Background 

• Talk about how Greta first learned about climate change and the detrimental effects it had on her health 
• How she used persuasion on her parents to convince them to change their life style habits (logos didn’t really work, pathos did) 
• August 20, 2018, Greta started her first strike outside the Swedish parliament to call for stronger action on climate change by holding up a sign reading Skolstrejk för klimatet (School strike for climate). 

Analysis 

First Point: How she gained traction 

• Kairos:  decided not to attend school until the 2018 Swedish general election on 9 September; her protest began after the heat waves and wildfires during Sweden’s hottest summer in at least 262 years 
• Media: The artifact is a photo. Greta posted photos of herself to social media. We are in the technology age, so this helped her go viral. Not professional= not staged, authentic, more trustworthy (ethos?) 

Second Point: Why did it effect people? 

• Pathos: Lone, young girl striking. Commonplace that children are innocent and should be protected calls to all parents out there to want to help this girl.  
• Logos: Her sign is simplistic in that she is calling for attention to the climate. She was inspired by the March For Our Lives school strikes (Parkland shooting/ gun control) making the point that she doesn’t feel safe going to school when there is a global crisis on the horizon. Establishes ethos too as she is knowledgeable about other movements and is basing her protest off of another popular and effective activist group.  
• Commonplace: If we work hard, we can create the changes we want to see. 

Third Point: Beyond the Picture 

• Greta has since given many speeches and been very active. Her main point is that the adults of large corporations and political positions are not doing enough to prevent and reverse the effects of global warming. Their failure now lays in the hands of children. She uses pathos in most of her speeches to get the attention of everyone. Adults feel guilt when listening to Greta and will hopefully want to take action so their children don’t have to fight this battle. Graphic analogies (house on fire) and blunt statements (you have stolen my dreams and my childhood). 

Fourth Point/ Conclusion: Did it have an effect on people? 

• Compare to pictures of one year later with thousands of people. Tons of awards. Established website. Inspired movements globally 
• Criticism. Ad Hominem. People are attacking her as a person instead of looking at her claims.