this post was submitted on 18 Aug 2023
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Is "awareness" the environmental version of "thoughts and prayers"? Has the situation we were made aware of by her (although she's just one of a long list of voices from the past 100 years, most of which have been long forgotten) activism made a measurable impact on the actual climate crisis? I'm personally curious what the qualitative power of awareness is.
This site quickly turned into reddit-style bandwagoning and downvoting stuff you disagree with, huh
Pretty much. Has about the same impact as awareness, thoughts and prayers. Some people are satisfied with saying "I'm aware of the problem" and think that will have some sort of impact.
Fighting with politicians has not accomplished anything. You know who has? The anonymous kid who plants trees. The kid who pics up garbage left on the road. Trust me. Everyone is "aware". You can't live in modern culture and not be aware of climate change.
So sure. She has made a lot of people feel good because conservatives hate her. But is that an accomplishment? Conservatives hate everyone that's not a conservative. They smear everyone they can to get their way or to stomp out any chance that people will start taking action.
Downvoting me doesn't change the reality they want to ignore just because it feels better to do so.
We're way beyond saving by planting trees. We're way beyond saving by picking up trash on the streets. This is a worldwide systemic issue that can NOT be solved by individuals reducing their carbon footprint, we as a species need a negative carbon footprint to survive this century, or even these next few decades, or even these next few years. We have a transport problem, we have a factories problem, we have an affluence problem, a conglomerates problem, we have a capitalism problem, we have a "progress" problem.
It's ridiculous to get angry at a child that sees all this and cries out in desperation, most of us will die before she and her generation does, and they're going to be left with a mess beyond repair. And it's not because Timmy ate a burger or because Anne didn't pick up trash in a park, nor is it because Bob commutes using a car, it's because our economic system demands "progress" at all cost right this moment. It's because our cities around the world prioritize cars and cheap individualistic transportation. It's because prices need to be stable, so let's throw products away to create a limit on supply. It's because it's more profitable to implement planned obsolescence than it is to implement renewability and durability into products. This is clearly not something that can be solved by a single person, whether that person is an everyday anon who does his or her best to reduce their carbon footpront, or whether that is a kid addressing the world leaders while in distress about her future life in this world. The change that needs to happen is revolution, and the world is too complacent and too scared of taking such actions to save itself, and I can't really blame people for it, even if we should.
I'm not angry at the child. Conservatives are, but they are angry at people for anything. Like wearing the wrong style of clothes.
Yes, we are way past planting trees and picking up garbage as far as stopping the very abrupt changes that are coming. We are way past everything.
But those kids that are out planting trees and picking up trash are going to have a head start. Because their environmental awareness almost certainly extends beyond those simple skills.
What they offer is the example of action. Not arguing with politicians. They use their words to teach and train others who need their skills, knowledge and outlook.
Look past the culture of celebrity worship if you want to see the ones who will make an impact.
They will be the ones we will be aided by when the time comes.