PA ImagesFormer Top Gear host Jeremy Clarkson has called environmentalist Greta Thunberg an idiot and blamed her for ‘killing the car show’.
The 59-year-old has expressed contempt for the young activist in the past but now it seems he’s taking her climate change action personally.
Clarkson became well known as a car connoisseur in the early 2000s when he joined the cast of Top Gear. The show proved popular for many years, pretty much all the way up to 2015 (when Clarkson punched a producer and got fired), but he now feels the format is a dying one.
And it’s all because of Thunberg, obviously.
In an interview with The Sun, the presenter claimed kids are taught ‘cars are evil’ even before they utter the words ‘mummy or daddy’, and from then it’s ‘in their heads’.
He ranted:
Everyone I know under 25 isn’t the slightest bit interested in cars — Greta Thunberg has killed the car show.
While the 16-year-old activist hasn’t started a war against car shows in particular, Thunberg works to raise awareness about climate change and the drastic action needed to save our planet.
She has opted for travelling in boats rather than aeroplanes and electric cars rather than traditional motor vehicles to reduce her own carbon footprint, and encourages others to demand change from world leaders.
Her eye-opening movement has had an incredible effect on the world as more people start to pay attention to the seriousness of the issue, and in turn admittedly may result in less interest in environmentally unfriendly pursuits, like driving.
But it’s not Thunberg’s fault that Clarkson makes his living off gas-guzzling vehicles, is it? The world is looking for sustainable alternatives and the presenter just needs to keep up.
Clarkson’s The Grand Tour co-host Richard Hammond agreed less young people are interested in cars nowadays.
He commented:
I hate to say it, but I think Jeremy is right.
Young people don’t care about cars. How many kids now are growing up with posters of cars on their bedroom wall?
Despite Clarkson’s accusatory claims and cruel comments about Thunberg, it seems her message about the environment is managing to get through, as for the first time since Clarkson, Hammond and co-host James May began working together they have been filmed discussing climate change in a serious manner.
PA ImagesThe three presenters are even going to switch things up a bit in upcoming episodes of Amazon Prime’s The Grand Tour as they embark on adventures involving riverboats and bicycles.
Clarkson went on to explain he does believe in climate change, though he’s more interested in what can be done about it.
He said:
For the first time ever, we’ve had global warming rammed down our throats — and we’ve not been idiotic, it’s very definitely a thing. You can change your mind.
Only an idiot doesn’t change their mind when faced with irrefutable evidence. The question is, what to do about it? That’s a more interesting debate than what is happening.
Clarkson criticised the way Thunberg has chosen to raise awareness, saying:
[Greta’s] an idiot. Going round saying we’re all going to die, that’s not going to solve anything, my dear.
Now, what I could do is go on strike, borrow a 50ft carbon-fibre yacht with back-up diesel engine, sail to America and shout at President Trump.
I could do that, but it would achieve nothing. So instead, it’s time to talk to scientists.
Of course, he didn’t say anything about following through with his ‘talking to scientists’ idea.
PA ImagesIt’s all well and good explaining what should be done, but as someone who’s spoken at the UN and made efforts to meet with world leaders about the issue, Thunberg is still probably closer to a solution than Clarkson is.
Clarkson might be four decades older than Thunberg, but he still needs to grow up.
The Grand Tour presents: Seamen will be available on Amazon Prime Video on Friday 13th December.
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Emily Brown first began delivering important news stories aged just 13, when she launched her career with a paper round. She graduated with a BA Hons in English Language in the Media from Lancaster University, and went on to become a freelance writer and blogger. Emily contributed to The Sunday Times Travel Magazine and Student Problems before becoming a journalist at UNILAD, where she works on breaking news as well as longer form features.