HEARTLAND INSTITUTE HIRES ANTI GRETA YOUTUBER

A conservative group with a history of climate change denial has hired a German YouTuber to challenge Greta Thunberg's 'climate crisis'

pcachero@businessinsider.com (Paulina Cachero),
INSIDER•February 24, 2020

Naomi Seibt, a German YouTuber, has been hired by a conservative think tank to help spread climate denialism. YouTube


The Heartland Institute, a conservative think tank with ties to the Trump administration, has a history of promoting climate denialism.


Most recently, the organization has enlisted the help of a 19-year-old German YouTuber named Naomi Seibt and framed her as a challenger to climate activist Greta Thunberg.


Although Seibt detested her "anti-Greta" label, she claims that Thunberg and other youth climate activists are spreading views that are not based on science.


Nineteen-year-old German YouTube Naomi Seibt says she, too, once believed the world was in the midst of a global crisis and rallied behind environmentalist policies and the uprising of youth climate activism — but not anymore.

Seibt now finds herself on the warring side of Greta Thunberg's climate justice movement, working for a conservative American think tank with ties to the Trump administration to combat what she claims is "climate alarmism."

"I have good news for you. The world is not ending because of climate change," Seibt says in a YouTube video for the Heartland Institute. "People are being force-fed a very dystopian agenda of climate alarmism that tells us that we as humans are destroying the planet and that we, the young people especially, have no future."

For decades, the Heartland Institute has promoted what it calls "climate realism" and spreading doubts about the overwhelming science supporting human's role in causing climate change. The organization cited "science backing climate realism" from the Nongovernmental International Panel on Climate Change, a riff on the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change which they sponsor themselves.

One of its senior fellows, William Happer, objected to a US intelligence official's finding that climate impacts could be "possibly catastrophic" when serving on the White House National Security Council, the Washington Post reported.

The conservative think tank has recently come under scrutiny for its shadowy funding stream through Donors Trust, an organization that has allowed wealthy contributors to donate millions of dollars to conservative causes anonymously. Mother Jones referred to the organization as the "dark-money ATM of the conservative movement."

A recent investigation by German journalists believed they unveiled a plot by the Heartland Institute to utilize Seibt to undermine climate protection measures in Germany — but James Taylor, the director of the Arthur B. Robinson Center for Climate and Environmental Policy at the Heartland Institute, claims the organization has nothing to hide.

"We're always looking to advance individual freedom and better human health and welfare in the United States and around the world," Taylor told Insider. "Even for folks who think they need to undercover to get that information for me. I'll be happy to have that interview today."

In a new effort, the Heartland Institute has enlisted the help of a YouTube influencer to continue to "spread the truth" about climate change. The organization has pitted Seibt against the face of the climate justice movement: Swedish activist Greta Thunberg.

"Greta Thunberg took the world by storm with her doomsday climate predictions. Naomi Seibt, a rising star, advocates for proper scientific discourse over climate change," read a caption on a YouTube video featuring Seibt and Thunberg. "Who seems like the more reasonable advocate to you?"

Naomi Seibt, the self-proclaimed "climate realist"

Seibt's crusade against "climate alarmism" online began in 2019 after Thunberg's activism won her a Nobel Peace Prize nomination and Time Magazine's "Person of the Year" Award, the youngest person to earn the title. In addition to challenging what she calls the "mainstream" climate narrative, Seibt also raised questions about feminism and immigration on her channel that echoed far-right views.

Her views caught the attention of a conservative German think tank with ties to the nationalist Alternative for Germany, and later Taylor.

Taylor saw Seibt speak at a conference in Germany and believed she could help further Heartland's agenda of advocating for "free markets" and "individual liberties."

"Here we have a 19-year-old young lady with tremendous poise tremendous intelligence," Taylor told Insider of its decision to hire Seibt as a digital media specialist. "Essentially, we are helping to provide resources so that she can continue to spread the message advocating individual freedom, which includes economic freedom, as well as climate realism."

Seibt, a former "climate alarmist" herself, claimed her skepticism began with Thunberg's own Fridays for Future movement. While she disagrees with Thunberg, she emphasizes that she is not the "anti-Greta."

"I'm not this evil opposite of Greta — she might be a really nice girl and I would love to talk to her someday," she told Insider.

However, Seibt claimed Thunberg and other youth climate justice activists espouse views that are not based on science.

"The main issues that I have with the climate change is the narrative. There's a lot of fear-mongering going on. Climate change is not something we're allowed to question anymore," Seibt said.

She said her own research suggests that the role of manmade greenhouse gas emissions in destroying the planet has been inflated by the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The international body is made up of world-renowned scientists who have reached a consensus on the detrimental effects of human greenhouse gases and contribute to reports on how to mitigate climate change.

"I do not believe that the climate is changing because of manmade CO2 emissions. And if it was, I don't believe that would have such a detrimental effect," Seibt told Insider, who did not cite where her own research derived from.

While the 19-year-old believes that the climate is, in fact, changing, she protested the hysteria around the impending climate crisis. Seibt claimed that the widespread fears about the effects of climate change have not only caused "eco-depression," but has effectively silenced any dissent about the climate crisis.

"To be a scientific skeptic has nothing to be with an authoritarian radical," Seibt, who identified as Libertarian, said.
"We are not allowed to speak up — people are losing their job in the wake of this supposed 'climate crisis.'"

With the Heartland Institute, she said she hoped to promote climate realism, which claimed is "pro-human." (PRO CAPITALISM)

"This mainstream narrative of fear-mongering and climate alarmism is holding us hostage in our own brains," Seibt said in a video for Heartland. "Don't let an agenda that is trying to depict you as an energy-sucking leech on the planet get into your brain and take away all of your passionate spirit."
The anti-Greta: A conservative think tank takes on the global phenomenon
 IMITATION THE HIGHEST FORM OF FLATTERY
For climate skeptics, it’s hard to compete with the youthful appeal of global phenomenon Greta Thunberg. But one U.S. think tank hopes it’s found an answer: the anti-Greta.

Desmond Butler, Juliet Eilperin

DOPPELGANGER
Naomi Seibt is a 19-year-old German who, like Greta, is blond, eloquent and European. But Naomi denounces “climate alarmism,” calls climate consciousness “a despicably anti-human ideology,” and has even deployed Greta’s now famous “How dare you?” line to take on the mainstream German media.

KOCH FOUNDATION
“She’s a fantastic voice for free markets and for climate realism,” said James Taylor, director of the Arthur B. Robinson Center for Climate and Environmental Policy at the Heartland Institute, an influential libertarian think tank in suburban Chicago that has the ear of the Trump administration.

In December, Heartland headlined Naomi at its forum at the UN climate conference in Madrid, where Taylor described her as “the star” of the show. Last month, Heartland hired Naomi as the young face of its campaign to question the scientific consensus that human activity is causing dangerous global warming.

“Naomi Seibt vs. Greta Thunberg: whom should we trust?” asked Heartland in a digital video. Later this week, Naomi is set to make her American debut at the Conservative Political Action Conference, or CPAC, a high-profile annual gathering just outside Washington of right-leaning activists.
If imitation is the highest form of flattery, Heartland’s tactics amount to an acknowledgment that Greta has touched a nerve, especially among teens and young adults. Since launching her protest two years ago outside the Swedish parliament at age 15, Greta has sparked youth protests across the globe and in 2019 was named Time magazine’s “Person of the Year,” the youngest to ever win the honor.

