Greta Thunberg has been called a "Game Changer" and was a nominee for the Nobel Peace Prize at only 16 for her activism in the field of climate change. Please read this article which quickly sums up her work and provides a bit of background.
Consider Greta's story and respond on whether her story is inspiring, saddening, alarming, surprising, or empowering and address how Greta is depicted in these two magazine covers?
Thank you Rob. This is so relevant and our common Global issue. It has been a painful time for us here in Lahore, Pakistan, as we are consumed by our own environmental crisis. Our AQI to be precise is 292 - Unhealthy to Hazardous ( Check: https://www.airvisual.com/pakistan/punjab/lahore). School has been off one day a week since the past two weeks becasue of the AQI being Hazardous. With eyes stinging and throat infections spreading, we all have become cognizant of the fact that nothing is more important than the air we breathe and that the time to actively do something about it is now.
ReplyDeleteThis is especially painful as it follows a most refereshing environmnetal expereince. After our DP Evaluation, which ended on the 8th of November 2019, I, along with our DP2 students, went away on a CAS trip to Swat in KPK, Pakistan. Yes , this is the place where Malala was shot. (Will share details of that in another post) I had heard why Swat Valley and Kalam are called the Switzerland of Pakistan but I experienced it for myself this time.
The AQI was perfectly healthy, especially at Maodand Lake, where I saw my first snowfall and made my first snowman. Believe me it is not easy making one. I had planned a group activity of 5 snowmen. One for each of the 3/15 people on the trip. Even bought 5 carrots from the local grocer in Kalam. We ended up making just one. You New Yorkers might find it amusing that some of us here have never seen snow or made a snow man. And that just brings us back to how diverse we are in our experiences :)
Maodand Lake, Swat Valley, was pristine in its beauty and thinking back on the power of words, for the first time in my life, I felt lost for words. There was no prior knowledge of the experience of snow and so I struggled to actualise it into language. I now know that some of the most beautiful experiences in our life cannot be expressed, but only felt with a heart that is stragneyl so aware.
And as we returned to Lahore and were consumed by the smog which welcomed us on our way home, we again experienced a loss of words for the 360 degrees shift in climate change that we experienced within 12 hours of travelling across two parts of Pakistan. And so, here we are, in masks, trying to breathe, with a picture of the perfect day, somewhere locked in our sub conscious, a 'dream' that Greta Thunberg rightly mourns, seems to have been '[stolen]' from us.
I am deeply sorry to this generation that our generation wasn't proactive enough to anticipate this and we could not give you a healthier environment. :(
Thank you for sharing this relevant post, Rob. We are trying to battle with its effects at our end. Let's hope we can all come together to identify the root causes and take principled action at our end to advocate for immediate change. It doesnt get worse, when it comes down to the air we breathe.
The air we breathe.
Greta is, indeed, an inspiring personality. I live in Lahore; the city that recently broke its record in terms of air quality index, becoming the 3rd most polluted city in the world. It was easy for me to relate to what Greta has said.
DeleteWe all know how pollution is affecting us; we have already been alarmed at multiple occasions of what circumstances we are going to face in the near future. But what's exceptional in her work is that it is empowering and inspiring.
In the video message shared by the Obama Foundation, Greta said: "There's so incredibly much you can do and do not underestimate yourself." convening the message to the youth. This message manifests how Greta's movement is aimed at inspiring and motivating the youth to stand for climate change. Youth is her targeted audience that she wishes to inspire, for example, traveling to the UN event, on a zero-emission boat. This was done to set an example for her targeted audience to look up to.
I also believe that it was very empowering. The way she has addressed the UN twice, empowers me as a student, because she uses the words, "how dare you, continue to look away and come here saying that you are doing enough." This tells my inner self that I am powerful of bringing a change and hold the authorities accountable. And the quote above (so much you can do), empowers me directly, telling me that I can do much for the climate change. This is indeed the most empowering part of her journey.
