WARNING: Do not have a sip of coffee or any other beverage in your mouth when you read this as it’s the funniest thing we’ve read today. 16-year-old climate activist Greta Thunberg is stuck “halfway to Chile” because organizers moved the event to Spain:
Greta Thunberg has traveled halfway to Chile, but will need to turn back to make the COP25 summit after it was moved to Spain. The activist, who refuses to fly due to high levels of emissions from air travel, has put out a transportation plea on Twitter.
“It turns out I’ve traveled half around the world, the wrong way:)” and “Now I need to find a way to cross the Atlantic in November,” which is, you know, winter and not the best sailing weather:
What the carbon footprint of her failed trip? We already know that her original trip involved flying crew members all over the place to reposition the yacht. And now this?
I’m so sorry I’ll not be able to visit South and Central America this time, I was so looking forward to this. But this is of course not about me, my experiences or where I wish to travel. We’re in a climate and ecological emergency. I send my support to the people in Chile.
More from the WSJ:
Greta’s voyage has had its own critics, who have pointed out that some members of the sailing crew will return by plane, while others fly in to sail the boat back to Europe.
Boris Herrmann, captain of the sailboat, Malizia II, said that the criticism was expected but that Greta shouldn’t be held responsible for the flights by crew members. “We are kind of the ferry to bring her over. We’re a professional sailing team and sometimes we need to fly. We used this voyage also to train,” he said, adding that the team offsets its flights by funding sustainability projects, including mangrove planting in Indonesia. “The trip is an example of how difficult it is to have zero carbon impact.”
And this, campers, is why we don’t let 16-year-olds set public policy:
This of course no problem. People are suffering all around the world, and I’m fine whatever I do and wherever I am.
