Why Greta Thunberg makes us so uncomfortable

Why Greta Thunberg makes us so uncomfortable

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

Greta Thunberg is a threat. It is a threat to the multi-billion dollar livestock industry and the powerful fossil fuel lobby.

In fact, it is a threat to our way of life. She challenges the idea that we – as voluntary, self-determined individuals – should have the right to consume as much as we want, be it travel, food or leisure.

Greta Thunberg challenges the idea that it's okay to do what you can rather than all you can in the fight against climate change, which is why she makes us - and so many others - uncomfortable.

Nobody likes to be called weak or hypocritical. Would-be environmentalists may become vegetarians, fly less and recycle more, but when we see Greta Thunberg living her convictions more steadfastly, it calls our commitment into question.

alt=“Greta Thunberg has launched a global school strike movement”>Liv Oeian/ShutterstockGreta Thunberg on her school strike

At Atlas & Boots, we often advocate for environmental causes. We've lamented the fact that the world isn't getting better, shared simple ways to travel eco-friendly, and pushed back against meat consumption, overpopulation, overtourism, and extinction tourism.

We've taken steps to offset our carbon footprint and you'll never see us bragging about the number of flights we've taken this year, as some do.

We try to avoid short trips like those to the Faroe Islands and Catalonia, preferring longer trips where two flights could mean traveling for months as opposed to just days. I haven't eaten meat since I was 13 and Peter is also (largely) vegetarian.

And yet we're still flying and we're not vegans, which is why it was shocking to hear former rancher turned climate activist Howard Lyman say in Cowspiracy that you simply can't be an environmentalist and eat animal products.

This unsettled us just as much as it unsettled Greta Thunberg. This schoolgirl activist embodies hard things that we know to be true but ignore in hopes that someone else will fix the problem.

Greta Thunberg

When Greta launched a solo climate protest outside the Swedish Parliament building in August 2018, no one imagined that it would spark a global movement in which a million students in 125 countries organized school strikes and earned her a Nobel Peace Prize nomination. Greta has shown that you have to do everything you can, which is why she angers those in power so much.

In August 2019, Mohammed Barkindo, secretary general of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, called Greta and other activists the “biggest threat” to the fossil fuel industry.

alt=“Greta Thunberg sails across the Atlantic for the UN climate summit”>Fair useGreta Thunberg sails across the Atlantic for the UN climate summit

Politicians and pundits were vocal, calling her "strange," "terrifying," the "deeply disturbed messiah of the global warming movement," an "apocalyptic guru," "terribly influential," and someone who "increasingly looks and sounds like a cult member."

Greta, who is vegan and has given up flying, is a threat because she forces us to deal with problems we would rather avoid. She's not perfect and we shouldn't expect her to be, but she's effective at highlighting some hard truths.

Become a vegan

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

alt="A vegan diet is probably the best way to reduce your impact on planet Earth">Yulia Grigoryeva/ShutterstockA vegan diet is considered the best way to reduce your impact on the planet

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

Joseph Poore, an environmental researcher at the university, says: "A vegan diet is probably the biggest way you can reduce your impact on planet Earth... It's far bigger than reducing your flights or buying an electric car."

Have fewer children

This is controversial for several reasons. The right to reproduce is widely viewed as a fundamental human right. Efforts to curb reproduction rates are likely to be viewed as draconian, which may explain why politicians simply refuse to discuss it.

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

Travel less

A round-trip transatlantic flight can release around 1.6 tonnes of CO2, almost as much as the average annual emissions of one person in India.

alt=“Use alternative means of transport if possible”>PhotonCatcher/ShutterstockUse alternative means of transport if possible

If your income is tied to travel - like ours - then opt for fewer, longer trips instead of numerous short trips. Use alternative means of transport if possible. It's true that we can't all charter solar-powered yachts for our Atlantic crossing, but we can take trains and ferries and more sustainable forms of transportation.

Give up fast fashion

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

It's important to invest in better, longer-lasting clothing. Choose natural fibers over synthetic materials, the latter of which release hundreds of thousands of plastic microfibers per wash, most of which end up in our oceans.

Tell your friends

Scientists have found that when a person makes a socially conscious decision, other people follow their example. For example, customers at a cafe in the US who were told that 30% of Americans had started eating less meat were twice as likely to order a meatless lunch. In California, households were more likely to install solar panels in neighborhoods where they already exist.

alt="Greta's solo protest sparked a global movement">According to Grunditz/ShutterstockGreta's solo protest sparked a global movement

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

“Where are the adults?” she asked on Twitter. The answer is that we are everywhere, but we are too busy passing the buck.

alt=“Greta Thunberg Pinterest Pin”>

In August 2018, 15-year-old Greta Thunberg decided not to go to school one day. Her actions sparked a global movement against the climate crisis and earned her a nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize. No one is too small to make a difference, Greta brings to you for the first time in her own words.

Main image: Antonello Marangi/Shutterstock

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