I for one, admire her. I know I wouldn’t be happy to be arrested just for protesting for something I truly believe in. She’s doing the hard work we can’t.
this post was submitted on 19 Oct 2023
127 points (96.4% liked)
Climate@stad
47 readers
1 users here now
Climate News / Opinion
Both news and articles of interest. "Solarpunk" as well as dystopian articles welcome, but they should be rooted in talking about projections, technology, society or ideas relating to climate change and our future not be pure fiction.
founded 1 year ago
100%. Very impressive commitment.
She’s doing the hard work we can’t.
This is the problem that makes me uncomfortable with how the media presents Greta as a "global icon". She is the child of a famous and wealthy family from a wealthy nation, this is how she can afford to do "the hard work we can't".
I don't have a problem with her, or what she does, she is operating within her abilities to do the most she can. However, the way the media presents her comes off as white savior syndrome.
Only the offspring of the wealthy, who have been largely isolated from the consequences of climate change are fit to save the planet. And how do they do that......? Well by being "controversial" and increasing value for media conglomerates.
I think the media likes to only broadcast solutions for problems if they think they will benefit from the solving. They want people to believe if you don't have the resources or the media's eye, then you don't have any power. In reality these figure heads serve a purpose, but the true change typically comes from the local small scale organization of mutual aid.
I agree with you. I still think that because of her wealthy background she is doing what we can’t. I can’t miss work to go on protests or I can’t make rent. I can’t get arrested or I couldn’t get a job in my field. I can’t go and be the voice of an idea because I have a family to provide for. Whatever the media is trying to sell us, she is making us aware of the lack of efficacy small scale organisation have to shift the public’s opinion, and consequently enpowring us to vote for the politicians that at least try to do something about this problem the planet is facing. But you’re not wrong.
Because these are the kind of people that are currently running the country I live in love to the ground. https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2023/oct/19/sunaks-covid-startup-fund-invested-nearly-2m-in-firms-linked-to-his-wife
Right... I'm not saying that climate change is good. I'm just saying that the media likes to pull focus on individuals who entertain us rather than have us focus on meaningful collective action.
Honestly, I thought she could convert her reputation into some bigger campaign or initiative. Just joining in as a regular person is encouraging to others on her side and brings attention but wastes her potential.
I don't really know if there is anything else a teenager can really do. An influential teen or person in their early 20s doesn't really have a lot to offer a climate change org other than their influence.
They don't have the know how of someone who's actually worked in the org, they don't have experience to set up an org, they aren't going to be coming up with an actual plan. Their value to any organization is just going to be as an influencer.
She is bigger than any of us in this thread and no doubt faced more big media-persons and advocates for right things than we did. Some of them could help her, navigate her, or she could use her connection to them to make an impact.
I can't criticize her from my pov, but imho she does a private's job as an established officer, or even commander.
She is, for some years, the icon of eco themes. She is the household name to bring the breed of new activists and more intiatives.
But I'm kind of worried if she got exhausted by what attention she got, offences, death-threats. That causing her defaulting to be just a regular person in the protest, the thing she's used to do. Thus, limiting her reach.
speedrunning at this point
That's a jaw you could break rocks with.
oh look another day in thr 24/hr news cycle.