And so do the two posters say, the first one depicts that she is the "leader of the next generation" to inspire me from her. And then "can you hear me"-poster, by the way, she confidently stands, she tries to convey the empowering energies through the message.
Zero emission boat? Wow! Thanks for picking up on that detail Zarvaan. You know we don't really see how many ethical decisions need to be taken by activists before they decide to stand up and speak about it. It requires immense self discipline, Zarvaan, haina?
DeleteGreta’s story and her view on climate change is alarming and saddening. Personally, it isn’t her story that is saddening, rather how climate change has impacted all of our lives. She represents the minority of people who actually want to make a change in how our Earth runs. Her points presented toward the UN and several global conferences are very alarming, with very surreal and surprising facts. In the pictures depicted of her, she comes off as a very assertive person, who doesn’t take “no” as an answer, which is good to have as a spokesperson. Articles mention how she spends Fridays striking and has encouraged other students to do the same. Her dedication towards making a change starts to make you feel that you should also do something to make a change. It doesn’t have to be big, but helping isn’t going to hurt. I really hope officials come out and address the issue and do something, just something.
ReplyDeleteI think that Greta Thunberg is doing a lot at such a young age, I am the same age as her and I could never imagine doing all the things she does. She advocates for climate change, speaks multiple languages, and travels around the world meeting with world leaders sharing her vision, what she is doing she is inspiring, she is giving up her youth for a better future for us all. She is a driven and incredibly smart young woman. She is incredibly brave for putting herself in the spotlight, when you are in the spotlight you are often criticised. It is also amazing that she is doing all of her work while having Asperger's Syndrome, but she does not see it as a setback, she sees it as her superpower. She does not allow it to hold her back and keep her from accomplishing her goals in life, to have a better future for her and everyone else on this planet. She is advocating to make the world a better place, a healthier place, a longer lasting place. Which is inspiring and incredible for someone who is so young and has her whole life ahead of her, but with that you can see why she is stepping up and taking action now.
ReplyDeleteWell written Sabrina. Passionately and with fluency built using groups of three. :)
DeleteThis is alarming and inspiring. It is alarming in the sense that the points she is making are very real concerns for my generation. All of the things she says are true and if there isn’t serious change soon, a lot of climate change will be irreversible. It’s inspiring because she’s causing real change. She has been meeting with leaders around the world and has inspired many many others. She’s an incredibly driven and inspiring individual and I think many people in our generation could benefit from being more like her.
ReplyDeleteEach magazine depicts her differently. In the time magazine cover she is shown elegantly in a green gown. In the GQ magazine cover she is closer to the camera and wearing a blazer that says "Can you hear me now?". One magazine shows her mature and beautiful as a leader while the other captures the essence of her and her message.
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ReplyDeleteI thought Greta’s story was inspiring. She sets herself apart from other activists of climate change in that she is so young yet she has done so much even holding the world's largest climate conference. I thought it was also cool that she leads by example and doesn’t use emission creating transportation. She is definitely helping to destigmatize mental health by calling her asperger's a “superpower” instead of a hinderance.
ReplyDeleteI do wonder however if her speech at the world climate conference was cherry-picked or if she just used mostly qualitative emotion claims. From the quotes given (Ex. "You have stolen my dreams and my childhood with your empty words,"), I would’ve expected her to give more scientific background to her claims (Maybe she did, I haven’t seen the whole speech). However, if she did just use emotional claims perhaps she has realized that politicians don’t care about/haven’t/didn’t respond to all the scientific data they have heard about climate change. Perhaps she is trying to take another approach by guilting our nation's leader and forcing them to hear from the generation they are dooming by giving them a fractured environment.