The teenager has called on the nations of the world to cut their total carbon output by at least half over the next decade, saying that if they don’t, “then there will be horrible consequences.”

“I want you to panic,” she told attendees at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, last year. “I want you to feel the fear I feel every day. And then I want you to act.”

Naomi, for her part, argues that these predictions of dire consequences are exaggerated. In a video posted on Heartland’s website, she gazes into the camera and says, “I don’t want you to panic. I want you to think.”

Graham Brookie directs the Digital Forensic Research Lab, an arm of the nonprofit Atlantic Council that works to identify and expose disinformation. While the campaign “is not outright disinformation,” Brookie said in an email, it “does bear resemblance to a model we use called the 4d’s — dismiss the message, distort the facts, distract the audience, and express dismay at the whole thing.”

Naomi said her political activism was sparked a few years ago when she began asking questions in school about Germany’s liberal immigration policies. She said the backlash from teachers and other students hardened her skepticism about mainstream German thinking. More recently, she said that watching young people joining weekly “Fridays For Future” protests inspired by Greta helped spur her opposition to climate change activism.

“I get chills when I see those young people, especially at Fridays for Future. They are screaming and shouting and they’re generally terrified,” she said in an interview. “They don’t want the world to end.”

Naomi said she does not dispute that greenhouse gas emissions are warming the planet, but she argues that many scientists and activists have overstated their impact.

“I don’t want to get people to stop believing in man-made climate change, not at all,” she said. “Are manmade CO2 emissions having that much impact on the climate? I think that’s ridiculous to believe.”

Naomi argues that other factors, such as solar energy, play a role — though the amount of solar energy reaching the Earth has actually declined since the 1970s, according to federal measurements. A slew of peer-reviewed reports, from scientific bodies in the U.S. and elsewhere, have concluded that greenhouse gas emissions are the dominant cause of warming since the mid-20th century, producing a range of devastating effects from massive marine die-offs in South America to severe wildfires in Australia and sinking ground in the Arctic.

In addition to climate change, Naomi echoes far-right skepticism about feminism and immigration. The German media have described her as sympathetic to the nationalist Alternative for Germany (AfD), the biggest opposition party in parliament, whose leaders have spoken of fighting “an invasion of foreigners.” Naomi says she is not a member of AfD — she describes herself as libertarian — but acknowledges speaking at a recent AfD event.

Her path to Heartland began in November with a speech at EIKE, a Munich think tank whose vice president is a prominent AfD politician. By then, Naomi was already active on YouTube, producing videos on topics ranging from migration to feminism to climate change. In the audience was Heartland’s Taylor. He said he immediately recognized her potential and approached her about working with Heartland.

Founded in 1984 and funded largely by anonymous donors, Heartland has increasingly focused on climate change over the past decade. Its staff and researchers enjoy ready access to the Trump administration, and one of its senior fellows, William Happer, served as a senior director on the White House National Security Council between September 2018 and 2019.

An emeritus professor of physics at Princeton University, Happer has repeatedly argued that carbon emissions should be viewed as beneficial to society — not a pollutant that drives global warming. During his time with the Trump administration, he sought to enlist Heartland’s help in promoting his ideas and objected to a U.S. intelligence official’s finding that climate impacts could be “possibly catastrophic,” according to documents obtained by The Washington Post.

Why would an American think tank want to get involved in German politics? Because it worries that Berlin’s strong stance on reducing greenhouse-gas emissions could be contagious, according to a recent investigation aired on German television.

For two decades, Germany has been a leader in pressing other nations to curb carbon output and shift to renewable energy. Though it is falling short of its ambitious goals, Germany has pledged to cut its greenhouse gas emissions this year by 40 percent compared to 1990 — and by up to 95 percent by mid-century.

In December, during the Madrid climate conference, two undercover staffers from the nonprofit investigative newsroom CORRECTIV approached Taylor and claimed to work for a wealthy donor from the auto industry who wanted to give Heartland a half-million euros. Taylor took the bait, and followed up with a three-page proposal outlining a campaign to push back against German efforts to regulate emissions.

“These restrictive environmental programs are largely unnecessary,” says the document, a copy of which was obtained by The Post. “Worse, other nations — including the United States and European Union nations — are increasingly being influenced by unwise German policy.”

The proposal described Naomi as “the star” of a “Climate Reality Forum” organized by Heartland during the Madrid talks. With “over 100,000 people viewing her talk on climate realism,” the proposal said, Naomi was well-positioned to fight German climate policies.

“Funding for our Germany Environmental Issues project will enable Heartland to provide Naomi with the equipment and the sources she needs to present a series of effective videos calling attention to the negative impacts of overreaching environmental regulations,” the proposal says.

CORRECTIV aired its report on Heartland earlier this month on German TV. Taylor dismissed the report, saying, “Heck, I would have spoken with them if they told us who they were, and the answers would have been pretty much the same.”

The report included secretly filmed footage of Naomi, who struck back with her own video response. Invoking Greta, she said, “To the media, I have a few last words: How dare you?"

Despite echoes of Greta’s style, Naomi has objected to the comparison.

“The reason I don’t like the term anti-Greta is that it suggests I myself am an indoctrinated puppet, I guess, for the other side,” she says in one video. Asked if she meant that as a criticism of Greta, Naomi says: “That sounds kind of mean, actually.” She added: “I don’t want to shame her in any way.”

Taylor said the tendency to associate Naomi with Greta is “kind of natural” — and benefits Heartland’s message.

“To the extent that Naomi is pretty much the same, just with a different perspective, yeah, I think that it’s good that people will look at the two as similar in many ways,” he said.

PATHETIC PARODY
Still, Naomi has a long climb to reach the level of global attention lavished on Greta. While Greta measures her social media following in the millions, Naomi counts slightly under 50,000 YouTube subscribers.

Through her spokespeople, Greta declined to comment.

'I Am Greta' director explains the 'extreme hatred' the young climate activist has received online

Ethan Alter
Senior Writer, Yahoo Entertainment
Yahoo Movies November 12, 2020

It was the clapback heard ’round the world. On Nov. 5, two days after the U.S. Presidential election, Swedish environmental activist, Greta Thunberg, reached out to President Trump on Twitter with some words of youthful advice. Trump had recently tweeted his strenuous objection that certain states were counting mail-in ballots that were tipping the race to President-elect Joe Biden.

“So ridiculous,” Thunberg wrote in response. “Donald must work on his Anger Management problem, then go to a good old fashioned movie with a friend! Chill, Donald, Chill!”

Her tweet instantly went viral, and not just because the 17-year-old was speaking truth to power. What specifically delighted her followers was the fact that she was using Trump’s own words against him. Almost one year ago, in December 2019, Thunberg made history by becoming Time’s youngest-ever Person of the Year for her international campaign to raise awareness about climate change. Far from congratulating her, Trump mocked her online, tweeting a message that ended with “Chill, Greta, Chill!”

Rather than rise to the bait, Thunberg bided her time and dropped her clapback when it would have maximum impact. According to Nathan Grossman, director of the new documentary, I Am Greta, that social media strategy is classic Greta.

“It was just a matter of time until she was going to strike back,” he tells Yahoo Entertainment, with a knowing laugh. “She’s much more chill than Trump is. And it shows her humorous side, which is something you see in the film. We’ve seen her be very stoic in interviews, but she’s also very ironic and funny, which explains how she’s been able to gain lots of followers with comments like that.”

