And the crew had to be flown to New York to sail back, resulting in more emissions than if she had flown there.

People just can't stand such hypocrisy.

I happen to have heard an interview with one of the sailors who was on the ship with her in the radio. He said that they took her there and they would have also done it with out her. He additionally added: Greta is not responsible for anything we do outside of taking her across the Atlantic.

The whole discussion is – frankly – quite ridiculous. Anybody who likes to lead it should really sit down, pause and really ask themselves what they are doing and why.

There is really only one compelling reason that comes to my mind why one would find the motivation to critizise environmentalists online for not beeing environmentalistic enough: their actions make you feel bad for some reason. You want the bad feeling to go away, so you find a explaination why they are bad. But it turns out the world still thinks they are good. Now you are in a bit of a problem. So you go online and try to change the world.

Only: it might be better for you and everybody around you if you instead went and tried to change yourself. This is of course much much harder, but lying to yourself about your own motivations has also it's costs..

> their actions make you feel bad for some reason.

Not at all. I already live a very spartan life and my carbon footprint is well below of most people who go around lecturing others on sustainable lifestyle. Eg, in the past 12 months, I have traveled zero miles on fossil fuels.

The class of professional globetrotting climate activists is so unbearable because they are among the worst polluters, yet spare no energy looking down on others for not doing enough.

> because they are among the worst polluters

[citation needed]

Another thing: this isn't an issue where it is soley about personal carbon footprints. It is nice to do something on a personal level, but we are in deep fucking need of big political measures. Don't get me wrong, I cycle everywhere. I don't own a car, the wood that I own makes my carbon footprint negative – but that isn't going to save the planet, because only very few people are lucky enough to even be able considering adopting such a position.

So if we critizise people who professionally lobby for stricter climate measures, I fear we should show them how to do it better or remain silent. Armchair experts and all that jazz.

> the crew had to be flown to New York to sail back

I'm pretty sure the crew decided to fly back not because of her but because they wanted.

They are doing work that hopefully will result in manifold more benefit than boycotting a plane ride. If they don't fly they can't attend conferences, mobilise people, etc. What do you want them to do? Stop using computers and phones while they're at it?

It's the same reasoning of the classic "you defend socialism yet you buy products made under capitalism, oh my what a hypocrite".

> What do you want them to do?

Set a personal example.

I respect Ed Begley a lot for adopting a small carbon footprint lifestyle: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ed_Begley_Jr.#Environmental, house tour: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vV3uedeCKj4

It's much more inspiring than just talking about it while polluting more than the average person.

Yes, she did that. Her entourage of assistants weren't on the boat. They flew back and forth, several times. Therefore the whole endeavor had an undeniable net-positive carbon footprint.