Following 16-year-old Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg’s rise to global fame, adult climate change deniers—led by President Donald Trump—have unleashed a torrent of criticism and sarcastic remarks on the teenager and her mission to save the planet. Now, they finally have a place to go to be heard.
Comedian Mark Humphries shared a satirical video on Thursday about a “Greta Thunberg Helpline.” Created with Humphries’ co-writer Evan Williams, the video jokes that climate deniers angry about Thunberg’s speech this week at the United Nations General Assembly may need some support.
The video begins with a testimonial from a middle-aged man with “an embarrassing problem.” “I get irrationally angry at a Swedish girl who wants to save the planet,” he says.
“If you’re a grown adult who needs to yell at a child for some reason, the Greta Thunberg Helpline is here to tolerate you,” the video jokes.
Trump was one of the first to target Thunberg on Monday night with a sarcastic tweet. “She seems like a very happy young girl looking forward to a bright and wonderful future. So nice to see!” Trump wrote, sharing a video of her visibly upset.
Thunberg responded by changing her Twitter bio to read: “A very happy young girl looking forward to a bright and wonderful future.”
The teenage activist was also ridiculed by conservative pundit Michael Knowles, who called her “mentally ill.”
“None of that matters because the climate hysteria movement is not about science,” he said on Fox News’ The Story With Martha MacCallum. “If it were about science, it would be led by scientists rather than by politicians and a mentally ill Swedish child who is being exploited by her parents and by the international left.”
Fox News later apologized to Thunberg for the pundit’s comment.
Climate denier Steve Milloy joined in the chorus of critics claiming Thunberg was not acting of her own volition. “She’s ignorant, maniacal and is being mercilessly manipulated by adult climate bedwetters funded by Putin,” he tweeted.
Thunberg has taken to Twitter herself to address her “haters.” “Here we go again,” she wrote. “As you may have noticed, the haters are as active as ever—going after me, my looks, my clothes, my behaviour and my differences. They come up with every thinkable lie and conspiracy theory.”
The activist also shared the satirical video. “Hang in there! Help is available,” she wrote.
Thunberg received her first taste of global recognition when she created a school climate strike movement under the name “Fridays for Future” in 2018. The next climate strike will happen on this Friday. “Last Friday 4 million people striked for climate. This Friday we do it again!” said Greta in a recent tweet.
Additional details of Greta’s climate strike can be found at her website, FridaysForFuture.org.
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