Grossman has spent enough time in Thunberg’s company to recognize her multifaceted personality. He started filming her in 2018 — well before she became the global face of the environmental activism — and kept the cameras rolling through her triumphant appearance at the UN Climate Action Summit in September 2019. In order to attend that event, Thunberg famously crossed the Atlantic Ocean from Europe to New York City on a small sailing yacht rather than fly the friendly skies in a fuel-guzzling airplane.

Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg is the subject of the new documentary I Am Greta. (Photo: Hulu)

Footage from the voyage is included in I Am Greta, which debuts on Hulu on Nov. 13 after premiering at the Venice and Toronto film festivals earlier this year, and captures the normally stoic Thunberg in uncharacteristically vulnerable moments. “I miss home,” she says tearfully at one point. “I miss having a regular life, with routines. It is such a responsibility; I don’t want to have to do all this. It’s too much for me.”

Scenes like that one are a potent reminder to viewers that, for all her determination and devotion to her cause, Thunberg is still a young person navigating her own personal problems at the same time that she’s attempting to solve a global problem. (As she’s disclosed in the past, Thunberg was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome, obsessive-compulsive disorder and selective mutism when she was 11 years old.) That, in turn, makes it all the unfortunate that there are so many voices who seem invested in tearing her down. Besides Trump, Thunberg has been the frequent target of conservative critics like Dinesh D’Souza and Michael Knowles, who called her “mentally ill” in a 2019 Fox News interview. (The network later apologized for Knowles’s comments.)

Even after spending two years telling Thunberg’s story, Grossman remains astonished by the amount of vitriol she receives on a regular basis. “I’m surprised by the extreme hatred she’s getting, because a lot of the things she’s mentioning aren’t new,” he says. “These facts have been reported by the United Nations and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. But Greta had this ability to point out that they were going to affect the future of her life and the lives of many young people, and I think the climate change-denying part of the world started to attack her because they didn’t want to discuss those facts. It’s like smoke and mirrors in a sense.”



Greta Thunberg speaking at the UN Climate Action Summit in September 2019. 

(Photo: Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

Grossman also sees Thunberg’s youth as being one of the triggers for her critics, in much the same way that Parkland shooting survivors David Hogg and Emma González became targets in the right wing mediasphere after they spoke out in favor of gun control. Similarly, U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is frequently on the receiving end of attacks by politicians and commentators who seem unnerved by her popularity among younger, more progressive voters.

“If you’re a young person who doesn’t even have voting rights or economic power, you need to scream louder and protest louder because it’s your future at stake,” he explains. “And when it comes to climate change in particular, the younger you are the more you’re going to feel its effects. Older people tend to be the ones attacking Greta, and they want to shove this issue into the future because it’s not something that will affect them. But I think that gives young people and their worries even more legitimacy — they’re the ones who have to live in that future. And they’ve never asked to be the generation that has to solve this.”

According to Grossman, Thunberg is well aware of the hatred her outspoken activism has engendered among adults, who then act like children when they write about her on the internet. Far from backing down, though, she continues to raise her voice and discuss the issue of climate change in unequivocal terms. During her address to the UN, she memorably accused a roomful of diplomats and politicians of stealing “my dreams and my childhood with your empty words,” repeatedly exclaiming, “How dare you!”

“Young people have grown up with the internet and social media, so they understand that crazy hate accounts are, sadly, a part of the digital landscape,” he explains. “When the movie premiered at the Venice Film Festival, 500 people saw it in the theaters, but thousands of people were logging onto IMDb saying they’d seen it and that it was a piece of s***. It says a lot about the digital world, and that we shouldn’t give too much attention to that. Greta and many young people understand that better than older people, who still think that everything on the internet is real.”

Thunberg leads a rally protesting climate change in the new documentary I Am Greta. 

(Photo: Hulu)

At the same time, someone who screams so loudly for so long risks losing their voice. In a recent interview with The New York Times, Ocasio-Cortez expressed uncertainty about her political future, in part due to the hostile treatment she experienced during her first term. “I’m serious when I tell people the odds of me running for higher office and the odds of me just going off trying to start a homestead somewhere — they’re probably the same,” she said. And there are moments in I Am Greta — like Thunberg’s confession that the climate fight is “too much for her” — that makes viewers wonder how long she’ll continue to lead the movement she helped start.

Asked whether he thinks Thunberg might step back from the spotlight, Grossman admits that “other things” like school will likely come to occupy her attention in the near term. “But I think we will continue to hear her voice on this topic,” he stresses. “When I was following her, I didn’t know if she was going to practice what she preached, but it’s been so fun to see how, over and over again, she’s fixated on wanting to stand for something and do it.”

One thing she likely won’t do is have a face-to-face encounter with Trump before or after he leaves office. “Greta has said before that she doesn’t think Trump would listen to her, so I’m not sure she would spend the time trying to convince him,” Grossman says, adding that despite her endorsement of Biden in the presidential election, Thunberg generally eschews political party affiliation, seeing a dispiriting lack of will to confront climate change on both sides of the aisle. “Biden has a more [progressive] agenda on climate change than Donald Trump has — it’s hard not to,” he notes. “But we need to be very mindful and monitor how the political world addresses climate change in the coming year, because we need to treat it as a crisis. We need to make sure our newly elected officials do that.”

I Am Greta premires Friday, Nov. 13 on Hulu.

Greta Thunberg reflects on living through multiple crises in a 'post-truth society'

Oliver Whang 

Since her first sit-in outside the Swedish parliament building more than two years ago, Greta Thunberg’s fundamental message has been clear and unchanging: The climate crisis is humanity’s greatest existential threat and we need to treat it as such. That message inspired millions of young activists to protest for change and led to a series of viral speeches that have defined Thunberg’s global fame. She was Time’s 2019 Person of the Year and was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize two years in a row.

© Photograph by Shane Balkowitsch, Nostalgic Glass Wet Plate Studio
This portrait is titled “Greta.”

Now, though, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic—a global crisis of a much different nature—and the looming threat of the U.S. backing out of the Paris Agreement, the 17-year-old activist is back at school in Sweden. National Geographic spoke with Thunberg via Zoom about how her activism has changed over the past year, and how her message might survive an increasingly complex world. (This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity).

Oliver Whang: A lot has happened in the past half year or so. How has your work changed since the coronavirus hit?

Greta Thunberg: Well, we have moved from lots of physical things, meetings and strikes and so on, to doing it digitally. But, I mean, since we are a movement of people who don't fly because of the environmental impact, we haven't had to change that much in the way we work. And then every country, every local group, differs. Because we are a very decentralized movement. We are not run top-down, but every local group decides on their own what they're going to do. So it's been different from city to city, from country to country

.

© Photograph by Shane Balkowitsch, Nostalgic Glass Wet Plate Studio
Thunberg poses for a photo, “Standing For Us All.”

Oliver Whang: Have any of those countries or cities adapted in a way that's been really successful?

Greta Thunberg: Yeah. Some do weekly digital strikes, which have been successful. And many have done symbolic actions. Some have put up signs or shoes outside the parliament buildings to symbolize that we should be here, but we are home. So there are lots of creative ways people have adapted.

Oliver Whang: Do you feel like the climate change crisis has been kind of forgotten in the middle of all this other stuff?

Greta Thunberg: Well, that's a very poignant narrative because, yes, of course, as have all other issues. In an emergency like this, you have to expect that other things are going to be put on hold, as they have been.

