Author sums up the problem with calling Greta Thunberg a bad influence for skipping school

An author has defended Greta Thunberg’s dedication to climate change activism and missing school.

Notes on a Nervous Planet author Matt Haig called the idea of the 16-year-old activist skipping school being a bad example, “ludicrous.”

Taking to Twitter, he said: “The idea that Great Thunberg is a bad example because she skips school is ludicrous.”

When I skipped school I went to the video store and smoked cigarettes out of my bedroom window. 

When Great skips school she sails to New York to talk to the UN on the need to save life on Earth. 

When put that way, many people agreed.

Others pointed out the hypocrisy of criticism leveled against Greta

This assistant headteacher threw their weight behind the young climate change activist

Another person made this salient point:

"What the world really needs is more Greta Thunbergs"

The tweet received much love, with over 5k retweets and 33k likes.

The 16-year-old has been the target of online harassment from climate change deniers. The founder of the Pro-Brexit campaign group Leave.EU recently made a joke about the climate change activist being involved in a 'freak yachting accident.'

The teenager, who is one of the most prominent people in the world for raising awareness about climate change, embarked on a zero-carbon two-week voyage across the Atlantic on board a solar-powered yacht on Wednesday.

Images of Greta onboard the vessel made their way online, with the Green Party MP Caroline Lucas wishing Thunberg good luck on her trip.

Arron Banks however, made her the centre of a distasteful joke, retweeting Lucas and commenting: "Freak yachting accidents do happen in August."

More: Arron Banks 'jokes' about Greta Thunberg being involved in a boating accident during her trip across the Atlantic

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