At this point, it is essentially impossible to deny the science behind climate change unless you happen to deny science in general, which is sadly the case for many. Scientists who study global warming and the human impact on it have said for years that irreversible damage is possible, and one of those barriers was passed as recently as last September.
Of course, with leaders like Donald Trump who think that global warming was invented by the Chinese, the future doesn’t bode well for those who can see the signs right in front of their faces. Trump has made some ridiculous decisions in relation to environmental protection, including the eventual dismantling of the Environmental Protection Agency, which he apparently sees as nothing but a limit on the free markets.
While this is bad news for those with any semblance of a conscience, it’s even worse news for future generations. They will be the ones to suffer from the decisions that are being made now, and that has deeply affected the decision that many women face when it comes to having and raising children.
Many women who understand the severity of the issue have already committed to not having children, specifically because they don’t want those children to have to suffer in the future. Not only that, but every additional person on the planet only exacerbates the climate problem even further.
One study from 2008 estimates that every person on the planet contributes roughly 9,441 metric tons of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere throughout their life. Even those who live their lives completely ‘green’ by recycling every possible resource will only cut that number by 17 metric tons of carbon dioxide. What that means is that the primary source of all those emissions is the actual person and not their activity. This makes perfect sense when you consider the fact that human are constantly exchanging oxygen for carbon dioxide as they breathe.
One organization is actively seeking solutions to these issues. Conceivable Future was founded around the idea that climate change is eventually going to affect in masse how humans are able to reproduce safely. They want to bring the question to the forefront of social awareness because it impacts so many different areas of society. Interestingly enough, the group isn’t made up entirely of those who have pledged to avoid having children. Some members are determined they will have children, but they are curious about the future those children will inherent. Others are undecided, and others have already made the choice to forgo parenthood.
The decision to give up being a parent isn’t something that should be taken lightly, and everyone that makes the decision based on the potential future of the world is doing so because they feel it is more responsible to not push the problem any further. While the issue is one that actually affects everyone equally, many more women are likely to willingly abstain from child-rearing than men. Most experts believe this is because men see children and families as a given since they don’t typically perform the labor that goes along with it. In other words, most men take the selfish perspective that their life won’t be much different with or without kids since the mother will provide care for them while he provides financially. Eventually, men will start to see the errors of their ways, but it very well could take the problem reaching a tipping point that can not be reversed.
Since women are already thinking about the issue from every side, it makes much more sense that they would reach this conclusion long before men. Women are much more responsible for their offspring than men, typically, and that gives them more to consider.