Oliver Whang: One thing that's been striking to me about the worldwide response to the coronavirus pandemic is that a lot of countries and companies have made really big moves. Stimulus bills were passed and companies are developing vaccines quickly. Do you see this kind of response as inspiring some kind of action towards addressing the climate crisis?

Greta Thunberg: Well, we shouldn't be comparing different crises, but it does show that we can treat a crisis like a crisis. And that it will probably change the way we perceive crises and crisis response. And it really proves that the climate crisis has never once been treated as a crisis. It's just being treated as a public and important question, like a political topic. Which it is not, because it's an existential crisis.

Oliver Whang: But has the response to the coronavirus given you more hope? As in, we can have a similar response to the climate crisis?

Greta Thunberg: It confirmed what I already knew. That once we treat the climate crisis like a crisis, we can change things and we can achieve things.

Oliver Whang: Here in the U.S., an election is coming up and our country is scheduled to withdraw from the Paris Agreement on November 4th. Our president has been promising to do this for years—he says that the accord is unfair to America. And there are a lot of people, not most of the people in the U.S., but a lot of them, who agree with the president and agree with that decision to withdraw from the accord. What would you say to those people?

Greta Thunberg: Nothing. Just as I always do, refer to the science. Because people have been trying to impact these people for so long, and they haven't succeeded. So why should I? Why should I be any different? If they don't listen to and understand and accept the science, then there's really nothing that I can do. There's something much deeper that needs to change them.

Oliver Whang: What might that deeper thing be?

Greta Thunberg: That we live in a post-truth society today, and that we don't care that we have lost empathy. We have stopped caring for each other in a way. We have stopped thinking long-term and sustainable. And that's something that goes much deeper than just climate crisis deniers.

Oliver Whang: So do you think in order to address the climate crisis, we might need like a cultural shift or a paradigm shift rather than just passing carbon taxes and legislation, influencing leaders and developing technology?

Greta Thunberg: Well if I say that, then people will take that quote out of context and say that I want a revolution or something. But I mean the climate crisis is not the only problem here. It is just a symptom of a larger crisis. Like the loss of biodiversity, acidification of the oceans, and loss of fertile soil, and so on. And these things will not just be solved by stopping our emissions of greenhouse gases. The earth is a very complex system. If you take one thing and put it out of balance then that will have an impact on things beyond our comprehension. And that goes for equality as well. Humans are part of nature, and if we are not doing well, then nature is not doing well, because we are nature.

Oliver Whang: Does it bother you that you might be missing all these people who maybe accept that climate change is a thing and that it's a crisis, but prioritize joblessness or access to food or other domestic issues over the climate crisis? Do you feel like you're missing them?

Greta Thunberg: No, it doesn't bother me. We have not been made aware of the climate crisis—the climate crisis has never been treated as a crisis, so how can we expect people to care about it? Since we are not aware of even the basic facts, how can we expect people to want climate action? And so that is something that needs to change. We need to understand that we are not fighting for separate causes. We are fighting for one and the same cause even though it might not seem like it. It's the fight for climate justice, social justice. Whatever is the issue, it’s the fight for justice.

Oliver Whang: Do you think that we've made any significant progress towards addressing the climate crisis since you started protesting more than two years ago?

Greta Thunberg: It depends on how you see it. In one way, yes. It feels like the debate has shifted and more and more people are starting to slowly understand the climate crisis more and prioritizing it. But on the other hand, it has still never once been treated as a crisis. And the emissions are still rising. So it depends on how you see it.

But I mean we can't expect that this one movement will change the world. If we think that is the case then we have not understood the climate crisis. People are like, ‘Has your movement failed since you have not accomplished your goals?’ But, I mean, what are our goals? We don't have any goals. Our goal is to do as much as we possibly can to be a small part of a very big shift. To be one of countless of activists who push in the same direction from different perspectives. And that is our goal. We can't expect one movement or one initiative, one solution, to change everything, or to put us in the right direction. Because the climate crisis is very complex. It's not just that simple.

Oliver Whang: Was there anything that you did or that other youth climate activists have done that you think has been particularly successful? Or any sort of manifestation of what you've done in policy or in the economy that you think is an example of your success?

Greta Thunberg: Yes, we have many. Especially local examples. But I think the biggest thing that we have accomplished is to put the focus on the science. We just say, ‘We don't want you to listen to us, we want you to listen to the science.’ This not a question about politics, this is not our opinion. We don't want the emissions to reduce, it's what the science says is needed if we are to stay in line with our commitments. We don't want things to be like this. But unfortunately, that's where we are. And we will continue to push for people to listen to the science.

Oliver Whang: Do you ever have any doubts about your work? Do you ever doubt yourself or what you've been doing?

Greta Thunberg: No, because I know it's the right thing to do. We are at a time now where we must step out of our comfort zones. I feel like I have a moral duty to do what I can, since I'm a citizen. And that makes me part of something and it is my duty, my moral duty, my moral responsibility, to do everything I can.

Oliver Whang: And that's never been in question for you?

Greta Thunberg: No. I mean, I don't want to be an activist. I don't think any climate activist does it because they want to. We do this just because no one else is doing anything, and because we need to do something. Someone needs to do something, and we are somebodies.

Oliver Whang: I'm curious if you feel like your moral duties or your responsibility has changed as you’ve become this more recognized name.

Greta Thunberg: Well, yes. Of course everyone has a responsibility, but the bigger your platform, the bigger your responsibility. And the bigger your power, the bigger your responsibility. The bigger your carbon footprint, the bigger your moral duty. So of course, as I've gotten a bigger platform that also comes with a bigger responsibility. I must use these channels, or whatever you would call them, to educate, to spread awareness.

And the things, all the resources I have, they will disappear one day. I mean, I won't be this person for a long time. Soon people will lose interest in me and I won't be so-called “famous” anymore. And then I will have to do something else. So I'm trying to, as long as I have this platform, use it.

Oliver Whang: How do you see yourself proceeding from here? Do you want to go to university? Do you have any plans?

Greta Thunberg: Well, I don't really know. I just do what I want to do at the moment. And right now, I just started gymnasium (Editor’s note: “gymnasium” is the Swedish equivalent of high school). And there I will be for the following three years. And unless I want to do something else, I mean, we will see. The world changes from day to day. So you just have to adapt, I guess.

Oliver Whang: How do you plan on sustaining this movement? Are there specific things we need to do that are different from what needed to be done two years ago or one year ago or eight months ago?

Greta Thunberg: I mean, it's very complex. But right now we have kind of hit the wall. There are no arguments left. There are no excuses left. Now, it's just, either you try to minimize the crisis or just completely deny it, or you try to distract. We just need to start treating the crisis like a crisis and continue to lift up the science, but now everyone's blaming each other and we are stuck in a loop. We won't get anywhere unless someone breaks that chain, so to speak. Someone needs to do something. I mean, of course, many people have to do lots of things, but unless someone with a big platform or big responsibility does something to start treating the crisis like a crisis—for instance, the media—then we won't be able to move from here.

I am Greta, a documentary about Thunberg’s rise to prominence, begins streaming on Hulu on November 13. The Walt Disney Company is majority owner of National Geographic Partners and Hulu.

Photographer Shane Balkowitsch, based in Bismarck North Dakota, used the wet plate collodion process, invented in 1848, to create these images. More of his work can be found on Instagram @balkowitsch.

