The Greta Thunberg Debate

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For those of you who dont know, Greta is a young Swedish environmental activist focused on climate change. She's done TED talks, organized student strikes, and spoke at the UN Climate Change Conference. She is 16 and has been diagnosed with ASD and OCD.
People are seriously hating on this girl. Saying she is "mentally ill" "mentally underdeveloped" and that she is being forced by her parents to do these things. They are saying there is no way a 16 year old girl could possibly be this knowledgable about climate change and that she is being fed information and doesnt actually want to do this. And that her parents are using her for fame and money because noone on the spectrum would willingly give public speeches or be able to research and learn something to this extent:roll:

Anyone else know of her/have an opinion?
Personally (as a teenage girl who has strong opinions on climate change) I think its ridiculous that people feel so threatened by her that they would be this hateful. Because clearly a young intelligent woman could not possible think for herself:roll:

I think that people have very nasty opinions about her. I do think that they feel threatened and scared. I wonder if they would be feeling and saying those things if she was a boy instead. People can be very nasty. I don't think she's mentally underdeveloped at all. I think that people feel threatened, because that girl knows exactly what she's doing and it makes them feel uncomfortable that an autistic girl can have as much knowledge as she does.

I think this Vox commentary is spot on about the prejudice AS people face if they dare to be tall poppies and openly autistic, all the more so if they female.

https://www.vox.com/identities/2019/9/2 ... e=facebook

There's billions of dollars in profit at stake, so a lot of money gets spent to defend that, I think. And, there are plenty of people who will say anything if you pay them enough. Apparently, there is a network of opposition working to criticize her. I heard/read that they're radical free market true believers.

I read that Micheal Knowles, the "she's mentally ill," -guy got himself banned from Fox News!

I personally think the whole "how dare you!" thing isn't helping the conversation. I understand she's passionate, but it's a complicated issue with vast economic complexities. I happen to think she's right, but I think it's important to go about the conversation respectfully. The angry glaring and self righteous tone isn't going to win over the blockheads.

I don't thing she deserves to be hated on though, and that's horrible that people are piling onto her diagnoses.

On the one hand, I'd like to support her, because I think the climate thing is something that needs to be dealt with. On the other, I absolutely think her position is exceedingly alarmist and fatalistic, and the things she's calling for unrealistic and potentially dangerous. Furthermore, I absolutely think she's being taken advantage of, probably by her parents. What rational person goes along with their second graders plan to drop out of school, for whatever reason?

I think we should be alarmed about climate change.
And it's very brave of Greta to stand up to the haters and say so.

She is young, female and on the spectrum so is patronised. Definitely misunderstood.

Indeed. If I want to be a doctor, why should I not just go be a doctor and instead have to go to school first? If I want to be an astronaut, why don't they just launch me into space immediately? She's not working in "climate science"; she's a climate activist. When she claims "the science has been clear for decades" she's not talking about her own work, she's talking about a few specific pieces of science that have no doubt been presented to her as undisputable by others in her climate activist circles, which are regarded as perhaps not quite as undisputable in the wider science community.

Unfortunately I like motor vehicles too much to be an environmentalist; the older bigger and noisier and smokier they are, the more I like them, e.g. 1960s Land-Rovers, steam engines, vintage buses. My first word was "tractor". Sorry, planet: it's not that I don't like you, I just like other things more...

However, at Greta Thunberg's age I was too busy feeling sorry for myself to campaign for anything bigger than my next pizza. From one interview with her that I remember reading, she's already come through that phase and way out the other side of it! I believe in the same interview she also revealed she'd been anorexic in the past. It takes amazing determination to pull yourself out of that.

Hooray for the fact an Aspie is out there being passionate and articulate, thus proving to the world that we can have feelings and can, in some way, engage with the rest of the human race. Quite honestly I wish the media would remind NTs, every time Greta Thunberg is mentioned, that she has A.S.D. I guess she herself wouldn't necessarily welcome that, though. But it seems to me she is a great ambassador for the condition, and I love the way she refers to her Asperger's as a "superpower": reminds me that there actually are a few things NTs have said I was really good at, even though there are a lot of things I'm terrible at.

She may have affluent and somewhat indulgent parents, but you can't blame someone for being born into a certain household any more than you can blame them for being born neurodivergent. Nor can you blame the parents of a girl who used to be withdrawn and depressed for supporting her when she discovers some motivation for getting out of her bedroom and doing something.

Nobody deserves to be vilified just for having an opinion.

The culture of “outrage” has really gone too far.

If you don’t agree with the girl, provide scientific proof that her “catastrophic” notions are wrong. I don’t believe we’re headed for a calamity, personally.

But let’s discuss this thing rationally, rather than be nasty to this person.

The Establishment never likes being told things it would prefer not to have to listen to. Those on the side of the Establishment instinctively attack anyone who appears to be in any way against it. The Establishment doesn't even have to ask them! They just jump in and do it.

Science is not my thing but if this young lady is saying we ought to make a few changes before it's too late, she may have a point. The mainstream was always going to find some reason to pillory her.

What I will say is that if you are willing to be any form of public figure then it is inevitable that criticism, and even outright abuse, will be heading your way. This was probably always the case, but it is particularly true in this age of social media.

However, people should do their best to focus, to use a football/soccer cliche, on the ball rather than the player.