Is anyone on HN reconsidering having children because of climate change? Recently I've had a big shift myself on this topic, probably influenced by not many women my age (younger than 30) having any interest in bringing a child into a world where they could potentially suffer real physical danger due to climate change.
Well, the birds aren't going to fix climate change. I can't speak for the women you know, but the women I know in their 20s-30s tell me they aren't thinking about children at all probably thanks to the empowerment of women of the last 100 years. Over my life, I've heard all kinds of excuses for all people to not consider children until they are in their late 30s or 40s, then it's a rush. I did the same. I'm not sure…
World ocean temperatures in 2021 were the hottest ever recorded
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Re: World ocean temperatures in 2021 were the hottest ever recorded
#62I have the feeling that many people (especially politicians) think that global warming is a linear process. It's not. It might even be exponential since some sources for climate-warming are affected by warmer climate. For example, melting ice that reflects sunlight back to space [ https://arcticwwf.org/places/last-ice-area/ ]. I'm thinking about choosing a new place to live right now. Climate change is a big factor f…
I don't want to sound fatalistic but it's difficult to see how we can reset the 4 big feedback loops in any reasonable amount of time: Ice-albedo feedback - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice%E2%80%93albedo_feedback Permafrost thaw feedback - https://www.thearcticinstitute.org/global-carbon-budget-perm... Forestfire\Drought feedback - https://weatherology.com/trending/articles/Drought-Feedback-... Jetstream Disruption…
We desperately need an energy inexpensive way to sequester atmospheric carbon underground in stable (mineral) form. Hopefully we’ll see progress from Climeworks or similar concerns in this space.
https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/aae98d/...
Re: World ocean temperatures in 2021 were the hottest ever recorded
#63Is anyone on HN reconsidering having children because of climate change? Recently I've had a big shift myself on this topic, probably influenced by not many women my age (younger than 30) having any interest in bringing a child into a world where they could potentially suffer real physical danger due to climate change.
Of much greater concern to me is the stability of my income potential in a world that's increasingly automated and career stability is gone. I feel like my default is no children, and that will only change if and only if I reach a level of wealth that I can feel very comfortable committing to the ~18 years of directly raising a new human, the 4+ years thereafter for continuing education, and all the costs associated…
Re: World ocean temperatures in 2021 were the hottest ever recorded
#64Earlier quoted context omitted.
The irony of this is that the people who care about the wellbeing of the planet enough to question having children due to climate concerns are the ones who really should be having children. They are more likely to raise them to be conscious of issues like this, to look for solutions, and to minimize their impact.
On a long enough timeline I agree with your point, but your argument is one of the many many common examples we see now of people simply not understanding the timeline. 2050 is 29 years away. Kids born in the next few years will barely be out of school by the time we have to have this mostly solved.
Re: World ocean temperatures in 2021 were the hottest ever recorded
#65Is anyone on HN reconsidering having children because of climate change? Recently I've had a big shift myself on this topic, probably influenced by not many women my age (younger than 30) having any interest in bringing a child into a world where they could potentially suffer real physical danger due to climate change.
Of much greater concern to me is the stability of my income potential in a world that's increasingly automated and career stability is gone. I feel like my default is no children, and that will only change if and only if I reach a level of wealth that I can feel very comfortable committing to the ~18 years of directly raising a new human, the 4+ years thereafter for continuing education, and all the costs associated…
Cutting off financial help might result in them feeling stuck with their past choices, resulting in depression etc - I wouldn’t do that. Many successful entrepreneurs come from supportive households.
Re: World ocean temperatures in 2021 were the hottest ever recorded
#66Re: World ocean temperatures in 2021 were the hottest ever recorded
#67Earlier quoted context omitted.
Of course. And I also know a single instance isn't proof of climate change. But I wanted to point out / rant about how the winters have changed over time here. It's sad. And summers hotter than ever. Have had to buy AC, as if we're in Southern Europe.
Just interested in what temperatures have risen to that you need an AC? I also understand that buildings in normally colder climates are optimised to keep warm so that if things get hotter in general they are not going to cope well so an AC may well be necessary at temperatures that in other regions would be considered relatively cool.
Keep in mind the sun goes down at around 11pm, so it doesn't really get cold outside until well past midnight. In my home, that means it can be 25C inside for hours after bedtime unless I use AC and keep the interior cold during the day.
One could get used to 25C I suppose, problem is it's just for a few weeks at a time, then it goes back down. So you never really get used to it.
[1]: https://www.yr.no/en/statistics/table/1-72837/Norway/Oslo/Os...
[2]: https://www.yr.no/en/statistics/table/1-72837/Norway/Oslo/Os...
Re: World ocean temperatures in 2021 were the hottest ever recorded
#68Earlier quoted context omitted.
Of much greater concern to me is the stability of my income potential in a world that's increasingly automated and career stability is gone. I feel like my default is no children, and that will only change if and only if I reach a level of wealth that I can feel very comfortable committing to the ~18 years of directly raising a new human, the 4+ years thereafter for continuing education, and all the costs associated…
Can you inherit zero? Where I live, there is a mandatory minimum inheritance for children - I think it’s 1/6 of the total? Cutting off financial help might result in them feeling stuck with their past choices, resulting in depression etc - I wouldn’t do that. Many successful entrepreneurs come from supportive households.
Where I live, a person has full discretion on who inherits their estate if they explicitly write their will. Your offspring and next of kin are the default inheritors, but can be excluded if you explicitly say so in your will.
Re: World ocean temperatures in 2021 were the hottest ever recorded
#69Earlier quoted context omitted.
Of much greater concern to me is the stability of my income potential in a world that's increasingly automated and career stability is gone. I feel like my default is no children, and that will only change if and only if I reach a level of wealth that I can feel very comfortable committing to the ~18 years of directly raising a new human, the 4+ years thereafter for continuing education, and all the costs associated…
The opportunities for our children is dwindling. I am a full time health care worker who works lots of overtime and I can not even come close to affording a house that fits me and my kids. I am desperately trying to save up but would need $100k to even get my foot in the door at today’s market. To hear you say you would want to cut your child off seems so foreign to me. I want to get ahead enough in life that I can l…
Re: World ocean temperatures in 2021 were the hottest ever recorded
#70Earlier quoted context omitted.
Well, the birds aren't going to fix climate change. I can't speak for the women you know, but the women I know in their 20s-30s tell me they aren't thinking about children at all probably thanks to the empowerment of women of the last 100 years. Over my life, I've heard all kinds of excuses for all people to not consider children until they are in their late 30s or 40s, then it's a rush. I did the same. I'm not sure…
Most people I know are not having children because they don't have the economic stability to do so. Housing, individual low/middle income tax burden, cost of living, stagnated wages over the last several decades for all but the top 25%.