​Greta Thunberg Mocks Conspiracy Theorist Trolls In 18th Birthday Post

JESS HARDIMAN  Sunday 03 January 2021 

Greta Thunberg has taken a swipe at conspiracy theorists in a social media post marking her 18th birthday, sharing a photo of herself wearing a 'Flat Mars Society' top while giving two thumbs up to the camera.

Thunberg, who turned 18 today, thanked fans for their birthday wishes, before joking that she'd be popping down to her local boozer to chat conspiracy theories.

"Thank you so much for all the well-wishes on my 18th birthday!" she wrote.

"Tonight you will find me down at the local pub exposing all the dark secrets behind the climate - and school strike conspiracy and my evil handlers who can no longer control me! I am free at last!!"

One person said her post was 'brilliant', adding: "The conspiracy theories about you are hilarious. I'm glad you can see the funny side of it all, rather than letting it stop you. Most of them are ableist because they think your autism stops you from being able to think for yourself, but they're obviously wrong."

Someone else wrote: "You are WONDERFUL Greta! A fantastic tweet."

In an interview with the Sunday Times to mark her birthday, the climate change activist revealed that she asks to borrow clothes from friends if they have garments they don't need anymore, rather than purchase something brand new.

MORE LIKE THIS


News
Greta Thunberg Has Salt Spreading Truck Named After Her

News
Greta Thunberg Takes Cheeky Swipe At Donald Trump After He Mocked Her

News

Greta Thunberg Says Political Inaction Has Wasted Two Years In Climate Change Fight

Greta Thunberg Has Gone Back To School After Gap Year Of Climate Activism

News
Greta Thunberg Shares Coronavirus Warning As She Recovers From Suspected Covid-19 Symptoms

Greta Thunberg Changes Her Name To Sharon On Twitter After Amanda Henderson Mastermind Blunder

Credit: PA

News
Greta Thunberg Says She'll Never Buy New Clothes Again


She told the publication: "I don't need new clothes. I know people who have clothes, so I would ask them if I could borrow them or if they have something they don't need anymore.

"The worst-case scenario, I guess I'll buy second-hand."

While Thunberg said she's made many changes to her life, she added that she didn't judge others who lived differently to her - though understood why celebrities could come under fire for apparent hypocrisy.

She said: "I'm not telling anyone else what to do, but there is a risk when you are vocal about these things and don't practise as you preach, then you will become criticised for that and what you are saying won't be taken seriously."

Featured Image Credit: Twitter/Greta Thunberg

Volunteer Mountie has 'business relationship' with company featured on 'Greta' decal: RCMP


Alex Antoneshyn Digital Journalist
Kelsey Dyer CTV News Edmonton
March 11, 2020
Greta Thunberg is interviewed by The Associated Press in Plymouth, England Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2019. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)


EDMONTON -- A person connected to the Alberta oilfield company whose logo appeared on a heavily criticized 'Greta' decal volunteered with the RCMP detachment that investigated and found the sticker did not meet the threshold for child pornography, Alberta RCMP have confirmed.

RCMP Alberta addressed the situation on social media after being directly asked about the connection.

We can confirm this individual is a volunteer with the Auxiliary program. You can find more information about the program, here: https://t.co/a2XgBHxFPf— RCMP Alberta (@RCMPAlberta) March 6, 2020

Related Stories
'Shame on you, people': Tattoo artist whose design was altered for Greta stickers speaks out
'We will do better': X-Site Energy apologizes for 'Greta' decal
Greta Thunberg responds to graphic decal bearing Alta. oilfield company logo
'Greta' decal condemned in House of Commons
Disturbing 'Greta' decal bearing Alta. oilfield company logo drawing criticism

RCMP said the person has a "business relationship" with Red Deer-based X-Site Energy Services but did not specificy his role. The company's logo featured on the sticker, which was reportedly distributed at X-Site Energy worksites.

RCMP did not make it clear whether the person continues to volunteer as an auxiliary, but didn't say he wouldn't be allowed to in the future pending a review of the auxiliary program in Red Deer. The program, mentioned on Twitter, was suspended in the Alberta city in 2015 following the death of Const. David Wynn.

"Red Deer RCMP General Investigative Services only investigated whether the image depicted could be considered Child Pornography under the Criminal Code," K Division media relations manager Fraser Logan told CTV News Edmonton.

"Red Deer RCMP would not have pursued any further line of investigation past that determination, as the complaint made was only about the depiction on the decal."

He added auxiliaries are never involved in investigations, whether criminal or not.

"There was nothing ever to suggest, leading into this investigation, that an Auxiliary with the Detachment had this business relationship."

He also said there was "absolutely nothing to suggest he was involved" in the distribution of the 'Greta' sticker.

At other locations across Canada, the two-year-old auxiliary program helps with community policing and crime prevention. It has three tiers where members have varying levels of responsibility, supervision, and duties, ranging from public education to participation in patrol calls and check stops. There are national training standards for each tier. Auxiliary members are not paid.

DECAL 'DISRESPECTFUL' BUT NOT CRIMINAL: RCMP

On March 5, Mounties said Red Deer RCMP's general investigative section contacted the Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams (ALERT) after finding there were "insufficient grounds to pursue charges."

ALERT confirmed a member reviewed the report from the Red Deer RCMP, but said it was not involved in the investigation.

Red Deer RCMP also consulted with members from the Internet Child Exploitation Unit (ICE), concluding no charges would be pursued related to what they called the "distasteful decal."

They said the image did not meet the criteria in the Criminal Code to be classified as child pornography.

"The Alberta RCMP take the exploitation of children very seriously, and we believe the image in circulation is extremely disrespectful.

"However, in this case and at this time there are insufficient grounds with which to pursue charges."

The decal allegedly depicts a sex act with a female figure who appears to be 17-year-old Swede Greta Thunberg. The image shows a pair of hands holding the braids of a female figure from behind. "Greta" is scrawled across her back. Directly below sits the logo of X-Site Energy Services.

The company issued an apology on its website on March 2 and committed to recovering and destroying the stickers.

ALERT was created in 2006 to combat organized crime. The system sees municipal and RCMP officers across the province work together on cases like drug trafficking, child exploitation and gang violence.

Greta Thunberg outside court: We must remember who real enemy is

BBC
Fri, February 2, 2024 



Climate campaigner Greta Thunberg has defended climate activists facing prosecution in court, saying "we must remember who the real enemy is".

The 21-year-old was arrested during a demonstration near the InterContinental Hotel in Mayfair on 17 October.

Oil executives had been meeting inside for the Energy Intelligence Forum.

Ms Thunberg appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court after previously denying breaching the Public Order Act 1986.

She is accused of breaching section 14 of the act by blocking the entrance to the hotel.

Ms Thunberg appeared at court along with two Fossil Free London protesters and two Greenpeace activists, who also pleaded not guilty to the same offence.
'Who real enemy is'

Outside court, Thunberg made a statement alongside some of her co-defendants in which she said: "Even though we are the ones standing here, climate, environmental and human rights activists all over the world are being prosecuted, sometimes convicted, and given... penalties for acting in line with science.

"We must remember who the real enemy is, what are we defending, who our laws are meant to protect."

She added: "History's judgement against those who deliberately destroy and sacrifice... resources at the expense of humanity, at the expense of all those who are suffering the consequences of the environmental and climate crisis... and at the expense of future generations, your own children and grandchildren will not be gentle."

Earlier, the court had heard that Greta Thunberg was given a "final warning" by police before she was arrested.

The court was told by Supt Andrew Cox, the most senior Metropolitan Police officer on the ground that day, that the protesters had refused to move despite repeated requests by police.

