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Thread: Sierra Club: To Have or Not to Have Children in the Age of Climate Change

  1. #41
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    Quote Originally Posted by ApatheticNoMore View Post
    I've never thought one should have kids in order to make one's life worth living, always struck me as not a good reason to have kids. Too much of a burden on the kid if nothing else.
    It’s not the sole reason anymore than winning first place is the sole reason for entering a race. And I would contend that if you don’t get some level of fulfillment from it you probably shouldn’t do it.

  2. #42
    Simpleton Alan's Avatar
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    We have one child, a daughter, who is now 41 years old. Other than a period of time, roughly 14 years of age to 18 years of age, she's been an absolute treasure, and her two children have been the greatest blessing I could ever hope to receive. I think that when people like me ask people like some of you about your child rearing plans, we're just hoping to share some of the joy with you.
    "Things should be made as simple as possible, but not one bit simpler." ~ Albert Einstein

  3. #43
    Senior Member JaneV2.0's Avatar
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    Most of us here are far beyond parenting age, it seems, but I still hold that pressuring people to reproduce is rarely a Good Thing.

  4. #44
    Senior Member Ultralight's Avatar
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    A pessimist is what the optimist calls a realist.

  5. #45
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    If people had kids when half of the kids died in childbirth and they did, AND when massive quantities of women died in childbirth as well (!), I don't expect them to stop because of what might happen to a kid down the road with climate change. And no way any kid born now is going to live an average lifespan and not be badly effected.

    But we have better birth control? Well yes (most with side effects, but more options etc.). However women have always availed themselves of abortions etc. it seems to me, even when it was herbs, they had some effectiveness (maybe not modern levels but nontheless).
    Trees don't grow on money

  6. #46
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ultralight View Post
    A pessimist is what the optimist calls a realist.
    “A pessimist is a man who thinks everybody is as nasty as himself, and hates them for it.”
    - George Bernard Shaw

  7. #47
    Senior Member catherine's Avatar
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    I agree with ANM: with all the troubles of the world all throughout history, why is climate change the non-starter for bringing children into the world? One of those children may be the one or two that solve the climate dilemma.

    And UL, I'm an optimist, and a pessimist is not a realist.
    "Do any human beings ever realize life while they live it--every, every minute?" Emily Webb, Our Town
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  8. #48
    Senior Member Ultralight's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by LDAHL View Post
    “A pessimist is a man who thinks everybody is as nasty as himself, and hates them for it.”
    - George Bernard Shaw
    George was such an optimist!

  9. #49
    Senior Member Ultralight's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by catherine View Post
    I agree with ANM: with all the troubles of the world all throughout history, why is climate change the non-starter for bringing children into the world? One of those children may be the one or two that solve the climate dilemma.
    Should we outlaw abortion then, as one of those embryos could grow into a fetus and then eventually be born a baby who might grow up to solve the climate crisis? Heck, maybe we should outlaw birth control and condoms for the same reasons?

    This is actually what the nuns told me in CCD when I was a kid, but they used curing cancer as the reason, not solving the climate crisis.

  10. #50
    Senior Member catherine's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ultralight View Post
    This is actually what the nuns told me in CCD when I was a kid, but they used curing cancer as the reason, not solving the climate crisis.

    Hmm, maybe that was an argument I picked up from the nuns in Catholic school and I subconsciously used it here, but it certainly doesn't mean we try to increase population to win the Einstein/Messiah jackpot for the next genius to cure the world's ills. It's just an argument against assuming the world is too bad to subject a human being to. My parents may have believed the same thing, but I don't think the world is that bad, and I'm glad I'm here. I'm glad my children are here. I'm glad my grandchildren are here, although I'm less certain my grandchildren's generation will have a healthy planet to live in. At the same time, I feel they are smarter about and more aware of climate issues than my generation, so I remain hopeful.
    "Do any human beings ever realize life while they live it--every, every minute?" Emily Webb, Our Town
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