Greta Thunberg is a Pain in the proverbial

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).

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

And we were grateful for it.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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'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.

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.

DiscoDancer1975

The small things are a start.

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

The small things are a start.

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.

Good points, well made, Alegrias.

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.

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 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.

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.

Actually it was me who brought up washing yogurt pots.

To reduce that to ‘washing yoghurt pots’ as Kandinsky suggests is as silly as it’s offensive

I never said that. Please check who actually said what before accusing them of being offensive.

I’m late to this thread but I’ve read it all. Some of the comments are gransnet at its worst. Vitriolic, ignorant comments about an 18 year old who as has been pointed out is on the autistic spectrum. Her area of special interest is the environment, the devastating impact of climate change. She’s making a noise, the media report on her.

She and David A have become recognisable figure heads. It can only be positive if it encourages us to think about this important issue. To reduce that to ‘washing yoghurt pots’ as Kandinsky suggests is as silly as it’s offensive.

There are some smug references to our generation walking to school, suggesting today’s parents are over protective and too busy to walk their children. The roads were safer in the 50’s and 60’s - they’re dangerous now. Central heating, we didn’t gave it we burned coal.
I get the impression some posters would be pleased to see Greta drown under the pressures she faces

I’m late to this thread but I’ve read it all. Some of the comments are gransnet at its worst. Vitriolic, ignorant comments about an 18 year old who as has been pointed out is on the autistic spectrum. Her area of special interest is the environment, the devastating impact of climate change. She’s making a noise, the media report on her.

She and David A have become recognisable figure heads. It can only be positive if it encourages us to think about this important issue. To reduce that to ‘washing yoghurt pots’ as Kandinsky suggests is as silly as it’s offensive.

There are some smug references to our generation walking to school, suggesting today’s parents are over protective and too busy to walk their children. The roads were safer in the 50’s and 60’s - they’re dangerous now. Central heating, we didn’t gave it we burned coal.
I get the impression some posters would be pleased to see Greta drown under the pressures she faces.

*I expected nothing else from you both Lucca/BlueBelle

Do explain yourself timetogo what does this mean
Surely you can do better than just leave that hanging !*

Yes please Timetogo. What did your comment mean ?

Daisymae

Say what you like about Greta, she's not wrong.

Definitely