Demonstrators started to gather near the hotel at about 07:30 BST and police engaged with them about improving access for members of the public, which had been made "impossible", magistrates were told.

The court heard that as the protest continued the "majority" of people inside the hotel could not leave and people could not get inside.

Supt Cox told the court he had no choice but to impose a section 14 condition at about 12:30 BST, which directed that the protest could continue on the pavement to the south of the hotel.

Officers engaged with individual protesters and informed them of the section 14 condition, magistrates were told, including Ms Thunberg, who was standing outside the hotel entrance.

Who is Greta Thunberg and what has she achieved?

'She said she was staying'

Prosecutor Luke Staton said she was warned by one officer that her failure to comply would result in her arrest and, while that officer was engaged elsewhere, another officer spoke with Ms Thunberg and "gave her a final warning".

"She said that she was staying where she was, and so she was arrested," Mr Staton said.

The Swede continually made notes in a small notebook as proceedings went on.

Arriving at court earlier Ms Thunberg, the founder of the school strike for climate movement, walked past environmental protesters who were demonstrating "in solidarity" with the defendants.

They held up large yellow banners that read, "climate protest is not a crime" and cardboard signs saying, "who are the real criminals?", as well as placards.

Amnesty International UK's chief executive, Sacha Deshmukh, said Thunberg should be "applauded for her peaceful climate protests."

"The charges against Thunberg and all the activists highlight everything that's wrong with the policing of protests in the UK today," he said.

"Police are increasingly using their expanded powers to silence legitimate protests."


Greta Thunberg cleared of public order charge during London oil conference protest

Euronews Green
Thu, February 1, 2024 

Greta Thunberg cleared of public order charge during London oil conference protest

Greta Thunberg has been cleared of a public order offence at a protest outside an oil and gas conference last year after a judge said she had no case to answer.

Judge John Law dismissed the public order charge against her and four others, ruling that the condition placed on the protest was "unlawful" because police could have imposed lesser restrictions and because the conditions were not clear.

The action in October was part of Oily Money Out - a series of disruptions against the carbon emissions, political influence and lobbying of the fossil fuel companies and banks attending the Energy Intelligence Forum by the group Fossil Free London.

The annual meeting of energy companies hosted executives of the biggest fossil fuel firms as well as politicians.

Environmental activists including Greta Thunberg, center left, march with other demonstrators during the Oily Money Out protest at Canary Wharf, in London. 

- AP Photo/Kin Cheung, File

The Swedish climate activist was detained while demonstrating with hundreds of other protesters outside the Energy Intelligence Forum, at the InterContinental London Park Lane Hotel in Mayfair. They attempted to block the entrance of the hotel before they were escorted away by police.

Five activists including Thunberg were accused of failing to comply with a condition imposed under section 14 of the Public Order Act after not moving to a designated area when told to by police.

The two activists from Greenpeace, two from Fossil Free London and Thunberg all pleaded not guilty at an initial hearing in November last year. Today all five were cleared of a public order offence at a court in London.

"The prosecution evidence is insufficient for any reasonable court to properly convict and I exercise my discretion to acquit all five defendants," Judge Law said.

Farnborough: Why did Greta Thunberg join hundreds of activists protesting an English airport?

Direct confrontation and larger gatherings: How German climate activism is set to evolve

"Even though we are the ones standing here ... climate, environmental and human rights activists all over the world are being prosecuted, sometimes convicted, and given legal penalties for acting in line with science," Thunberg told reporters outside the court before the first day of the trial on Thursday.

"We must remember who the real enemy is. What are we defending? Who are our laws meant to protect?”
UK 'crackdown' on climate protests

The arrests came amid a UK government crackdown on “disruptive” protests which saw the UN Special Rapporteur on environmental defenders criticise the country's “regressive new laws”.

Then-Home Secretary Suella Braverman made controversial changes to public order and policing legislation that expanded police powers to deal with the kind of protests favoured by climate activists.

Climate change kills millions: An expert explains why most deaths aren't attributed to the crisis


‘Be an actionist’: An environmental trailblazer’s inspiring message to climate activists from Davos

Greta Thunberg has been arrested several times over the last year during climate protests across Europe.

In October she was fined by a Swedish court for disobeying police at a demonstration at an oil terminal in Malmo. It was the second time she had been fined in Sweden for a similar offence.

The Swedish climate activist admitted to the facts but denied guilt adding that the fight against the fossil fuel industry was a form of self-defence due to the existential and global threat of the climate crisis.

After the verdict, she said she would continue to protest even if it “leads to more sentences”.

Judge dismisses charge against Greta Thunberg over climate protest

Ehren Wynder
Fri, February 2, 2024 

Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg was cleared of a public order offense Friday after the judge declared the condition police placed on her was "so unclear that it is unlawful." The campaigner was arrested in October 2023 while protesting outside the Energy Intelligence Forum. 

File Photo by Andy Rain/EPA-EFE


Feb. 2 (UPI) -- A British judge on Friday threw out a public order charge against environmental activist Greta Thunberg citing "no evidence" she engaged in an unlawful protest in October.

District Judge John Law dismissed the case Friday, saying the condition police imposed on protesters was "so unclear that it is unlawful," and "anyone failing to comply were actually committing no offense."

Thunberg, 21, and fellow activists Christofer Kebbon, Joshua James Unwin, Jeff Rice and Peter Barker were arrested in October for allegedly violating section 14 of Britain's Public Order Act for refusing to leave the area when they were told to.


The protest took place outside of the InterContinental hotel in London, the venue for the Energy Intelligence Forum attended by fossil fuel executives and government officials.

Arresting officers argued the protesters engaged in "a deliberate attempt to stop people coming into and coming out of the hotel."

Superintendent Matt Cox, who was in charge of policing that day, told the court that delegates could not get into the hotel because of the demonstration.

But Law said he found "the main entrance was accessible (meaning) that the condition ... was unnecessary when the defendants were arrested."

The judge also said the protest was "throughout peaceful, civilized and nonviolent," and he found "no evidence of any vehicles being impeded, no evidence of any interference with emergency services, or any risk to life."

"It is quite striking to me that there were no witness statements taken from anyone in the hotel, approximately 1,000 people, or from anyone trying to get in," he said.

Thunberg's lawyer, Raj Chada, said the charges were "rightly dismissed" and the conditions imposed on the protesters were unlawful "because they disproportionately interfered with our client's right to free speech."

Constable David Lawrence said he had been called to the protest to enforce the section 14 order made by the senior officer on the scene.

He said he approached Thunberg and told her to relocate or else be arrested, but he admitted under cross-examination that he did not know the precise location of where protesters were told to relocate.

Chada argued each arresting officer failed to properly communicate the condition placed on the protest.

"We say for good measure that the condition that was in the charge is not the condition that was communicated to the officers' supervisors," he told the judge.

Another 21 people who participated in the demonstration, including supporters of Extinction Rebellion, are due to appear at later court dates.


UK judge dismisses Greta Thunberg protest case

AFP
Fri, February 2, 2024 

A London court threw out a public order case on Friday against climate activist Greta Thunberg and four other protesters, with the judge criticising "unlawful" conditions imposed by police when they were arrested.

District judge John Law dismissed the cases against the 21-year-old Swedish campaigner and the four other activists on the second day of their trial at Westminster Magistrates' Court.

He ruled that police deployed in the British capital in October at an environmental protest had attempted to impose "unlawful" conditions before officers arrested dozens of demonstrators.