In reference to the magazine covers Greta is being portrayed as powerful/influential. In the first cover, she is central in the frame and all the light is falling on her, giving her power/drawing one's eyes to her in the frame. She is also looking directly at the reader, mirroring the fact that she is trying to connect with people and spread her message. In the second cover, she is standing up with an intimidating expression and is pointing at the reader with the words “can you hear me” written on her. This goal is somewhat similar to the first picture in that she is directly connecting with the reader. The finger pointing is almost incriminating to the reader. as if she’s saying “you have the power to make a change but you don’t.”
Astute analysis, Alliyah. I agree. The Eyes wide shut appraoch the world leaders have towards it may have made her revert to emotional appeals instead of scientific ones which seem to fall on deaf ears.
DeleteGreta Thunberg, at the age of 16, is possibly the most accomplished climate-change activist in history. She led the largest climate strike known, with an estimated 4 million people. Her movements and speeches are inspiring not only the people younger than her, but world leaders. Greta has traveled all over the world to present her speeches. She’s spoken with/beside other young activists, a former president, The Pope and parliament leaders. She even was a nominee for the Noble Peace Prize. She questions why people aren’t taking any action with this worldwide crisis. Another perspective of Greta’s actions can be saddening. Being that she is only 16, she is spending the time she would be in school to inform others of climate change. It took a young girl to emphasize on global warming, instead of someone who is older and can dedicate their life to this. Even though her success is impressive, her lose of a childhood is thought-provoking. “This is all wrong. I shouldn’t be standing here. I should be back in school on the other side of the ocean. Yet you all come to me for hope? How dare you!”
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ReplyDeleteGreta Thunberg is a young girl that has strong aspirations in changing the world to diminish the issue of climate change. Greta has gained the attention of millions of supporters and admirers, but her strong belief and statements has also gained her immense amounts of hatred from others as well.
Greta is involved in many protests and strikes in various cities throughout the world. Greta has performed eloquently spoken speeches that have inspired many to start a change. Her movements towards climate change has provided her with an opportunity to receive a Nobel Peace Prize.
While she has impacted many people positively she has also criticized and shamed world leaders and air travelers over climate change. According to the Norwegian Nobel Committee, “Thunberg’s youth, outspokenness and confrontational approach are the very factors that have made her the global face of climate change activism.” Her shaming has negatively affected others outlook on her, especially on those who choose to travel by airplane. In addition, while liberals see her as courageous for telling the truth about climate change, other critics depict her as a liar or hypocrite and suggest her parents have manipulated her.
Overall, throughout all the the hatred and media Greta has received, she has contributed immensely to an extreme, global issue and continues to help and strive to bring about change throughout the world.
Yes Lindsey. i have shared Putin's comments about her. Sharing it again here. What do you think?
Deletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PK1ht85izTc
I find Greta’s story rather inspiring and relatable. A lot of children my age feel that they have been robbed of a proper childhood due to the acts of the older generation, so her quote “You have stolen my dreams and my childhood with your empty words” really stands out to me. I find her anger relatable, as I feel like I have to try and fix everything that the generations before me have caused instead of just needing to worry about what work I have to do the next day. Even with their promises to fix the planet, to start doing better, many people in places of power choose to do nothing except further their own positions and that is extremely frustrating for me to witness and know I will need to deal with
ReplyDeleteGreta Thurnberg provides an excellent example of what people value as individuals. How we view the transmission of information compared to the information itself. Greta’s public image is very much shaped by the politics one comes in to view her with. To me, Greta is quite the disempowering figure, in many respects. While she is able to speak in internationally important discussions, to the almost the entirety of the world, her overall inability to do much more than to ‘raise awareness’ for the looming threat of climate change leaves me with a feeling of ineffectualness. Negative reactions are incredibly common to her message, ranging from turning her and her message into a joke, to outright hostility.
ReplyDeleteOn a more positive note, I feel that she provides a good great motivation for young people to get involved with political movements that they view as important, which is incredibly helpful in a world where politics is beginning to matter more and more. She is able to show the world that young people are literate about issues that are present in the world we all share, and that even if you’re young, even if you are born with disadvantages, you can make your voice heard if you push hard enough.
