3 ms·

Not having a kid cuts off a whole branch of human reproduction; it's undoubtedly the best thing you can do for the planet, on the personal scale. Everything els

Not having a kid cuts off a whole branch of human reproduction; it's undoubtedly the best thing you can do for the planet, on the personal scale. Everything else pales in comparison.

hgomersall 3y ago
It might be true within a very narrow scope but is irrelevant. There is no path to climate change mitigation that involves population control that isn't substantially worse than than problem. Just as individuals' decisions are only relevant when taken in aggregate, so too should an individual act as though their behaviour was an aggregate one. Climate change solutions can only be implemented at the societal level, as is becoming abundantly clear.
deadlast2 3y ago
Stopping migration/immigration from poorer to richer countries would be an even better solution. Stopping all long haul air travel would even be better. If you are being honest you know this will never be solved because no one believes it.
- ben_w 3y ago
  > Stopping migration/immigration from poorer to richer countries would be an even better solution Only instantaneously; integrated over the relevant timescales, the poor countries burn more while industrialising, and everyone (including the poor countries) installs renewables. I visited Kenya about a decade ago, the taxi was old enough to not have electric windows (so I suspect electric cars will take a while to become affordable for Matatu drivers); there was a geothermal power station. To actually solve the greenhouse gas problems needs everyone and everything to get greener, including air travel — given how long CO2 stays in the air, if we fixed everything worldwide except rail, that's still 400% of our global greenhouse gas budget. Aviation is about 19x, cement 30x, livestock and manure 58x; yet all of those combined — rail, air, cement, and livestock & manure — are still only about a tenth of our emissions
readthenotes1 3y ago
So the only people who will have kids are those who don't believe in climate change?
- mnsc 3y ago
  And all those noble hearted pepople not having kids will make the overpopulation/competition for scarce resources look more manageble meaning those who do not believe in climate change (and/or are greedy egotisticials) might go "actually, it looks like I can still have that third child after all".

Not having a kid cuts off a whole branch of human reproduction; it's undoubtedly the best thing you can do for the planet, on the personal scale. Everything else pales in comparison.

hgomersall 3y ago

It might be true within a very narrow scope but is irrelevant. There is no path to climate change mitigation that involves population control that isn't substantially worse than than problem. Just as individuals' decisions are only relevant when taken in aggregate, so too should an individual act as though their behaviour was an aggregate one. Climate change solutions can only be implemented at the societal level, as is becoming abundantly clear.

deadlast2 3y ago

Stopping migration/immigration from poorer to richer countries would be an even better solution. Stopping all long haul air travel would even be better. If you are being honest you know this will never be solved because no one believes it.

ben_w 3y ago
> Stopping migration/immigration from poorer to richer countries would be an even better solution Only instantaneously; integrated over the relevant timescales, the poor countries burn more while industrialising, and everyone (including the poor countries) installs renewables. I visited Kenya about a decade ago, the taxi was old enough to not have electric windows (so I suspect electric cars will take a while to become affordable for Matatu drivers); there was a geothermal power station. To actually solve the greenhouse gas problems needs everyone and everything to get greener, including air travel — given how long CO2 stays in the air, if we fixed everything worldwide except rail, that's still 400% of our global greenhouse gas budget. Aviation is about 19x, cement 30x, livestock and manure 58x; yet all of those combined — rail, air, cement, and livestock & manure — are still only about a tenth of our emissions

readthenotes1 3y ago

So the only people who will have kids are those who don't believe in climate change?

mnsc 3y ago
And all those noble hearted pepople not having kids will make the overpopulation/competition for scarce resources look more manageble meaning those who do not believe in climate change (and/or are greedy egotisticials) might go "actually, it looks like I can still have that third child after all".