Should We Have Children As We Face Life On An Increasingly Inhospitable Planet?
The ethical discussion around bringing new life into the world and why people- people like me- feel justified having children
Photo by Marta Ortigosa
I’ve harbored this question for a long time: should we still bring children into the world in the face of the climate crisis? It seems insurmountable. I picture my children fighting with other human beings after I’m gone for some clean water and my heart breaks. How could I do that to humans that never asked to be born?
As a society, we’ve been asking this question for a while. Today, I want to discuss why having children in a world that is becoming increasingly inhospitable climate-wise- never mind the continued inequities and violence that plague us and will only be amplified as the climate crisis gets worse- is not necessarily bad, and different reasons people choose to have children in this day and age.
Before we dive in, I want to say two things:
I would never try and assert an opinion or insert myself into someone’s individual choices around childbirth. It is a highly individual choice, and if it’s not clear, I completely support reproductive rights
Women are largely represented as the voices on why or why not to bring children into the world. While I appreciate that women actually get a voice, I also want to acknowledge it’s because we’re talking about childbearing and childrearing. I would love to see more representation of everyone in this conversation. Of course, the decision is ultimately the women’s when it comes to birthing a child, but that doesn’t mean we can’t all chime in when it comes to this topic. It’s a societal issue.
First, let’s address the question at the core of THE question(to have kids or not to have kids): will having fewer kids as a society stop climate change in the first place?
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