Here's something that is long but pertinent that Sr Rashid shared with me, TJ. Its not as ineffectual as we perhaps think it is. There are empowering and heartening examples to take inspiration from. Have a look at the carbon neutral rather carbon negative example that Bhutan is setting for the world.
Deletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Lc_dlVrg5M
Greta's story is saddening due to the fact that she is giving up her childhood to bring awareness, while also dealing with the backlash that comes with it. Climate change is an big problem that needs as much recognition as it can get, so that something can be done about it. My generation should be very concerned because the effects of climate change will not be reversed very soon if something is not done. She does have many obstacles in her path such as her age and her Aspergers, but she doesn't let those hinder her journey and the change she wants to bring. In the two pictures she is seen alone. In the first one it is more of a depressing picture where the only light in the room is on her. In the second she is shown with more power and a more demanding facial expression.
ReplyDeleteI found these Greta articles to be a few different things. Firstly, I found it inspiring because she is trying to help the world, and she is putting herself out there to get the attention of the people to fix this problem. Secondly I find her brave, because she is only 16 and putting herself out there, and is probably one of the most inspirational people for climate change, meanwhile there are people out there with more power, a stronger say, and the money to help, and meanwhile they do nothing about climate change. I think that climate change is a thing, and that we need to fix it before it’s too late, but I also think Greta thinks like the world is going to end within the next few years, or it seems like that by the ways she talks about it, and that if we don't stop it now then it will be impossible to stop later, and I kind of agree with that but not completely, I think the sooner we do something then the easier it will be, and putting it off will only make it harder, but I don’t think that we have only a few more years left. All in all, I think that Greta is doing the greater good, also that we really need to start doing something about climate change before it is too late, and that it is really cool to see someone step up and start talking about this meanwhile there are other people out there that can make a big difference and don’t do anything.
ReplyDeleteWhen reading, and understanding Greta's story I found it quite surprising. The way she abandoned her past life, and education to make her voice heard, as well as her aspiration for change is very interesting. The fact that she had the strength to look the truth in the face, and oppose world leaders telling them they are wrong in there failure to address climate issues is powerful, and important.
ReplyDeleteThe way she is depicted on the magazine covers is very powerful. She is seen by herself, and she is shown to look very powerful and inspiring. In the GQ magazine she is shown wearing a suit, with the words "game changer of the year", this is most likely depicting her as an adult, as she is engaging in very mature, and high stakes topics, unusual for a person of her age. Overall she is a very professional, and impressive individual regardless of her age, however considering that she is only a teenager makes her impact significantly more powerful.
Greta Thunburg is one of many climate change activists to inspire adults and more importantly, youth. Multiple times she is seen trying to be a leader and provide a good example for reducing and/or eliminating carbon emissions like transportation. Greta being able to put herself out there while also being in front of a majority of the world requires her to be vigilant, strong, and cautious in the choice of words she uses. Climate change is an ongoing and fatal issue that is something that needs to be brought up more as we try to advance as a society in the world.
ReplyDeleteGreta’s story to me isn’t as climactic as opposed to the actions she has taken in order to make a change. It surprises me that someone at such a young age has the ability to attempt to make a change to an issue that is globally apparent. It also surprises me how she has gained attention to an audience such as adults, especially those that tend to ignore or set aside problems occurring now and can affect the future.
Both pictures try to show her power and what she is trying to do. Both are taken at low angles to show that she is the topic of the photo and make her seem larger. It appears to me that she is wearing clothing different compared to what she wears in protests and speeches, showing some significance. In both pictures she is depicted as strong and independent
Lovely input by all of you students. I was surprised to know she has Asperger's. It makes her fearless. Most geniuses are.
ReplyDeleteHere is a different reaction to her efforts that Sr Rashid shared with me.
What do you think of it, guys? How would you interpret this perspective? What is not being said between the lines?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PK1ht85izTc&feature=youtu.be