Climate activist Greta Thunberg possesses intelligence, articulation and integrity that many Australians should aspire to, writes Dean Frenkel.

And of course, it is her confrontational message – that human behaviour is rapidly making the Earth uninhabitable – upsetting to all those who prefer to celebrate a few centuries of “civilisation”.

Their fear is not about reckless human excess damaging the planet, polluting the waterways or poisoning the air.

Her way of speaking is highlighted by crisp clarity which makes her listener-friendly, removing the likelihood of listeners misunderstanding her.

Indeed, Greta’s feat of speaking English to this level is amazing for someone born and raised speaking Swedish where English is a second language.

Yet Australian linguists think poor speech is not an issue.