8 ms·

This resonates with me. I'm a Millenial(?[1]) and I've chosen not to have children on the basis of climate change. Talk all you want about how climate change i

This resonates with me. I'm a Millenial(?[1]) and I've chosen not to have children on the basis of climate change. Talk all you want about how climate change is not a personal issue -- the decision to have children (and how many) is the singlemost environmentally impactful decision you will ever have direct, personal agency in making. For me, it's practicing what I preach, because I view climate change as the most pressing existential threat to our species (albeit on a longer timescale than my own life). I have other justificiations, too -- in terms of life priorities, I simply consider children as "nice to have". For someone on the fence like me, this is enough. If you disagree... more power to you! It's your decision to make, and I mean that earnestly. [1]: Born 1996

fknorangesite 5y ago
> I'm a Millenial(? 1996) These lines are by nature fuzzy and a bit arbitrary, but yeah just barely: > In order to keep the Millennial generation analytically meaningful, and to begin looking at what might be unique about the next cohort, Pew Research Center decided [in 2018] to use 1996 as the last birth year for Millennials for our future work. Anyone born between 1981 and 1996 ... is considered a Millennial https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/01/17/where-millennials-end-and-generation-z-begins/ https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/01/17/where-mille...
JohnWhigham 5y ago
It's your prerogative not to have children, but if you're doing it for the climate, just know that there's going to be plenty of others in developing countries that will more than offset your decision not to have kids.
- AnIdiotOnTheNet 5y ago
  They will have those children regardless of OP's choices.
  - JohnWhigham 5y ago
    I know, which is precisely why declaring one is not going to have kids because of "the climate" is nonsensical.
    - AnIdiotOnTheNet 5y ago
      I disagree. You might think "gee, why should I do anything to help when no one else is?", but some of us have different philosophies.
- CarelessExpert 5y ago
  > there's going to be plenty of others in developing countries that will more than offset your decision not to have kids. First, this is at least racism-adjacent as far as I'm concerned. Second, birth rates are declining throughout the world thanks to increased access to reproductive technology, improvements in income and quality of life, and increased urbanization: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2021/06/birthrates-declining-global-fertility-decline-empty-planet-covid-19-urbanization-migration-population/ https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2021/06/birthrates-declining-...
  - JohnWhigham 5y ago
    Nothing I said was racist. Many developing countries have a higher birth rate than the US, no one disputes this. You are the one brought that baggage to the conversation. Why? I don't know. Maybe you need to do some reflection on that. Second, birth rates ... Irrelevant to my point.
    - CarelessExpert 5y ago
      > Nothing I said was racist. Many developing countries have a higher birth rate than the US, no one disputes this. The trope that folks in "developing" countries universally pop out huge numbers of kids sufficient to "more than offset your decision not to have kids" is just that, a trope, based on, generously, a paternalistic western view of the rest of the world that lacks any kind of nuance. For example, China's birthrate is below replacement rate. Is China a "developing" nation in your mind? What about India? Birthrates have also been dropping consistently, averaging around 2.5 children per couple, which is just a bit above replacement rate (2.1), and in many communities birth rates are actually below replacement: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/fertility-rate-below-replacement-level-for-all-but-hindus-muslims/articleshow/62465588.cms https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/fertility-rate-bel... Sub-Saharan African birthrates are on average much higher but they've been plummeting for years and the trend is likely to continue: https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.DYN.TFRT.IN?locations=ZG https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.DYN.TFRT.IN?location... All of this reflects a global crash in fertility rates: https://www.bbc.com/news/health-53409521 https://www.bbc.com/news/health-53409521 > Researchers at the University of Washington's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation showed the global fertility rate nearly halved to 2.4 in 2017 - and their study, published in the Lancet, projects it will fall below 1.7 by 2100. Frankly, you might want to reflect on why you hold on to these outdated beliefs about the "developing" world.
rank0 5y ago
If your marginal, insignificant impact on the climate is enough to prevent you from having kids, then you probably never really wanted them anyways. It scares me that people seriously suggest giving up children “for the greater good.” Raising a child is the most meaningful experience in most people’s lives. Why should anybody give up kids but keep their iPhones, AC, avocados, and software engineering jobs? You might feel differently when you’re older.
- throwacherry 5y ago
  A drop of rain is small indeed, but many drops can fill oceans. It is scary indeed, to think we can't help raise children unless we give birth to them ourselves, while ignoring millions of struggling kids today. Why can't we love them as our own? Ultimately, we all come from the same source [1]. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitochondrial_Eve https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitochondrial_Eve
  - rank0 5y ago
    Thanks for the flowery language master Yoda. I am in no way advocating against adopting children. That is a wonderful thing to do for another human being. It has very little to do with climate change and surely you understood that the original comment was discussing having no kids at all. The carbon footprint of your child is there whether or not you adopt it.
    - throwacherry 5y ago
      Welcome, you are.
- CarelessExpert 5y ago
  > If your marginal, insignificant impact on the climate is enough to prevent you from having kids, then you probably never really wanted them anyways. Or they have different values than you. Shocking, right? > Why should anybody give up kids but keep their iPhones, AC, avocados, and software engineering jobs? > You might feel differently when you’re older. Ahh, there it is. That moral superiority that oh-so-often exudes from folks with kids criticizing folks who don't want them. I'm 42. Married almost 20 years. No kids. Still no desire to have them. Amazing, right? Suggestion: Don't talk down to people about their reproductive choices. You might not agree with folks but you're no one's moral superior.

