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Millennials Not Having Babies Because of Climate Change

theatlantic.com

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Re: Millennials Not Having Babies Because of Climate Change

#61

Post by AnIdiotOnTheNet »

JohnWhigham wrote: post #50
chaorace wrote: post #32

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…

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.

They will have those children regardless of OP's choices.

Re: Millennials Not Having Babies Because of Climate Change

#62

Post by CarelessExpert »

horns4lyfe wrote: post #7

If you live in a place like the US, in the context of world history there’s never been a safer time to have a child. These people need to turn off the news and take a walk.

> there’s never been a safer time to have a child.

Now.

The entire point is that people are afraid about the future.

Honestly, did you even read the article?

Re: Millennials Not Having Babies Because of Climate Change

#63

Post by rank0 »

throwacherry wrote: post #60
rank0 wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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…

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

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.

Re: Millennials Not Having Babies Because of Climate Change

#64

Post by CarelessExpert »

rank0 wrote: post #54
chaorace wrote: post #32

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…

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…

> 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.

Re: Millennials Not Having Babies Because of Climate Change

#65

Post by CarelessExpert »

JohnWhigham wrote: post #50
chaorace wrote: post #32

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…

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.

> 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-...

Re: Millennials Not Having Babies Because of Climate Change

#66

Post by nyokodo »

cameronh90 wrote: post #57
nyokodo wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Basically it comes down to choosing between buying a house and having a kid. If you already had a kid but everything else in your life was the same, what would you do?

I don't know. It's not something I've ever given too much thought to because it's too expensive to realistically consider.

> it's too expensive to realistically consider

Too expensive under what constraints and how impossible is violating those constraints? For instance, does the UK have cheaper areas to live with childcare costs in-line with incomes? Can you or the other parent take a career holiday to look after the children? Your lifestyle expenses are so reduced you have no room to make savings and apply it to your child?

Re: Millennials Not Having Babies Because of Climate Change

#67

Post by thatguy0900 »

4asnarkycomment wrote: post #42
thatguy0900 wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How is not having kids a moral weakness?

If you read my comment, I didn't say not having kids itself is a moral weakness. I said that moral weakness leads to a lack of desire to reproduce.

I don't see how that follows, either,to be honest. There is no shortage of immoral parents

Re: Millennials Not Having Babies Because of Climate Change

#68

Post by mgh2 »

CarelessExpert wrote: post #62
horns4lyfe wrote: post #7

If you live in a place like the US, in the context of world history there’s never been a safer time to have a child. These people need to turn off the news and take a walk.

> there’s never been a safer time to have a child. Now. The entire point is that people are afraid about the future . Honestly, did you even read the article?

We need more data, but the silent generation did not seem to be that concerned during the cold war.

I think this article points to a culture shift and the success of liberal pro-choice propaganda if anything.

Re: Millennials Not Having Babies Because of Climate Change

#69

Post by CarelessExpert »

mgh2 wrote: post #68
CarelessExpert wrote: post #62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> there’s never been a safer time to have a child. Now. The entire point is that people are afraid about the future . Honestly, did you even read the article?

We need more data, but the silent generation did not seem to be that concerned during the cold war. I think this article points to a culture shift and the success of liberal pro-choice propaganda if anything.

> but the silent generation did not seem to be that concerned during the cold war.

The silent generation didn't grow up expecting reproductive choices. And that's ignoring the fact that nuclear war was just theoretical. Catastrophic climate change is actually happening.

> the success for liberal pro-choice propaganda if anything.

Giving people access to birth control and condoms is propaganda?

Re: Millennials Not Having Babies Because of Climate Change

#70

Post by rank0 »

CarelessExpert wrote: post #64
rank0 wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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…

> 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 exu…

Maybe I've come off the wrong way here. I do not believe that either party can claim the moral high ground for their decision on raising children.

I DO however, get annoyed when I see people present themselves as some kind of martyr simply for being child free. Those same folks on this forum gladly spew out carbon in pursuit of building a new ML model, cryptocurrency, or unnecessary startup cash-grab.

> 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.

For the record, I am 26 and have also have no children. Your suggestion is exactly my point. Seems like we have some common ground!

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