Comments on: Stop Having Kids to Save the Planet? What the Heck?!

By: Linda Anderson

Linda Anderson — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 19:43:58 +0000

As a biologist, I like to look at the human population as ecologists look at other populations of organisms. If we over populate so that the earth cannot sustain us, nature will take care of the problem. Our population will suffer from disease and lack of food. If we do not take care of our environment (if we foul our own nest) nature will take care of that, too. We, humans, are not exempt from the forces of nature that work to balance things out. I also think that we have a biological urge or need to have offspring (to send our DNA into the next generations). We have the brain to figure this out if we will just use it. And that is your biology lesson for the day!

Citizen Green
Linda Anderson´s last blog ..Carnivores Can Help Reduce Greenhouse Gases

By: Diane MacEachern

Diane MacEachern — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 19:26:49 +0000

I agree that environmentally-responsible parenting is critical. But it’s also true that there are simply too many people on the planet to sustain life as we know it. I believe it is time to revive the conversation about population growth – in developed and developing nations alike. I support voluntary efforts to encourage adults to limit the number of children they have so they can raise those children in as environmentally responsible a manner as possible.
Diane MacEachern´s last blog ..Energy-Efficient Lights and Eco-Friendly Candles for the Holidays

By: jennae

jennae — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 23:35:24 +0000

@Denene You make an excellent point in that many of us begin the journey toward green living BECAUSE of our children, not in spite of them. I think a lot of effort would be well served in educating kids, who in turn often educate their parents.

@Erika & Tania I think those are the reactions most people would have to this idea. I hate the idea of turning off well-meaning people who are genuinely trying to do what they can for the environment just because they also happen to be (or want to be) parents.

@printaday I couldn’t agree with you more. It’s easy to dismiss the idea of environmentally responsible parenting as being impossible on a large scale, but that idea is likely to be more appealing to the average person than telling them not to have any children. Thanks for your thoughtful input!

By: aprintaday

aprintaday — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 23:20:44 +0000

i do think that the government should intervene by way of promoting education: family planning, responsible & sustainable living, community outreach, increasing public school funding and so on. it’s important to raise children who are thoughtful and aware of their immediate and natural surroundings. and this won’t happen if we, the adults are not aware and uneducated ourselves. putting a cap on reproduction is just a band aid. but raising educated, aware and thoughtful individuals is key to a thriving community.
aprintaday´s last blog ..Project: Matryoshkas!

By: Tania

Tania — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 23:03:26 +0000

I just posted a response to the study that was just published on this topic. I feel like it’s almost counter productive and study like will turn the average consumer off. They hear things like this and throw their hands up in the air with regards to the whole cause.
There are so many more productive ways we could spend our green efforts. This one got me going too…
Tania´s last blog ..Eco Friendly Back to School Kit by Sustainable Group – Review & Giveaway

By: Erika/Organic Baby Resource

Erika/Organic Baby Resource — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 22:59:53 +0000

I’ve heard this a few times before and decided if being “green” meant having no kids, that I was just not going to be that green. After all, having a child was the catalyst in my life that sparked more environmentally sound practices in my and my husband’s lifestyle. What could be more motivating to preserve the planet’s resources than holding the little person you hope will enjoy it, and their children and their children’s children? I can’t think of any.

If others want to drop out of the parenting pool voluntarily, I don’t judge, but I dread living in a place with government imposed population controls. Surely there are other entities we can “control” before we resort to controlling families.
Erika/Organic Baby Resource´s last blog ..Aug 18, MomTV Recap, Congrats to our Winners and New Coupons

By: Denene@MyBrownBaby

Denene@MyBrownBaby — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 22:46:37 +0000

Okay, you know what? That’s just nutty as hell. Whatever freak thinks that it’s okay to eliminate the human race in order to save the planet should know that it’s radical notions like these that turn off the average person who is trying to be proactive and make changes, but is new to environmental activism. I’m sorry, but I actually LOVE my kids—every one of them—and wouldn’t trade them in for all the trees on the Earth, no matter how much I love it. I do believe that WE can be responsible enough to teach our children about how to respect and protect their environment, and I also think it’s our kids who have a tremendous impact on teaching US how to respect and protect the environment. I wish people who make that argument would recognize that they’re not helping the situation by being so incredibly, unreasonably radical about it.
Denene@MyBrownBaby´s last blog ..Dang, Am I REALLY This Old? Seriously?

By: jennae

jennae — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 22:20:32 +0000

@tbat I understand that overpopulation is a problem, but I think it’s fundamentally wrong to infringe on people’s choice about whether to reproduce or to judge them based on it. I’m not saying that you’re being judgemental — just that I cannot understand those who would be. For those people who decide not to become parents — for environmental or other reasons, that is their choice — just as it was mine to become a parent.

I fully agree with you that not everyone needs to be a parent. I think the key here is education about responsible parenting. Because honestly, if it is tough to get people, en masse, to raise their kids in an environmentally responsible way, imagine how hard it would be to get to them to stop reproducing altogether. Polarizing ideas like voluntary human extinction do more, I think, to damage the idea of population control than the act of encouraging contraception and education. I am more than willing to have this discussion with people who know more about it than I do, because I fully understand the logic behind it. However, demonizing people who choose to be parents, in the U.S. or elsewhere, won’t help the case for population reduction.

@Carla I’m sure that your decision on whether to become a parent will be based on careful consideration of all the factors involved, and that’s what responsible parenting is all about

By: Carla | Green and Chic

Carla | Green and Chic — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 20:37:09 +0000

I have heard both sides of the argument and don’t feel I’m “educated” enough on the subject to have a strong opinion either way. I guess I would if I had children, but I’m still unsure if that is my destiny.

I too would like to hear others opinion on the matter.
Carla | Green and Chic´s last blog ..Green and Chic Moving Sale

By: tbat

tbat — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 20:07:23 +0000

I strongly feel that overpopulation *is* an environmental issue, but unfortunately it’s the third-rail of any green conversation. The simple fact is that more people (esp. in countries like the U.S.) leads to more consumption which leads to faster destruction of natural resources. Story of Stuff, anyone?

Yes, it’d be lovely if everyone had children & raised them in an environmentally responsible fashion. That is, sadly, not happening now or all that soon. And it doesn’t account for the current state of overpopulation either — we’re straining the planet’s systems right now, & if we simply replace the current population, we’ll continue to over-harvest, over-fish, over-mine, over-drill, etc., until what’s left? If we’re talking about reducing our impact, then population control is where it’s at.

I understand that reproduction is a strong drive. But why does everyone need to be a parent (and trust me, American society would have every woman that way, in particular)? Why do families need to be so large (again, esp. in countries like the U.S., where 2.x kids is still the norm). Why is contraception still a taboo topic around the world? More importantly, why don’t us environmentalists take on this issue the same as we take on pollution, renewable energy, fair trade, biodiversity, etc., etc.? It should be an equal part of the discussion when we talk about ways to create a sustainable future for life on this plane.