Bon voyage Greta Thunberg

I assume they have a back up boat/ship? It seems rather an arduous journey for them. Fine, if you're a hardened sailor and you know what you're doing.

Just a bit unsure about all this. It's great to be raising awareness but according to Greta's Mum, the girl can see CO2 with her naked eye.

Which she can't.

I've travelled the Atlantic in a massive ship. It got a bit hairy a couple of times. Let's hope the weather's kind. But it can be very scary out there.

I totally agree with David, Monica, GrannyGravy, Urmstongran, and Craftyone. Every time she’s yet again paraded in front of the media my hackles rise. If she’s on the spectrum as has been suggested then I can see why she is so obsessed. She could easily have addressed the conference by video link rather than virtue signalling with this ridiculous stunt.

I agree with maddyone et al. I feel most uncomfortable about it all.

Has this yacht done the trip before?
I'm glad her father is going with her at least, although I don't agree with this and think it is a form of virtue signalling.

What was the carbon footprint incurred in the manufacture of this yacht? Do we know? Does Greta know?

Apparently, scientists funded by Bill Gates are researching how to seed the atmosphere to bring about global cooling through geoengineering.

We only need another natural disaster such as a super volcano blowing and, coupled with this meddling, all life on earth could become extinct.

I, too, feel there's an awful lot of manipulation of a vulnerable young woman. What are her parents thinking, allowing such a dangerous trip?
As others say, how will the return trip be made, and how did she get from Sweden to the UK?
Climate change is serious, and a huge concern, but I'm not sure that gimmicks such as this will really achieve very much, other than possibly endanger this young girls life and those who may end up having to try and rescue her.

Yeah, I'm sure she knows exactly how the boat was built. But it was already built. She didn't have it made specially. And her trip in it will be close to carbon neutral.

What do you expect of this kid? Really?? Should she lash a few bits of wood together, make a raft and hope for good weather?

She has been likened to Joan of Arc, and I think there are some similarities, in that her beliefs are being exploited by those older and more cynical for their own advantage, who will abandon her when she no longer serves their purpose.

Perhaps they need to get some Gransnetters onto the committee who decides who get a Nobel Prize. Ah, no! I forgot something.....

She's only 16 - maybe in ten years time she may have had quite a few real-life experiences that will cause her to look back and think: "was I THAT naive back then?"

She means well but IMHO she's being exploited as some environmental Joan of Arc character.

She has made it clear she has her own views and is not being “used”, though why would anyone use her to promote , what is , an important message when there are so many cynics out there who will rubbish anyone who points out we are facing an environmental crisis? Listen to the message, don’t shoot the messenger.

How real do you want her life experiences to get?!

Ae they sailing from The Mayflower Steps?

Gonegirl “what do you expect of this kid”..... I am worried that she is being exploited, if she is on the autism spectrum as has been speculated, it is easy for these young people to get fixated on a single subject, and loose “objectivity” (I have a GC on the spectrum)

She appears to be obsessed on the point of terrified about the climate change situation.

'A Swedish documentary maker will be on board'

And I wonder just how many of the kiddies who bunked off school to protest about climate change during term time have blithely gone abroad to far-flung climes on......an airplane?

I live in Plymouth so I might go wave her off, but it is absolutely chucking it down at the minute.
Typical it is the National Fireworks Competition this evening and it nearly always rains when that is on.

Interesting information about the boat:

here

Good publicity all round but where does that leave the rest of us with travel plans? Do we cancel, go and feel guilty or charter this yacht?

I read some weeks ago that her father is travelling with her and that they will be spending some months in the USA.

I honestly can't understand why people are so determined to "shoot the messenger", as if the planet's crisis was of her making. We should instead be turning our fire on those who have reduced us to this truly perilous state via their immense greed and utter disregard for the effects of their actions. Read about indigenous people's current ghastly plight and try and imagine how you will feel and cope when their suffering, inevitably, becomes yours and your family's.

"I'm all right Jack" is not a plan.

No way is she on the autistic spectrum! She makes good eye contact with everyone she meets, and is an excellent communicator!

She has Asperger's, GG. I believe that's on the autistic spectrum. But I'm no expert.

Like I say Callistemon, the boat's already in existence. It's not being made specially for her. She is making good use of it.

Perhaps we just need, as ordinary people, to ration our flying where we can. But it's the business people and the private jetters that are really the target.

No way minimoo

There's an interview with her saying she has it. Unless I dreamt it. Which isn't beyond the realms of possibility.

Ok, she has. But she's using it well. And it must be very mild.