Thunberg, a global figure in the fight against climate change, was among dozens held for disrupting access to the Energy Intelligence Forum,a major oil and gas conference attended by companies at a luxury hotel.

She had pleaded not guilty in November to breaching a public order law, alongside two protesters from the Fossil Free London (FFL) campaign group and two Greenpeace activists.

In his ruling, Law said the conditions imposed on the demonstrators were "so unclear that it is unlawful", which meant "anyone failing to comply were actually committing no offence".

Thunberg and the other defendants had faced a maximum fine of £2,500 ($3,177) if convicted.

Her lawyer, Raj Chada, said the case against them had been "rightly dismissed", arguing that the police stipulations "disproportionately interfered with our client's rights to free speech".

He added: "The government should stop prosecuting peaceful protesters and instead find ways to tackle the climate crisis."

- 'Ridiculous' -

Christofer Kebbon, one of the other defendants from FFL, told reporters that the five "shouldn't be here in court".

He condemned "the climate criminals who are continuing their business as usual and destroying this planet".

Thunberg, who came to worldwide attention as a 15-year-old by staging school strikes in her native Sweden, regularly takes part in climate change-related demonstrations.

She was fined in October for blocking the port of Malmo in Sweden, a few months after police forcibly removed her during a demonstration against the use of coal in Germany.

She also joined a march last weekend in southern England to protest against the expansion of Farnborough airport, which is mainly used by private jets.

Demonstrators had greeted the October forum participants with cries of "shame on you!".

Some carried placards reading "Stop Rosebank", a reference to a controversial new North Sea oil field the British government authorised in September.

Police said officers had arrested Thunberg for failing to adhere to an order not to block the street where the rally was taking place.

Greenpeace UK campaigner Maja Darlington hailed Friday's verdict as "a victory for the right to protest".

She added: "It is ridiculous that more and more climate activists are finding themselves in court for peacefully exercising their right to protest, while fossil fuel giants like Shell are allowed to reap billions in profits from selling climate-wrecking fossil fuels."


Greta Thunberg cleared after unlawful protest arrest

BBC
Fri, February 2, 2024 


Greta Thunberg and four co-defendants have been found not guilty of breaking the law when they refused to follow police instructions to move on during a climate protest.

District Judge John Law threw out a public order charge due to "no evidence" of any offence being committed adding police attempted to impose "unlawful" conditions.

The 21-year-old was arrested at a climate change demonstration near the InterContinental Hotel in Mayfair on 17 October.

The judge said that the conditions imposed on protesters were "so unclear that it is unlawful".

He added that it meant that "anyone failing to comply were actually committing no offence".
'Civilised'

"It is quite striking to me that there were no witness statements taken from anyone in the hotel, approximately 1,000 people, or from anyone trying to get in," he said.

"There was no evidence of any vehicles being impeded, no evidence of any interference with emergency services, or any risk to life."

He said that the protest was "throughout peaceful, civilised and non-violent" and criticised evidence provided by the prosecution about the location of where the demonstrators should be moved to, saying the only helpful footage he received was "made by an abseiling protester".
'Law unclear'

The court heard that protesters started to gather near the hotel in October last year at around 07:30 and police engaged with them about improving access for members of the public, which the prosecution alleged had been made "impossible".

The judge rejected the submission as "the main entrance was accessible (meaning) that the condition... was unnecessary when the defendants were arrested".
Analysis

By Sean Dilley at Westminster Magistrates Court

The judge was scathing about the police's decision to impose unlawful restrictions on Greta Thunberg and other climate protesters.

Put simply, he didn't see any need to interfere with the legitimate right of demonstrators to assemble to the extent they did.

The judge noted that the protest was peaceful and civilised. He said officers had ample opportunity to put less restrictive measures in place, such as using barriers to maintain access to the hotel.

He felt the tactics used breached the lawful rights of protesters on 17 October and he said that conditions were so restrictive as to be unlawful.

He was highly critical of communications between Supt Matt Cox and less senior officers.

Ultimately, Judge Law said that as the Section 14 restrictions were unlawful, none of the defendants were guilty of a crime.

Speaking after the hearing, Ms Thunberg's lawyer, Raj Chada, told reporters: "The charges against them were rightly dismissed.

"The conditions imposed on the protest were unclear, uncertain and unlawful.

"They were unlawful because they disproportionately interfered with our client's right to free speech."

He said the government should "stop prosecuting peaceful protestors".

He added "we will look into all options" when asked whether civil action would be taken against those who prosecuted the case.

Who is Greta Thunberg and what has she achieved?

Ms Thunberg appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court after previously denying breaching the Public Order Act 1986.

She was accused of breaching section 14 of the act by blocking the entrance to the hotel.

Ms Thunberg appeared at court along with two Fossil Free London protesters and two Greenpeace activists, who also pleaded not guilty to the same offence.

Oil executives had been meeting inside for the Energy Intelligence Forum.



A London judge acquits climate activist Greta Thunberg of refusing to leave oil industry conference

BRIAN MELLEY
Updated Fri, February 2, 2024 at 11:22 AM MST·4 min read







Environmental activist Greta Thunberg leaves Westminster Magistrates Court in London, Friday, Feb. 2, 2024. A judge has acquitted climate activist Greta Thunberg of a charge that she had refused to leave a protest that blocked the entrance to a major oil and gas industry conference in London last year. Thunberg was acquitted along with four other defendants.

(AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

LONDON (AP) — Climate activist Greta Thunberg was acquitted Friday of a charge of refusing to follow a police order to leave a protest blocking the entrance to a major oil and gas industry conference in London last year.

The courtroom gallery erupted with applause as Judge John Law told Thunberg and her four co-defendants to stand and told them they were cleared of the criminal charge of breaching the Public Order Act. The judge cited “significant deficiencies in the evidence” presented by the prosecutor.

Law said the police could have applied less restrictive measures and didn’t properly define where protesters should move, while their order to disperse was “so unclear that it was unlawful.” Individuals who did not comply therefore committed no offense, according to the judge..

Law also granted defense lawyer Raj Chada's request for the government to pay legal fees and Thunberg's travel costs once the bills are submitted. She had faced a fine of up to 2,500 pounds ($3,190) if convicted in Westminster Magistrates’ Court of violating the act that allows police to impose limits on public assemblies.

“The conditions imposed on the protest were unclear, uncertain and unlawful,” Chada said outside court. “The government should stop prosecuting peaceful protesters, and instead find ways to tackle the climate crisis."

The Oct. 17 protest was one of many in the U.K. against fossil fuel producers that have led to criminal charges. Some demonstrations have disrupted sporting events, caused massive traffic jams or created shocking spectacles to draw attention to the climate crisis.

But the judge noted that the demonstration attended by Thunberg, 21, was “peaceful, civilized and nonviolent.”

The Swedish environmentalist, who inspired a global youth movement demanding stronger efforts to fight climate change, was among more than two dozen protesters arrested for preventing access to a hotel during the Energy Intelligence Forum, attended by some of the industry’s top executives.

“It is quite striking to me that there were no witness statements taken from anyone in the hotel, approximately 1,000 people, or from anyone trying to get in,” Law said while reading a ruling that had Thunberg and her co-defendants laughing at times. “There was no evidence of any vehicles being impeded, no evidence of any interference with emergency services or any risk to life.”

Thunberg and other climate protesters have accused fossil fuel companies of deliberately slowing the global energy transition to renewables in order to make more profit. They also oppose the U.K. government’s recent approval of drilling for oil in the North Sea, off the coast of Scotland.

