The Dual Facets of Climate Activism

This chapter examines the persona of young climate activist Greta Thunberg, highlighting her as both a symbol of hope and a target for disdain. It discusses her evolution from school strikes to global advocacy, intertwining climate and social justice while critiquing the failures of capitalism and systemic inequalities.

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Greta Thunberg is a burr in the ass of the powerful throughout the world—and not only for rightwing sociopaths. Increasingly, as she grows up, learns more, and networks with other activists around the world, she’s become a scourge for liberals as well.

Many of them would prefer she remain a child, providing a theatre of emotional catharsis for a climate crisis industry more interested in raising money from green economy donors than forcing change.

Now, as Thunberg broadens her target to capitalism and colonialism writ large, it’s more and more clear that she’s confronting what autistic philosopher Robert Chapman calls “the empire of normality”, from her lived experience of autism, about which so many of the conspiracy theories we cover here swirl.

CORRECTION: Robert Chapman's pronouns are they/them.

Chapter One: