How Care You?

"And now reality bites — 'woke' values can't survive without central heating."

In case you missed it, the infant terrible of the environ-mental movement (see what I did there) has endorsed nuclear power as the way forward. Turning 19, young Greta Iceberg acknowledged that nuclear has a role in keeping the heating and lights on. At least in the medium term.

This change of mind is unfortunate for those politicians and thought leaders who sang her praises as they scrambled to virtue signal. Basking in her words, they endorsed a misguided agenda. Yet, I reckon this is no road to Damascus moment for Greta. Instead, it's a teenage brain evolving as rationality erodes the nonsensical. 

Still, fair play to wee Greta. She acknowledges her views were juvenile and maybe misplaced. So, what excuse do the adults have?  

Then again, some adults never grow up; throwing tomato soup on Vincent Van Goth’s picture, 'The Sunflowers,' is justified in their distorted minds as legitimate action. 

Greta's change of heart is hardly surprising, as most of us go on such journeys. What is different is most of us don't get a UN platform or world leaders begging to see a kid sent amongst us as a prophet. Greta's fight to save the Earth has all the characteristics of a good religious story. As in Christianity, the Messiah comes in the form of a child. 

I'd assert that Greta is in a long line of child seers. Further, she's the perfect clothes-horse for the evangelical climate movement to hang a message of doom. Like the prophecies of old, she instilled fears in the young and old alike, not ranting about sin, Hell, or the Crucifixion. No, Greta evoked 'the world is burning' narrative to drive conformance. Judgement day is coming, we must all fall in line and repent our sins.

Of course, adults are involved in the organisation but keep well in the background. 

And while Greta can be entirely correct in what she's saying, the campaign built around her almost completely disables any rational debate. As a result, the causes of climate change and the models to solve the problem are drowned out. 

Greta's utterances followed the principles in the advocacy group's cookbooks; carefully planned speeches with soundbites, easily repeatable phrases, and emotional appeals. But, of course, no one speaks this way naturally.  That's why there are communication advisors and media training. 

I do wonder about Greta's parent's motivations. They sent their kid, with Asperger syndrome, out on a crusade that exposed her to levels of ridicule most adults would struggle with. Moreover, in time, I expect Greta will shift her position further. How long before she signs up for fracking?

Meanwhile, let us recognise the dangers of overreacting to messianic children who demand we all panic. In addition, labelling all contrary opinions as heretical makes it almost impossible to have sensible science-based discussions.

Then, again, those that embraced Greta never really sought out the science; instead, being part of a movement drew them in. And now reality bites — 'woke' values can't survive without central heating.