Naomi Seibt

{{denialism|1}}'''Naomi Seibt''' {{lived|2000}} is a [[German]] [[internet kook]] and [[Heartland Institute]] [[shill]] who has been promoted as a counter to [[Greta Thunberg]].<ref name="Guardian20200225">[https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/feb/25/anti-greta-teen-activist-cpac-conference-climate-sceptic  'Anti-Greta' teen activist to speak at biggest US conservatives conference: Naomi Seibt, who tells YouTube followers that Thunberg and other climate activists are whipping up hysteria, to speak at CPAC] by David Smith (25 Feb 2020 14.56 EST) ''The Guardian''.</ref> A counter in the sense that she says the exact opposite of whatever Thunberg says. This strategy is naturally flawed when [[Balance fallacy|one side is speaking factually and the other is engaging in denial]]. It follows that from Heartland Institute's [[climate change denialism]] that Seibt is also a climate change denier,<ref>https://www.insider.com/conservative-hires-youtuber-naomi-seibt-challenge-greta-thunberg-climate-crisis-2020-2</ref> having been hired by a [[conservative]] [[think tank]] that has a history of downplaying or outright [[Denialism|denying]] the effects or existence of climate change. Although Seibt does not outright deny that the [[Earth]] is warming, she suggest that its effects are overstated. This same 'think tank' also worked with [[tobacco]] companies to discredit the link between smoking and disease, so she's definitely choosing good company. Within months, she was front page news, receiving invites to conferences, and being held up by some as some sort of intellectual authority.{{efn|"'Here we have a 19-year-old young lady with tremendous poise tremendous intelligence,' Taylor told Insider of its decision to hire Seibt as a digital media specialist. 'Essentially, we are helping to provide resources so that she can continue to spread the message advocating individual freedom, which includes economic freedom, as well as climate realism.'"<ref>[https://www.insider.com/conservative-hires-youtuber-naomi-seibt-challenge-greta-thunberg-climate-crisis-2020-2 A conservative group with a history of climate change denial has hired a German YouTuber to challenge Greta Thunberg's 'climate crisis'] by Paulina Cachero (Feb 24, 2020, 2:06 PM) ''Business Insider''.</ref> Couching denialism in [[loaded language|positive terms]] is a textbook [[propaganda]] technique.}}

To no one's surprise, this think tank (in 2020) was affiliated with the [[Donald Trump|Trump administration]].<ref name="WP20200223">[https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2020/02/23/meet-anti-greta-young-youtuber-campaigning-against-climate-alarmism/ The anti-Greta: A conservative think tank takes on the global phenomenon: How a group allied with the Trump administration is paying a German teen to question established climate science.] by Desmond Butler & Juliet Eilperin (Feb. 23, 2020 at 4:53 p.m. PST) ''The Washington Post''.</ref>

==Humble beginnings==
From the age of 14, Seibt was involved in [[politics]], attending meetings with her mother. We ought to blame her mother for at least part of her radicalisation, because her mother earned her living by representing [[far-right]] politicians,<ref name="Guardian20200225" /> specifically those of the German [[AfD]] party. She has also criticised Germany's 'liberal' immigration policies, [[backfire effect|but the backlash from fellow students and teachers hardened her skepticism]]. At 16, her [[nationalist]] poem was published on an [[islamophobia|'anti-islamisation']] blog sponsored by the same party. But it was only in 2019 that she started the practice of uploading her climate videos, straight from her mobile phone. [[YouTube]]'s nature makes it very easy for misinformation and shit-takes to spread, sometimes even faster than the truth, and so it is likely that this is how Heartland discovered their latest champion.

==Heartland and beyond==
She was introduced to Heartland in a February 2020 video.<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HxX-1cWSvVc&feature=emb_title</ref> Unfortunately, the video has more likes than dislikes. Fortunately, the comments are full of people calling out her [[bullshit]].

Her opening comments (from the description box) suggest that climate panic is 'alarmism', and that we shouldn't 'panic' — we should [[euphemism|'think']] instead. This supposes that the other side is [[pathos gambit|too emotional or hysterical to think correctly]], and that she, the cool and collected [[Pseudoskepticism|skeptic]], is on the side of [[science]]. The idea that we can panic or be worried in response to the facts telling us that something terrible is about to happen is lost on her, of course. She also stated that "[[Straw man|the goal (of climate scientists) is to shame humanity. Climate change alarmism at its very core is a despicably anti-human ideology and we are told to look down at our achievements with guilt, with shame and disgust, and not even to take into account the many major benefits we have achieved by using fossil fuels as our main energy source.]]"

Seibt also has ties to the far-right, according to ''[[The Washington Post]]''. She supports the AfD, appearing at an event for the AfD, she saw herself as being a [[libertarian]].<ref name="WP20200223" /> Attempting to deny any sympathy for white nationalism, she said she was "still a fan, absolutely" of 
noted professor of argumentation and top philosopher
 [[Stefan Molyneux]] who she viewed as an "inspiration".<ref>Juliet Eilperin and Desmond Butler [https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2020/02/29/anti-climate-activist-praises-white-nationalist-cpac/ "Anti-climate activist praises alt-right commentator at CPAC"], ''The Washington Post'', February 29, 2000</ref><ref>Stephanie Kirchgaessner and Emily Holden [https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/feb/28/naomi-seibt-anti-greta-activist-white-nationalist-inspiration " Naomi Seibt: 'anti-Greta' activist called white nationalist an inspiration"], ''The Guardian'', February 28, 2020</ref>

==Notes==
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==References==
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