power stations, companies would change.

I know I'm simplifying but you know what I mean.

Well if we can’t use laptops, phones etc just how are going to communicate with others, maybe visit them using our cars and private planes for a face to face talk. We have people coming on here talking about what they did and the good old days but don’t forget what we did do that is considered so wrong for the environment I for one like Greta, she has energy and at least tries to live her life by her beliefs, it is her world that she is fighting for as we will be long gone.

There is a thing called a simple phone if you want to talk to people - that thing without a fancy camera & internet access attached to it.
Does anyone use a landline phone anymore?
Kind of proves my point about how reliant we’ve become on unnecessary consumerism.

Barmeyoldbat

Well if we can’t use laptops, phones etc just how are going to communicate with others, maybe visit them using our cars and private planes for a face to face talk. We have people coming on here talking about what they did and the good old days but don’t forget what we did do that is considered so wrong for the environment I for one like Greta, she has energy and at least tries to live her life by her beliefs, it is her world that she is fighting for as we will be long gone.

How old are you? We all managed perfectly well 30 years ago, without these things. Not a private plane in sight! In fact...no planes at all. We rarely left the town we lived in. We all lived and worked there.

This is what I’d like to see again. Nothing to do with climate change, just purely and simply, I think people were happier.

...and we lived in a paper bag in't middle of t'road.

And we were grateful for it.

I know I'm simplifying but you know what I mean.
Yes, I take the point.

Does anyone use a landline phone anymore?
We do! Although I do have a mobile too (my second one).

David Attenborough has spdnt a life time studying nature up close. Her Majesty again has seen our world change. These people should be respected and listened to.

I have no interest in a child but only worry she has been exploited. (And yes I have read she is now 18)

I'll say this again - Her Majesty who thinks that the week after telling the world that we all need to work together to save the planet, flies from her big house in Windsor to her big house in Sandringham for the weekend?

I'll stick with Greta, thanks.

How old are you? We all managed perfectly well 30 years ago, without these things. Not a private plane in sight! In fact...no planes at all. We rarely left the town we lived in. We all lived and worked there.

This is what I’d like to see again. Nothing to do with climate change, just purely and simply, I think people were happier.

I'm not sure if your post was tongue-in-cheek, DiscoDancer but that's not how I remember life 30 years ago.

Rarely left the town we lived in?
Even 170 years ago my family, DH's family were on the move, building railways, moving round the country for work, going overseas. Unfortunately trips overseas probably meant by coal driven steam ship, the latest invention then.
We must be part of the problem.

Alegrias1

^...and we lived in a paper bag in't middle of t'road.^

And we were grateful for it.

I had to laugh, Alegrias

Though I think that lambasting the yoghurt pot recyclers is a bit mean... Isn't it a good thing that people want to do their little bit, not sit back and expect the big boys to sort it all out?

What is required from the big boys is money, a social conscience, a will to work in concert and to lose any hint of paternalism or superiority in their actions.

I'm going to repost the PM of Barbados' speech to COP26.
(Some of the comments on the blog are interesting, too).

www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2021/11/05/qe-can-be-used-to-beat-climate-change/

^ Unfortunately trips overseas probably meant by coal driven steam ship, the latest invention then^.
We must be part of the problem.

They didn't know how they were affecting the environment then (and there were a lot fewer of them...)

Climate change has been on the cards and known about for decades now.

Though I think that lambasting the yoghurt pot recyclers is a bit mean... Isn't it a good thing that people want to do their little bit, not sit back and expect the big boys to sort it all out?

I always wash my yogurt pots, although I do admit that I used to knit my own yogurt but don't any more.

For a start, perhaps we put too much trust in the big boys to sort out our yogurt pots etc yet we see so many councils are failing and dumping the problem on third world countries.