To think the human race should respectfully die out?

[RomeoLikedCapuletGirls]

I’m not being goady as I’ve genuinely thought about this over the past few years as the following issues have come to the fore:

Climate change
Industrial meat industry
Pandemics

I’ve tried being vegan but always revert to eating meat for health. I’ve come to the conclusion that it was a much needed part of our evolution. The problem is of course the intensive whole scale nature of it, and the suffering it causes. Even the plant industry causes a lot of damage to the environment and ecosystems. The sheer numbers of humans needing feeding is the problem.

Again, with climate change. It’s a question of over-population. The more of us there are the more we deplete our earth’s resources we deplete. Limiting consumption is simply not working so we need something else.

And although we might crack Coronavirus, there’ll be another virus along soon to challenge us. And it’ll spread quickly because there are so many of us.

I’m not advocating mass suicide of course!

Just that we encourage our offspring to not have children until we have either died out or at the very least reduced our numbers to such a point that we are just one species amongst many, living on this planet and not causing the disproportionate amount of harm to the environment and other animals.

There’s nothing to argue that the human race should continue forever.

an indiscriminate deadly disease that wipes out at least 50% of the population is something I have actively wished for for YEARS... been very disheartening... hasn’t been anywhere near as deadly as is necessary
Maybe this is what's behind so many people breaking lockdown rules, that like the pp, they're really happy people are dying in their thousands. Don't worry, when the 2nd peak hits you can go back to your happy place, cheering on the death numbers every day. Maybe you can set your own "clap" on a Friday to celebrate how many more people have died, and I mean their deaths not their life.

Only on mumsnet would someone deign to know more about a strangers suicide than the actual family 😡

@D4rwin

Ok. Thanks for the suggestion that I don't know why my cousin took his life. He really was in touch with a group online. Did discuss his thoughts. Was told it was 'noble'. Yes he should have had better support. Yes it's tragic. Sorry you don't choose to believe it.

I certainly believe it happened, and I am very sorry. I certainly believe he was in contact with people who used some agenda to encourage it, in this case climate change. I don't believe he made the decision in sound mind, with the rational intention and motivation of saving the planet.

Once again, I am sorry for it.

Humans will eventually die out. The manner of that is uncertain, but it will happen.

@PablosHoney

Only on mumsnet would someone deign to know more about a strangers suicide than the actual family 😡

The exchange was a little more nuanced than that.

It didn’t come across nuanced glad you’ve apologised to the poster though.

Well, I'll let intelligent readers look at the post and come to their own conclusions. If anyone thinks it's abusive, they can report it.

So now the person you have already upset isn’t intelligent for taking offence at what you said and nor am I, give it a rest @ShebaShimmyShake

I see the vote is 50/50 and therein lies the problem with our species! If only we could all pull together it might be a different story but that's never going to happen is it. I think it would be impossible to stop people having children but the matter will probably be taken out of our hands one day and our species will eventually die out. Our instinct to survive is strong but there's only so much abuse from us this world can take.

Again, I'll let intelligent readers look at the exchange and draw their own conclusions. As ever, anyone can report a post if they find it abusive.

Thank you, I like things to go as I expect. I'm not a fan of surprises.

I'm sorry, everyone, I believe there was an actual discussion happening. Carry on.

Do people think there were no diseases or difficult animal lives before human history began?

It's so solipsistic, really.

@ShebaShimmyShake Patronising people doesn’t make you look as bright as you seem to believe. I will let you have the last word though as you seem to need it quite desperately and I have dinner to make.

I get it but at the same time, human beings are almost miraculous in what they're capable of, both good and bad. We're inextricably bound up in the existence of the planet and we have a place here. Quite apart from the difficulties of getting people to 'respectfully die out', you're talking about eradicating cultures, art, stories, music, love (if you believe in it, which I do)... For what? A silent, ageing, beautiful planet where everything eats each other anyway, until the sun burns out. We may as well be here, but here in a better way. That seems like a more achievable goal anyway (though only just).

Humans are destroying the planet. 2/3 billion could probably be not too damaging, but it is currently 8 and rising

@WombOfOnesOwn

Do people think there were no diseases or difficult animal lives before human history began?

It's so solipsistic, really.

No, but I understand why people feel it more keenly when they're living through it. I guess we probably also feel more sheltered from it as we have more advanced medicine and so on than people would have expected in the past.

@hashtagbollocks

Yes, but who’d willingly start the process?

Plenty of us

go on then: you first

I've already done it by not having any children .

No one needs to be killed - we just need to reduce our reproduction rates.

For example - the natural deaths of my sister and me will end a family line dating back to my great grandfather, as my sister hasn't had children either and my father and grandmother were only children.

My husband is also an only child so his family line will die out too upon his death.

No pain, no fuss, no drama - just responsible choices that reduce the number of people on the planet.

I agree.

Looking at it from a purely clinical cold point of view I can’t help but think this is nature’s way of clearing out old people and natural selection (as I say please don’t take this personally, I’d be devastated if my Grandma died or vulnerable child).

It just seems to be the earths way of saying I need a breather and let’s clear population.

Of course we may have “beaten” that as we have such advances in medicine etc but it’s going to try!

@Jimdandy

I agree.

Looking at it from a purely clinical cold point of view I can’t help but think this is nature’s way of clearing out old people and natural selection (as I say please don’t take this personally, I’d be devastated if my Grandma died or vulnerable child).

It just seems to be the earths way of saying I need a breather and let’s clear population.

Of course we may have “beaten” that as we have such advances in medicine etc but it’s going to try!

I'm not sure the earth or nature have anything like that level of intention. All life forms are evolving for their best chance of survival, viruses included. I don't know if it makes a difference to the earth in general if a virus, which could mutate to become more deadly and to more species, itself becomes the dominant species on earth even to the point of wiping out many others. I kind of think nature is more likely to be letting the rest of us all fight it out and let the chips fall where they may.

I'm not sure the earth or nature have anything like that level of intention. All life forms are evolving for their best chance of survival, viruses included. I don't know if it makes a difference to the earth in general if a virus, which could mutate to become more deadly and to more species, itself becomes the dominant species on earth even to the point of wiping out many others. I kind of think nature is more likely to be letting the rest of us all fight it out and let the chips fall where they may.

This.

Also, the Earth would be doing a strange thing arranging a virus to lower its population by picking off the elderly. It's tempting to look for a consciousness and purpose but that doesn't stack up. A slightly shortened life span is imperceptible in terms of the planet's timeline.

The human race will destroy itself any way!
May take a few more generations but if we keep going the way we are we won't last.
The planet has always protected itself.
It will continue to do so and that will mean humans becoming extinct!

Darwin, I’m so sorry about your relative.

I think some posters are being a bit strawmanny. I’m certainly NOT advocating for anyone to prematurely die.

What I’m saying is that our desire to continue reproducing doesn’t justify the amount of suffering that it causes (mass slaughter of animals, mass deforestation and all that entails).

Who knows how many planets there are in the universe that support life? And we have collectively fucked it up.

But we can’t stop because we believe in human exceptionalism. We even create silly stories about God creating us in his own image! How big-headed is that?!

We need to stop having kids. It’s a lose lose situation because our kids are going to suffer from the consequences of over-population anyway.

@BestestBrownies awesome news for you, just saw the press briefing where she basically said 2nd and 3rd etc waves are gonna happen. May I suggest you arranging a street party and giving out free hugs?