‘A thin net over an abyss’: Greta Thunberg and the Importance of Words in Addressing the Climate Crisis

Abstract

Listen to the scientists.' It is a refrain that Greta Thunberg has used on a number of occasions to impress upon us that we are running out of time if we want to halt the slide towards catastrophe. Now is the time to discuss the findings of science, and science education is the natural place to do so. And yet, there is no obvious, designated place for serious discussion about its findings. What is it that makes the appeal to science so powerful and yet makes discussion of meaningful action so difficult? Bruno Latour has problematised the self-understanding of science and how it has removed itself from our capacity to express our interest in the world and what matters to us. However, one of the significant features that is emerging from the climate crisis is that science is once again enabling us to do so. The terms in which we express our understanding of the world are being rethought. Taking this further, I turn to Stanley Cavell, for whom our capacity to word the world is tied to our capacity for expression and the animation of language. Cavell offers us a means of understanding how and why our words matter. For young people, it is crucial that they believe their voices can be heard if the kind of transformation needed to avoid environmental catastrophe is to take place. The role of educators is to support them in this. In order to do so, education itself may need to be transformed. And what is the point of learning facts within the school system when the most important facts given by the finest science of that same school system clearly mean nothing to our politicians and our society. Greta Thunberg: No one is too small to make a difference.

From the Earth’s Limits to Greta Thunberg: The Effects of Environmental Crisis Metaphors in China

“…Our intent is not to accuse her of petty wrongdoing in her daily life, such as using plastic bags, wearing a wool sweater, or wasting food, but we can reasonably conclude that this Swedish girl lacks the depth of character that is required to make resounding statements about what others are doing wrong; nor do we have evidence that she is solid enough to engage in "sounding the alarm about humanity's predatory relationship with the only home we have" or "bringing to a fragmented world a voice that transcends backgrounds and borders" (Alter et al 2019). Although she is respectable in many aspects, Greta Thunberg, as a living model of the right response to the climate crisis, is problematic or exaggerated (Skilbeck 2020).…”

Framing the Global Youth Climate Movement: A Qualitative Content Analysis of Greta Thunberg’s Moral, Hopeful, and Motivational Framing on Instagram

“…This study extends from scholars across social sciences and humanities who have analyzed Thunberg’s speeches and writings (García 2020; Skilbeck 2020); analyzed social media posts that contain hashtags and keywords relevant to the climate movement (Boulianne et al 2020; Han and Ahn 2020; Jung et al 2020); and examined how mainstream media frames Thunberg’s message and actions (Ryalls and Mazzarella 2021; von Zabern and Tulloch 2021). Visual information has been shown to help people better process and remember information (Graber 1996), and, in the realm of social movements, motivate viewers toward engagement in protests (Geise et al 2021).…”

What does Nature mean to You? – Photo analysis of Urban Middle School Students’ Perception of Nature

“…In this paper, we focus on students and their role in education for sustainable development. Students are the future decisionmakers and leaders and will be both the drivers and recipients of the consequences of environmental actions (Fisher, 2019;Skilbeck, 2020;Wallis & Loy, 2021). A fundamental issue is how students perceive nature and how this relates to their connectedness with nature.…”