Thunberg left court Friday without speaking to journalists, walking past more than a dozen cameras and then sprinting down the sidewalk with her friends.

“We must remember who the real enemy is," she said in a short statement after the first day of trial Thursday. "What are we defending? Who are our laws meant to protect?”

Metropolitan Police Superintendent Matthew Cox said that he had worked with protesters for about five hours before he issued an order for demonstrators to move to an adjacent street, because he was concerned about the safety of those in the hotel.

“It seemed like a very deliberate attempt ... to prevent access to the hotel for most delegates and the guests,” Cox testified. “People were really restricted from having access to the hotel.”

Cox said protesters lit colorful flares and drummers created a deafening din outside the hotel as some demonstrators sat on the ground and others rappelled from the roof of the hotel. When officers began arresting people, other protesters quickly took their places, leading to a “perpetual cycle” that found police running out of officers to make arrests.

Thunberg was outside the front entrance of the hotel when she was given a final warning that she would be arrested if she didn’t comply, prosecutor Luke Staton said. She said she intended to stay where she was.

Thunberg rose to prominence after staging weekly protests outside the Swedish Parliament starting in 2018.

Last summer, she was fined by a Swedish court for disobeying police and blocking traffic during an environmental protest at an oil facility. She had already been fined for the same offense previously in Sweden.

Greta Thunberg cleared of London protest charges

Jenna Moon
Fri, February 2, 2024 


Semafor Signals

Insights from Semafor, The Guardian, and The Conversation
The News

Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg was acquitted of a public order charge in a U.K. court Friday, with a judge deciding the evidence was “insufficient” in relation to a protest she staged at an oil and gas conference last year.

Thunberg has become the face of climate protests in recent years following the success of the weekly school walkouts she started, dubbed Fridays for Future. Recently, other organizations, including Just Stop Oil, have protested at art galleries and other institutions in hopes of ending new oil and gas contracts. This week, protesters with French organization Riposte Alimentaire threw soup on the glass covering the Mona Lisa at the Louvre, marking the second time the artwork has been targeted by climate protests.
SIGNALSSemafor Signals: Global insights on today's biggest stories.
‘Greta effect’ motivates more people to get into climate activismSources: The Conversation, The Guardian

People familiar with Thunberg and her politics are also more likely to engage in climate activism themselves, a 2019 study found. “Americans who report being more familiar with Greta Thunberg also feel more confident that they can help mitigate climate change as part of a collective effort,” the report’s authors noted in The Conversation. The phenomenon, dubbed “the Greta effect,” has sparked everything from copy-cat protests to a boom in children’s books about saving the planet from climate change, The Guardian reported in 2019. While just knowing who Thunberg is didn’t drive young people to be climate activists, knowing about her at least “appears to have a unique influence on the extent to which they feel empowered to make a difference,” according to the survey.
Soup-throwing protests get headlines, but no major policy changesSources: Semafor, The Guardian

When it comes to impacting climate legislation, throwing soup doesn’t seem to be as effective as blocking highways, Semafor’s Tim McDonnell argued. The art museum protests have prompted headlines over the years, but no significant policy changes. However, farmers in France and elsewhere in the European Union were able to convince the EU to delay a new green rule by clogging city streets in recent days to protest legislation that would require them to set aside part of their farmland for conservation. “Some activists argue that the soup attacks are part of a longer-term strategy to make milder forms of climate protest more palatable and effective,” McDonnell wrote. “Personally, I remain unconvinced, and tend to think the most important form of climate messages at this stage are those that demonstrate the job-creation and cost-saving benefits of clean energy.”

Climate activist Greta Thunberg was acquitted Friday of refusing to follow a police order to leave a protest blocking the entrance to a major oil and gas industry conference in London last year.

­­Climate activist Greta Thunberg acquitted after London protest trial

Reuters
Updated Fri, February 2, 2024 







LONDON (Reuters) - Climate activist Greta Thunberg was on Friday cleared of a public order offence as a judge ruled police had no power to arrest her and others at a protest in London last year.

Thunberg stood trial with four other defendants who were arrested on Oct. 17 outside a London hotel, where the Energy Intelligence Forum was hosting oil and gas industry leaders.

All five were accused of failing to comply with an order made under the Public Order Act by police to move their protest to a designated area near the conference.

They were all acquitted at Westminster Magistrates' Court, in a ruling which throws into doubt other prosecutions of those facing the same charge from the Oct. 17 demonstration.

Judge John Law ruled that London's Metropolitan Police acted unlawfully in imposing conditions on the protest and that therefore Thunberg had no case to answer.

He said that police could have imposed lesser restrictions on the protest and the conditions that were imposed were not clear.

Law also said Thunberg was not "given anything like a reasonable time to comply" after police told her to move.

Raj Chada, a lawyer who represented Thunberg and two other defendants, said outside court: "The government should stop prosecuting peaceful protesters and instead find ways to tackle the climate crisis."

Thunberg, who became a prominent campaigner worldwide after staging weekly protests in front of the Swedish parliament in 2018, made no comment to reporters as she left court.

A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police said in a statement: "While we absolutely respect the right to protest, we often hear from Londoners who are fed up with repeated serious disruption at the hands of campaigners who block roads and prevent people going about their normal business.

"Officers have to balance these considerations in real time." They added: "We will review the decision carefully."

Prosecutors, who are likely to seek an adjournment of a similar trial starting next week, can bring an appeal at the High Court against Friday's decision.

Britain's Crown Prosecution Service did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

(Reporting by Sam Tobin; editing by William James, David Gregorio and Louise Heavens)

Climate activist Greta Thunberg cleared of public order offense during London oil protest

Sam Meredith, CNBC
Fri, February 2, 2024 at


LONDON — Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg on Friday was cleared of a public order offense over a protest at an oil and gas conference in October.

Thunberg was arrested Oct. 17 outside the InterContinental London Park Lane hotel after joining hundreds of protesters at an “Oily Money Out” demonstration organized by Fossil Free London and Greenpeace.

Oil executives had been meeting inside the hotel on the first day of the Energy Intelligence Forum, formerly known as the Oil and Money conference.

Thunberg appeared at London’s Westminster Magistrates’ Court this week alongside two Fossil Free London protesters and two Greenpeace protesters. All five defendants pleaded not guilty after being accused of breaching Section 14 of the Public Order Act 1986 by failing to move their protest to a designated area.

The judge in the London court ruled she had no case to answer, and also acquitted the other defendants. “The prosecution evidence is insufficient for any reasonable court to properly convict and I exercise my discretion to acquit all five defendants,” Judge John Law said to applause in the gallery, according to Reuters.

The Met Police said in a statement at the time that it had imposed conditions on those protesting under Section 14 of the Public Order Act “to prevent serious disruption to the community, hotel and guests.”

The act allows the police to impose conditions on a public group in an effort to prevent issues such as “significant impact on persons or serious disruption to the activities of an organisation by noise; serious disorder [and] serious damage to property.”

Thunberg was catapulted to fame in 2018 when her “skolstrejk för klimatet” (school strike for climate) movement gained traction around the world.

A prominent campaigner, the 21-year-old has been arrested several times during climate protests across Europe over the past 12 months.

Speaking in October last year after a Swedish court fined her for disobeying police at a protest, Thunberg reportedly said she was prepared to continue taking part in demonstrations even if it "leads to more sentences."

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com