At just 16-years-old, Greta Thunberg became the face of a movement of young people protesting inaction on climate change. While scenes of students and adults alike taking to the streets brandishing signs of “There is no Planet B” and chanting for climate action have become commonplace, before Thunberg such occurrences were rare. It was Thunberg who gave voice to an entire generation’s existential fear, Thuberg who sparked a worldwide movement demanding everything necessary to save our planet, and Thunberg who has reminded us of this daily even as the news cycle moves on from catastrophic bushfires and examples of climate catastrophes.
By all accounts, Thunberg’s dedication to her life work should be all we focus on. Somehow though, Thunberg herself has come under public scrutiny by those who fear her passion and desire for change. Just recently, the Swedish climate activist was attacked by Chinese state media who attempted to “fat-shame” her.
The newspaper, China Daily, which is owned by the ruling Communist Party, sought to attack Thunberg after she urged China to do more to reduce its emissions and address climate change. The article labelled Thunberg an “environmental princess” and mocked her for her weight. “Although she claims to be vegetarian, judging from the results of her growth, her carbon emissions are actually not low,” wrote Tang Ge.
The article continued by accusing Thunberg of “double standards” as she called out China, despite the fact that “the lifestyle that pollutes the earth the most is European and American life.” It claims Thunberg “suddenly woke up on May 7 and began to criticise China for polluting the environment” after she Tweeted a report that found China’s annual emissions were greater than those of all developed nations combined in 2019. While Thunberg acknowledged China was a developing nation under World Trade Organisation terms, she said it was “no excuse for ruining future and present living conditions.” She added, “We can’t solve the climate crisis unless China drastically changes course.”
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