fknorangesite 5y ago

> I'm a Millenial(? 1996) These lines are by nature fuzzy and a bit arbitrary, but yeah just barely: > In order to keep the Millennial generation analytically meaningful, and to begin looking at what might be unique about the next cohort, Pew Research Center decided [in 2018] to use 1996 as the last birth year for Millennials for our future work. Anyone born between 1981 and 1996 ... is considered a Millennial https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/01/17/where-millennials-end-and-generation-z-begins/ https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/01/17/where-mille...

JohnWhigham 5y ago

It's your prerogative not to have children, but if you're doing it for the climate, just know that there's going to be plenty of others in developing countries that will more than offset your decision not to have kids.

AnIdiotOnTheNet 5y ago
They will have those children regardless of OP's choices.
- JohnWhigham 5y ago
  I know, which is precisely why declaring one is not going to have kids because of "the climate" is nonsensical.
  - AnIdiotOnTheNet 5y ago
    I disagree. You might think "gee, why should I do anything to help when no one else is?", but some of us have different philosophies.
CarelessExpert 5y ago
> there's going to be plenty of others in developing countries that will more than offset your decision not to have kids. First, this is at least racism-adjacent as far as I'm concerned. Second, birth rates are declining throughout the world thanks to increased access to reproductive technology, improvements in income and quality of life, and increased urbanization: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2021/06/birthrates-declining-global-fertility-decline-empty-planet-covid-19-urbanization-migration-population/ https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2021/06/birthrates-declining-...
- JohnWhigham 5y ago
  Nothing I said was racist. Many developing countries have a higher birth rate than the US, no one disputes this. You are the one brought that baggage to the conversation. Why? I don't know. Maybe you need to do some reflection on that. Second, birth rates ... Irrelevant to my point.
  - CarelessExpert 5y ago
    > Nothing I said was racist. Many developing countries have a higher birth rate than the US, no one disputes this. The trope that folks in "developing" countries universally pop out huge numbers of kids sufficient to "more than offset your decision not to have kids" is just that, a trope, based on, generously, a paternalistic western view of the rest of the world that lacks any kind of nuance. For example, China's birthrate is below replacement rate. Is China a "developing" nation in your mind? What about India? Birthrates have also been dropping consistently, averaging around 2.5 children per couple, which is just a bit above replacement rate (2.1), and in many communities birth rates are actually below replacement: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/fertility-rate-below-replacement-level-for-all-but-hindus-muslims/articleshow/62465588.cms https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/fertility-rate-bel... Sub-Saharan African birthrates are on average much higher but they've been plummeting for years and the trend is likely to continue: https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.DYN.TFRT.IN?locations=ZG https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.DYN.TFRT.IN?location... All of this reflects a global crash in fertility rates: https://www.bbc.com/news/health-53409521 https://www.bbc.com/news/health-53409521 > Researchers at the University of Washington's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation showed the global fertility rate nearly halved to 2.4 in 2017 - and their study, published in the Lancet, projects it will fall below 1.7 by 2100. Frankly, you might want to reflect on why you hold on to these outdated beliefs about the "developing" world.

rank0 5y ago

If your marginal, insignificant impact on the climate is enough to prevent you from having kids, then you probably never really wanted them anyways. It scares me that people seriously suggest giving up children “for the greater good.” Raising a child is the most meaningful experience in most people’s lives. Why should anybody give up kids but keep their iPhones, AC, avocados, and software engineering jobs? You might feel differently when you’re older.

throwacherry 5y ago
A drop of rain is small indeed, but many drops can fill oceans. It is scary indeed, to think we can't help raise children unless we give birth to them ourselves, while ignoring millions of struggling kids today. Why can't we love them as our own? Ultimately, we all come from the same source [1]. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitochondrial_Eve https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitochondrial_Eve
- rank0 5y ago
  Thanks for the flowery language master Yoda. I am in no way advocating against adopting children. That is a wonderful thing to do for another human being. It has very little to do with climate change and surely you understood that the original comment was discussing having no kids at all. The carbon footprint of your child is there whether or not you adopt it.
  - throwacherry 5y ago
    Welcome, you are.
CarelessExpert 5y ago
> If your marginal, insignificant impact on the climate is enough to prevent you from having kids, then you probably never really wanted them anyways. Or they have different values than you. Shocking, right? > Why should anybody give up kids but keep their iPhones, AC, avocados, and software engineering jobs? > You might feel differently when you’re older. Ahh, there it is. That moral superiority that oh-so-often exudes from folks with kids criticizing folks who don't want them. I'm 42. Married almost 20 years. No kids. Still no desire to have them. Amazing, right? Suggestion: Don't talk down to people about their reproductive choices. You might not agree with folks but you're no one's moral superior.