Who is Greta Thunburg? Greta has emerged as the face of environmentalism, igniting a global movement for climate change. Is Greta a force for change, a distraction from the real issue, a wolf in sheep's clothing, or a weapon of the left? Should we even care about her at all?
Greta Thunberg is a force for change
Greta Thunberg has inspired millions of people around the globe. She is a force for change.
Greta Thunberg is inspiring
Greta has an uncanny ability to inspire both children and adults alike.
In part, Greta Thunberg's Asperger's syndrome has helped her see through the social cues surrounding climate change and grapple with the bare facts, and the facts are nothing short of terrifying.
Greta Thunberg is the relatable face of a movement
Greta built on the work of many activists that went before her, many of whom were people of colour. Her status as a young, white female has allowed her to break through the noise and capture the world's attention.
Greta Thunberg puts those most affected at the forefront
As a young 16-year-old, her emergence as the face of climate activism puts those most affected by the crisis at the forefront of demands for a solution.
Greta Thunberg is mobilizing people. That is all that matters.
Greta Thunberg is getting people to take note
The most important thing is to mobilise people to take action against climate change. It doesn't matter who Greta Thunberg is. What matters is the effect she has on the movement.
Canonising Greta has only succeeded in distracting people from the issue at hand: taking action to prevent further climate-induced calamity.
Greta Thunberg is a consumable product
Greta Thunburg has been idolized as the face of the climate change movement. But Greta is being consumed by the public as a social media icon, and people would rather retweet her than take any meaningful action.
Climate change deniers struggle to attack scientists that stay out of the public eye or the abstract notion of climate change. They can target Greta, a physical embodiment of the climate change movement, and keep the discussion centered on her instead of the policy and science of climate change.
Greta Thunberg is a young, inexperienced, privileged teenager who travels around the world to address international bodies.
Greta Thunberg is a hypocrite
Greta Thunberg spreads her message of emission reductions while travelling around the globe using carbon-intensive modes of transport. Greta Thunberg is a hypocrite who contributes to the problem.
Greta Thunberg is rich. When someone born with a silver spoon in their mouth tells others to change their lifestyle, it does not go down well. People just don't like being talked down to by those with privilege.
Thunberg spends her time lecturing the governments of Europe and North America without mentioning nations like China and India, who are both serious emissions offenders.
Greta Thunberg is a vulnerable child who has been manipulated and weaponised by the left in the hope that critics will refrain from publicly attacking a young disabled girl.
Greta Thunberg identity makes her difficult to attack
As a teenage girl with Asperger's syndrome, she is difficult for the right to attack without looking like bullies.