Greta Thunberg is the Swedish Cassandra of climate doom. She’s only 18, but she has been making international headlines for years by rebuking global leaders for failing to stem the ravages of climate change.
In short, the authoritative nature of Greta’s critique is invariably matched only by its acerbic tone. No doubt this match is what makes her the envy of seasoned environmentalists everywhere.
But that is why her latest rebuke is so interesting. Because, even though authoritative and acerbic as usual, she laced it with taunts that might seem childish, but are wholly appropriate.
Here in part is how The Guardian reported yesterday on her address at the Youth4Climate conference in Milan:
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Greta Thunberg has excoriated global leaders over their promises to address the climate emergency, dismissing them as ‘blah, blah, blah . … This is not some expensive, politically correct, green act of bunny hugging. … Fighting climate change calls for innovation, cooperation and willpower.
‘Build back better. Blah blah blah. Green economy. Blah blah blah. Net zero by 2050. Blah, blah, blah,’ she said in a speech to the Youth4Climate summit in Milan, Italy, on Tuesday. ‘This is all we hear from our so-called leaders. Words that sound great but so far have not led to action. Our hopes and ambitions drown in their empty promises.’
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As it happens, I fear I might be responsible for Greta’s childish lapse. Perhaps you recall the virtual Leaders Summit on Climate President Biden hosted for 40 global leaders on April 22. He led them in acknowledging the existential nature of the looming climate doom, and in renewing all kinds of commitments to avert it.
As I often do, I read several news reports on this summit. More to the point, I appended the following telltale comment after doing so at The New York Times, The Guardian, and NPR:
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Blah, blah, blah. It was an ‘existential crisis’ 30 years ago when Al Gore shepherded the Kyoto Protocol to President Clinton’s desk. Yet here we are …
Besides, nothing Biden does will work if China and India execute their declared intent to pollute until their economies emit as much CO2 to match emissions that made the US an economic superpower. That’s why, like the Kyoto Protocol, the Paris Accord, and this ‘Leaders Summit on Climate’, all efforts just end up being hot air, making climate change worse by emitting more CO2.
As for China insisting on attending a climate change summit on its own terms, this is rather like swimming in a public pool that allows peeing only in the deep end.
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But I was obliged in the thread at the Times to reinforce my blah-blah-blah cynicism, which is so redolent in Greta’s address. Because, when a another commenter challenged me with Pollyanna predictions of success because of Biden’s bold commitments, I replied as follows:
Except that I remember Clinton and Obama making similar commitments. It all turned out to be hot air (or is that CO2?). Not to mention China telegraphing its intent to continue polluting until its emissions equal all America emitted to become an economic superpower. In other words, this all seems like much ado about nothing.
Enough said…?
Well, I’d be remiss not to note my abiding misgivings about Greta spending much of her teenage years traveling the world to meet with political leaders – as if Mother Nature anointed her ambassador at large for climate change.
I just wish someone had told her that her crusade would prove far more effective if, instead of avoiding airplanes, she were championing plant-based diets (including for inflight meals). Because this would have spared us her hypocritical stunts, which had her sailing rough seas when flying the friendly skies would have made far more common sense.
I should also note that Democrats are dithering on the precipice of passing a landmark “human infrastructure” bill, which includes many clean-energy provisions to help America fortify itself against climate change. Most notably, is a national network of plug-in electric vehicle (EV) chargers. Significantly, this is commensurate with Ford and GM announcing plans to transition to all-electric vehicles far sooner than anyone thought.
Besides climate provisions, this bill contains many others that give Biden just cause to hail it as a once-in-a-generation shot for America to “Build Back Better”. So, if the Democrats get their act together and enact it, I suspect that would crack an approving smile even on Greta’s preternaturally icy visage …
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