I have great admiration for Greta Thunberg, the teenage climate activist who has not only turned heads but also shaken up the global conversation around climate change, despite being the object of so much anger. This young woman has become a global icon before even turning 20 because of her relentless advocacy for immediate political action to combat climate change. I’ve followed her and the causes she supports like the Green New Deal, divestment from fossil fuels, and global carbon emissions reductions. I’ve also seen how her Fridays for Future movement has inspired millions of young people to get involved and has had tangible impacts, such as driving companies to commit to becoming carbon neutral.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yet, instead of listening to her vital message, I’ve also seen many people resort to idiotic forms of character assassination. They belittle her because of her age, as if passion and wisdom only come with wrinkles. They call her autistic traits into question as a means to delegitimize her activism, showing their own ignorance in the process. It’s astonishingly dumb to think that personal attacks will somehow lessen the impact of her fact-based arguments. People also like to throw the term ‘woke’ around as an insult when discussing her, without even slightly comprehending that being socially aware is not a disease but a cure for societal stupidity. In short, they hate her because she represents everything they fear: a young, informed, autistic, female disruptor who is calling out society’s systemic failures and apathy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There had been so many attacks on her over the years. For example, she heavily was ridiculed by political leaders in 2019. Former U.S. President Donald Trump posted demeaning tweets, trying to delegitimize her efforts by alluding to her supposed lack of emotional well-being. The self-absorbed man also tweeted \u201cSo ridiculous. Greta must work on her Anger Management problem, then go to a good old fashioned movie with a friend! Chill Greta, Chill!\u201d. Then, a month later Russian President Vladimir Putin, in a patronizing tone, painted her as “poorly informed.” Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro stooped so low as to call her a “brat.” Instead of engaging in meaningful discourse, these leaders\u2014each one supposed to be a guardian of humanity’s future\u2014chose to demean and mock a young woman standing up for science and the planet’s survival. In my opinion, it’s nothing short of abhorrent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And then there are the journalists, bloggers, and social media trolls. Individuals like Brendan O\u2019Neill, Toby Young, and Piers Morgan have wielded their platforms not to dissect her arguments or scrutinize her claims but to unleash personal attacks. When it comes to climate change denial, Germany\u2019s Alternative for Germany party stooped to viciously targeting her. Such low-brow ad hominem attacks are less an assault on Thunberg and more a confession of intellectual bankruptcy on the part of the attackers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Turning to the audacity of detaining her for protesting against environmental degradation, it is worth noting that she has been held by authorities in multiple countries including Norway, Sweden, and Germany. Yet each time she is detained, it becomes another battle cry for those fighting for environmental justice, further solidifying the righteousness of her cause.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It’s not just aging politicians and petulant pundits; even social media personalities like Andrew Tate have entered the fray, ostentatiously flaunting their carbon footprints as if it were some badge of honor. Tate’s actions, which led to his own legal troubles unrelated to Thunberg, reflect a grotesque insensitivity not just to the climate crisis but to human dignity itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n