To begin with the basics and basics. Climate change is not a conspiracy theories that come out of some dark circles who want to obscure the facts, for the benefit of someone. Without a name. Or even by name. In these circles usually one "Soros" is enough.
Η climate change and its catastrophic effects do not come in two, one or half a century. They are here and we live them every day. And if this does not seem interesting enough, one has only to think one last time that he was dissatisfied with the fact that November was a day with 29 degrees Celsius or why in mid-July a storm with thousands of lightning can cause hail that will "whiten" everything in distance of kilometers.
Climate change is not a fantastic condition. It is found in the discarded pack of cigarettes from the car window, in the depletion of all natural resources and the overuse of the mineral wealth of the planet. In industrial chimneys that smoke heavily. But it is also found in the egocentrism of all of us and the closed bubble we live in, believing that "these things do not happen"
A blonde girl within a year managed to make her name almost identical to the entry "climate change". At least in online dictionaries. Greta Thunberg speaks passionately about all of the above reminiscent of our mortality. And its contradictions. And the latter are intriguing. More than the now legendary "How dare you?" where it even became a death metal song.
Greta Thunberg started reading her name on the internet when one Wednesday in 2018 she decided not to go to her school and to protest outside the Swedish parliament for climate change.
As she has mentioned in her descriptions, her first attempts were not at all successful. And she did not have the approval of her parents. Parents who had managed to convince her about the lifestyle change and the reduction of her family's carbon footprint. But he had failed to convince her of the necessity of the "school strike" as he called it for the protests. The struggles require personal sacrifices, some will say, and they may not be wrong.
For a long time, little Greta did not go to school every Friday and took a seat outside parliament. While her persona was taking on mythical proportions, she abstained from certain lessons.
With her continuous travels, the 16-year-old is now completely absent from her obligations at school. Swedish law, however, allows students to do this. Take a year off and then return. According to this fact, Thunberg must return to the desks in September 2020.
"I will dedicate myself exclusively to the fight to combat the climate crisis," says the 16-year-old. The fact that she graduated with honors while abstaining from her activities caused many comments in her country. Many parents have wondered if purpose can be above all. Since the 16-year-old is an idol and not unjustly, for thousands of little ones around the world who are beating up to protest not only about the climate but about our own lives.
Thunberg and her family's relationship with a controversial figure in Sweden, businessman Ingmar Ranjhog.
When Greta was 15 years old, she decided not to go to school, to make a placard with the slogan "School strike for climate change" and to spend all day on the steps of the Swedish Parliament.
Her parents tried to discourage her and none of her classmates answered her call. Her family's narrative speaks of the growing popularity of her protests. However, it was not long before Ranjhog entered the frame.
The businessman is considered one of Sweden's most gifted communicators, he is the founder of an online green innovative company, "We do not have time". If your name sounds familiar it is because this particular slogan is used by Tunberg in her speeches.
His main field is Greenwashing. A controversial green marketing practice as for many it is used fraudulently to promote the perception that an organization's products and policies are environmentally friendly.
Ranchhog has commented that passing by Parliament he saw her and her effort moved him so much that he decided to make a dock for her which after going up on social media was a huge success. Essentially paving the way for the 16-year-old to enter the global activist and political standard.
In a very short time the Swedish media threw the lights on the little one. Newspapers, radios, channels, the internet bowed to Greta and her stubborn gaze. This activity was daily. She was accompanied by her parents, promoting the book they had just published starring their daughter and emphasizing her childhood. And the Asperger syndrome he suffers from.
Η Greta Tunberg is a 16 year old girl. A child. And we must not forget that. The attacks he has received and continues to receive are from mocking to vulgar. With bodies even planetary rulers. The weight he has taken on is enormous.
What irritates the reflexes of many people, however, are some aspects of creating this symbol. The world of marketing and social media needs symbols. And they play their part in their construction.
The questions that have arisen are very logical. For example how a 16 year old girl and her family can support a life of continuous travel without necessarily having time for personal work.
The first obvious answer is from the revenue of their first book which now tends to become a best seller. The other references and relations with Ranjhog are the ones that put the case of Greta Tunberg in a gray area. Ranchhog is associated with real estate and investment funds, as well as environmental organizations and renewable energy companies.
From obscurity to appearing on the cover of a major Swedish newspaper the distance was eliminated. The truth of the accidental discovery was not so accidental in the end as, as the communication expert himself admitted, "someone informed him about the evolving protest".
Months later the family Tunberg had to admit young Greta worked with his company as an unpaid youth counselor. So far so good. Nevertheless, there have been allegations that they misused both her name and photos in the brochure they distributed to their would-be sponsors. The amount raised from donations is not at all negligible: About 25 million euros.
The little girl's father left acting and is now his daughter's sole manager. Swedish media, in their report, claim that the action of the teenager has brought her family around one million euros. While the company of the communicator also has a profit of close to 2 million euros .. Money that comes from selling products to fans, organizing concerts for the salvation of the planet and private contributions it receives for its struggle.
Is there a scam behind all of the above? The answer is probably no. Is Greta Tunberg a creation with ultimate goals? The answer is perhaps. Is it a symbol for millions of children? The answer is yes. And is that something reprehensible? No.
The truth is that we should not need a child-symbol to be interested in our own existence. Thunberg's powerful but simplistic speeches do not, in fact, embarrass state leaders. It is naive to assume that the messages of support to the 16-year-old from the powerful have a dose of sincerity when in the very next minute signatures will fall for the next investment that will require - for example - some millions of acres burned in the Amazon.
Everyone is in a difficult position in front of the inability to think outside the 4 walls of their house.
As for our crisis, which is often blurred by emotionally charged situations or exaggerations that we see and read, it is enough to consider the following: As revealed by the German newspaper TAZ, Greta Thunberg's trip to New York and her ΟΗΕ will ultimately burden the environment more than if the young activist and her father were flying. The 16-year-old started from Plymouth, Britain with a racing boat that had a slight carbon footprint. To return the boat, however, it was revealed that 5 crew members had to travel by plane to the United States, while the skipper who accompanied Tunberg will use a plane to return to Europe.