Why Greta Thunberg makes us so uncomfortable

Why Greta Thunberg makes us so uncomfortable

Greta Thunberg, a climate activist of school age, confronted us with some hard truths

Greta Thunberg is a threat. It is a threat to the billion dollar cattle economy and the mighty lobby for fossil fuels.

In fact, it is a threat to our way of life. She questions the idea that - as a voluntary, self -determined individuals - we should have the right to consume as much as we want, be it, eating or free time.

Greta Thunberg questions the idea that it is okay to do what you can do in the fight against climate change instead of everything you can, which is why it - and so many others - feels an uncomfortable feeling.

Nobody likes to be described as weak or hypocritical. WOHNTEGER INFORMATION Perhaps become vegetarians, fly less and recycles more, but when we see how Greta Thunberg lives her beliefs more steadfastly, this questions our commitment.

Alt = "Greta Thunberg has launched a worldwide school strike movement"Liv Oeian/ShutterstockGreta Thunberg about her school strike

We at Atlas & Boots often work for environmental issues. We have complained that the world does not get better, have shared simple paths to travel environmentally friendly and have taken action against meat consumption, overpopulation, overtourism and depression.

We have taken steps to compensate for our CO2 footprint, and you will never see us brag about the number of flights that we have done this year as some do.

We try to avoid short trips such as those to the Faroe Islands and Catalonia, and prefer longer trips where two flights could mean that we are traveling for months in contrast to only days. I have not eaten meat since I was 13 and Peter is also (largely) vegetarian.

And yet we still fly and we are not vegans, which is why it was terrifying to hear how Howard Lyman, former cattle breeder and now climate activist, said in Cowspiracy that you simply cannot be an environmentalist and eat animal products.

That unsettled us as well as Greta Thunberg. This schoolgirl activist embodies hard things that we know that they are true, but which we ignore, hoping that someone else will fix the problem.

Greta Thunberg

When Greta started a solo climate protest in front of the Swedish parliament building in August 2018, nobody suspected that this would trigger a global movement in which one million students organized school strikes in 125 countries and brought her nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize. Greta has shown that you have to do everything you can, which is why she is so annoyed by the powerful.

In August 2019, Mohammed Barkindo, General Secretary of the Organization of Colonized Countries, Greta and other activists described fossil fuels as the "greatest threat" for the industry.

Alt = "Greta Thunberg sails to the UN climate summit over the Atlantic"Fair useGreta Thunberg sails for the UN climate summit over the Atlantic

Politicians and experts were loud and described them as "strange", "frightening", the "deeply disturbed Messiah of the global warming movement", an "apocalyptic guru", "incredibly influential" and someone who "looks increasingly like that and sounds like a sect member".

Greta, who is a vegan and has given up flying, is a threat because she forces us to deal with problems that we would rather avoid. She is not perfect and we shouldn't expect it from her either, but it is effectively emphasized some hard truths.

Become a vegan

According to the UN report Tackling Climate Change Through Livestock, animal husbandry is responsible for a larger proportion of global greenhouse gas emissions than the entire transport including air travel (14 to 18 % compared to 13.5 %).

Alt = "A vegan diet is probably the best way to reduce its effects on planet Earth"Julia Grigorjewa/ShutterstockA vegan diet is the best way to reduce the effects on the planet

Researchers at the University of Oxford found that a vegan diet could reduce our CO2 footprint by food by up to 73 %.

Joseph Poore, environmental researcher at the university, says: "A vegan diet is probably the biggest way to reduce its effects on planet earth ... it is far greater than the reduction of her flights or buying an electric car."

Have fewer children

This is controversial for several reasons. The right to reproduction is widely regarded as a fundamental human right. Efforts to contain the reproductive rate are probably considered to be draconian, which could explain why politicians simply refuse to discuss it.

Some argue that it does not matter how many people there are, but how much they consume. An American produces 40 times more emissions than a Bangladescher, so it's not just about how many children you have, but also where and who you are.

Less travel

A transatlantic return flight can release around 1.6 tons of CO2, almost as much as the average annual emissions of a person in India.

Alt = "Use alternative modes of transport if possible"Photoncatcher/ShutterstockIf possible, use alternative means of transport

If your income is bound to travel - as with us - then you choose fewer, longer trips instead of numerous short trips. Use alternative means of transport if possible. It is true that we cannot charter all solar -powered yachts for our Atlantic crossing, but we can take trains and ferries and more sustainable means of transport.

Give up almost fashion

The clothing sector is responsible for around 3 % of global CO2 emissions. The pace of the fast fashion contributes to this number, since inferior clothing is bought and thrown away after very little use.

It is important to invest in better, more durable clothing. Decide on natural fibers against synthetic materials, the latter of which release hundreds of thousands of plastic microfibers per laundry, most of which end up in our oceans.

Tell your friends

Scientists have found that if a person makes a socially conscious decision, other people will follow their example. For example, customers ordered in a café in the United States, which was said that 30 % of the Americans had started eating less meat, twice as often a meatless lunch. Households installed in California tend to be solar collectors in districts in which they already exist.

Alt = "Greta's solo protest triggered a global movement"According to Grunditz/ShutterstockGreta's solo protest triggered a global movement

This domino effect may be the reason why people reacted so strongly to Greta Thunberg. She sets an example that is difficult to ignore. Their actions force us to face us in view of the greatest crisis of our time of our indifference and apathy, our indolence and hypocrisy.

"Where are the adults?" she asked on Twitter. The answer is that we are everywhere, but we are too busy passing on the Black Peter.

Alt = "Greta Thunberg Pinterest Pin"

In August 2018, 15-year-old Greta Thunberg decided not to go to school one day. Her actions triggered a global action movement against the climate crisis and brought her a nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize. Nobody is too small to make a difference, Greta brings you for the first time in her own words.

Main picture: Antonello Marangi/Shutterstock

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