Bambi’s current post is a (translated) article written by Mr. Mario Dumont, one of the leading columnists of the Journal de Montréal.
The original article (August 30, 2019) is entitled: «Greta et nous… menés en bateau»
Bambi is silently posting this (translated) text as food for thought.
https://www.journaldemontreal.com/2019/08/30/greta-et-nous-menes-en-bateau
“The young environmental activist Greta Thunberg arrived to New York yesterday, after sailing across the Atlantic on a “zero-carbon” boat. She comes to our continent to attend the UN World Climate Summit in late September.
We cannot blame a young girl for being aware of social issues, let alone blame her for being a committed activist. One can even ignore certain contradictions in the speech of the one who candidly seems to be the voice of her generation.
Except that…
Except that I put a stop to a huge public relations operation, which exceeds this girl and seems to be meant to take us for idiots (“des nonos”, in French). Greta arrived by sailboat. Some media relayed that she made a trip with “zero carbon emissions”, without any nuance.
Let’s be serious here: this racing yacht was built with highly polluting materials. It was not initially designed to serve to bring food to poor people, but rather to practice a form of sailing race for multimillionaires. The sailors who accompanied Greta will return by plane and another crew will arrive in New York, also by plane, to take charge of the boat return trip home.
Even wackier, the young activist says she does not know how she will return back to Sweden. Let’s play the riddle game! Oh yes! I think she will take the airplane to return back home.
She does not say it now. Her father knows it. Her public relations managers know it. Does she know and lie to preserve her image? Or do we keep her in ignorance about it? Either way, there is a DEEP unease.
All others will fly
Everything is absurd in this sailing story. First, the total operation will have generated more travel by plane than if Greta had made a simple return trip with her father in a seat in economy class.
Then Greta attends a summit where hundreds of participants from around the world will be travelling by plane. To develop her logic of boycotting the polluting aircraft further, it would have been necessary to demand the end of these international meetings and to suggest holding them by videoconference.
As genuine as her activism is, Greta is trapped in her logical cul-de-sac. To go on a sailing trip, she had to associate herself with the wealthy family of Princess Caroline of Monaco. They too take advantage of her image big time. This solution is in no way accessible to ordinary mortals.
Greta amplifies the problem that is at the heart of climate change. Politicians, companies, organizations, all are fully exploiting the climate change card to improve their image. Meanwhile, there are few concrete and applicable solutions for ordinary people.
I cannot wait to see the number of journalists who will be at the airport on the day of her return flight…”
