Greta Thunberg has consistently proven herself to be wiser, more galvanising, and generally more mature than most adults – a fact perfectly exemplified by the constant smear campaigns in the mainstream media. Now, reasonably tired of being dragged for urging us to save the planet, the teen activist has clapped back.

Quote tweeting an article by Australian newspaper the Herald Sun – the tweet read: “As the deeply disturbed Greta Thunberg spreads her climate panic, we should ask why so many world leaders are listening to her, writes Andrew Bolt” – Thunberg questioned why climate denying journalists continue to spend their time dragging a 16-year-old.

“I am indeed ‘deeply disturbed’,” Thunberg replied on Twitter, “about the fact that these hate and conspiracy campaigns are allowed to go on and on and on just because we children communicate and act on the science. Where are the adults?”

Bolt’s heinous column mocks Thunberg’s autism diagnosis, and refers to her supporters as being members of a cult. The writer also addresses the activist’s growing influence as she prepares to travel to the US, which she will do via a sailboat fitted with solar panels and underwater turbines.

“No teenager is more freakishly influential than Greta Thunberg, the deeply disturbed messiah of the global warming movement”, the article opens, continuing: “I have never seen a girl so young and with so many mental disorders treated by so many adults as a guru.”

Such a personal attack on Thunberg is not only completely unwarranted (given she is literally trying to save civilisation), but also deeply offensive and below the belt. Although we probably shouldn’t expect anything less from climate deniers, it’s still abhorrent that a publication would publish such a scathing article.

Attacks on Thunberg have sadly become commonplace in the right-wing media, with another Australian publication (The Australian) describing the teen as a “pig-tailed soothsayer” yesterday in an article attributed to an anonymous writer under the pseudonym “The Mocker”. The teen also had to call out French politicians after they boycotted her parliamentary visit in July.

Clearly these journalists are idiots, and so are the editors who continue to publish their word vomit. It’s positive to see Thunberg sticking up for herself, but depressing that she even has to.