"In the midst of a climate crisis with 8 billion humans on the globe, it’s absurd to say that what’s lacking is babies"
Fertility rates are falling across the globe – even in places, such as sub-Saharan Africa, where they remain high. This is good for women, families, societies and the environment. So why do we keep hearing that the world needs babies, with angst in the media about maternity wards closing in Italy and ghost cities in China?
there’s work to do, but in a world in the grip of a climate crisis, to which we’ve added 7 of the nearly 8 billion humans in just a couple of centuries – and to which we will almost certainly add another 3 billion before our numbers start falling again – it’s absurd to say that what’s lacking is babies.
In fact, trying to force people to have either more or fewer babies turns out to be rather pointless. Despite China’s decades-long one-child policy, its fertility decline hasn’t been dramatically steeper than elsewhere in East Asia. France’s valiant efforts to encourage large families with financial incentives haven’t made much difference either, compared with the rest of Europe. As child mortality drops, and women’s health and education improve, fertility falls. Parents choose to invest more time, money and love in fewer children. You can sway their decisions slightly by making life harder or easier for families – through childcare provision, say, or parental leave allowances – but the demographic transition is unstoppable.
www.theguardian.com/…
The climate crisis is an interesting case, because saving the planet is often the reason people give for deciding to have fewer or no children
The capitalist has an interest in population growth because it means larger markets, cheaper labor, and new construction. Growing populations need more schools, roads, bridges and other infrastructure. The system is essentially a series of inverted pyramids, and as unstable as that metaphor suggests.
Climate change is making people think twice about having children
- Analysts at Morgan Stanley said in a note to investors last month that the "movement to not have children owing to fears over climate change is growing and impacting fertility rates quicker than any preceding trend in the field of fertility decline."
- Some people are choosing not to have children because they fear that that doing so will amplify global warming while others are concerned about extreme weather events their children may have to endure and the knock-on effects.
- "Over the last few years, the climate has definitely been a major contributor to us not wanting children," Daniel told CNBC, requesting that his surname be left out of the story over fears that he may be targeted online by people who disagree with him.
- www.google.com/...
America's fertility rates are falling. That's cause for celebration, not fearmongering.
We've seen too many news stories warning of economic collapse and not-so-subtly blaming selfish women for not having enough children.
www.nbcnews.com/...
U.S. Population Growth, an Economic Driver, Grinds to a Halt www.wsj.com/…
7 days ago — According to a wonderful book, 2030, by Mario Guillen, the world's population will grow less than half as quickly as it did between 1960 and ..
web.archive.org/...
Article Continues:
Are there too many people?
For decades, scientists and economists have been making wagers about the outcome of human population growth. Now, more than ever, their speculations need to be taken seriously.
Becker, of Johns Hopkins University, objected both in 2011 and a decade on, not that it was impossible to feed 11 billion people, but that this prospect ignored the collateral damage to other species and to the planet for which humans would eventually pay. He pointed to Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) statistics showing that nearly 70% of fisheries are already fully or over-exploited. Others mentioned the shrinking stock of fresh water and the erosion of biodiversity. “The whole biosphere is in trouble,” Becker said.
Besides having fewer children, the actions that are considered to offer the largest benefits are giving up meat and cars. Both Becker and Lam walk their talk, in this respect: Lam owns a car and eats meat; Becker shares a car with his wife and is vegetarian; neither has added more than one child to the planet.
read more: theguardian.com
Population/Feminism
More Women Are Saying No To Motherhood. Will Society Ever Listen?
The child-free by choice movement is growing online, but women say they're still feeling pressured in their day-to-day lives.www.huffpost.com/...
Covid-19 has temporarily exacerbated the longer-term decline in fertility rates. This, too, was predictable
Overpopulation
China has announced that it will allow couples to have up to three children, after census data showed a steep decline in birth rates
www.google.com/…
Link:
AC Feels Great,
But It’s Terrible for the Planet.
refrigerants replacing CFCs, hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), turned out to be terrible for the planet. While they have an ozone-depleting potential of zero, they are potent greenhouse gases. They absorb infrared radiation from the sun and Earth and block heat that normally escapes into outer space
On Sunday, with afternoon temperatures reaching 112ºF around Portland, the power grid failed for more than 6,300 residences under control by Portland General Electrics
time.com/...
The writers in Climate Brief work to keep the Daily Kos community informed and engaged with breaking news about the climate crisis around the world while providing inspiring stories of environmental heroes, opportunities for direct engagement, and perspectives on the intersection of climate activism with spirituality, politics, and the arts.
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