Fears for the future and children

[Archie1989]

I have a lot of anxiety for what is happening in the world, and this gives me a lot of fear for my son in future, that he will live through awful times due to climate change impacts and then anxiety for human nature….things like the advance of the Taliban and those poor people being left to deal with it.

Me and my husband have been trying to have a second child…..but the last month has left me questioning this. What would that child have to live through and is it selfish to bring another child into the world. I feel selfish for bringing my son into the world, knowing the heartache and difficulties he will live in due to the effects of climate change.

AIBU for worrying so much?

YABU and overdramatic and need help for your anxiety.

@Archie1989

Thank you for your responses. Totally right that every generation has challenges in one way or another, whether it be wars, financial crashes. The fact that social media shows us these things makes it feel more like it’s new, when it’s always been around.

The frightening thing about climate change is that I work in an environmental industry. I believe this isn’t something that can be solved now and we’re at the tipping point. It won’t just be floods, fires, extreme heat….it will be a change in the make up of the atmosphere that will make it harder to breath, kill species and subsequently be an extinction event .

I hear you, I feel the same, with three children already I just try not to think about it too much tbh. Nobody really knows how it will pan out or how long it will take. If I didn't already have children I think it would make me seriously consider if it was something we should be doing. It's hard. I just hope my children will be a force for good in the end.

@bagelsandoranges

People who have dedicated their lives to research and science - real experts - say the human race will be extinct well within 300 years, but most likely sooner, at around the 200-250 mark.

What a load of bollocks 😂

@Archie1989 This has been on my mind recently. I also read a thread yesterday about what is the point of life and living. I don’t understand why we are here sometimes, what is the actual point and then why do we bring more and more innocent people into this world?? This planet that is at breaking point.

I didn’t choose to be born yet here I am expected to ‘live’ and experience life. I don’t want to force innocent humans into this world. That would be incredibly selfish, heartless and thoughtless of me. I wish more women would think about the implications and be more selfless. Do they ever look into their newborns face and think, I have literally pushed you out into this world screaming, this was not your choice to be born. Now I’m going to thrust all these expectations and rules at you. No they don’t. They just think oooh how exciting I wanted a child, I made a child and here they are. It’s all me me me. A few on here have said ‘I try not to think about it’ You are basically saying you don’t care about your children’s future just the short term, selfish need to make another person. Who cares what they want and if they actually wanted to be born. You have your ‘mini me’

And because this is MN.....no I’m not depressed!

I think we are right to be very worried about the future.

If things carry on in the current trajectory, vast swathes of the planet will become uninhabitable within our children’s lifetimes. I’ve read that Australia may become too hot to live in within 50 years. There are many places facing the same future. This will cause mass migration within the next few decades - potentially millions more people becoming displaced and vying for the same resources.

According to Worldometer we have around 42 years until oil runs out. Coal and gas are also running out. This worries me greatly and I can’t imagine the life my child will face when he’s older. I’ve stopped at 1 and I do feel guilty at times for bringing him into this shitshow.

www.worldometers.info/

[quote Dejatwo]@Archie1989 This has been on my mind recently. I also read a thread yesterday about what is the point of life and living. I don’t understand why we are here sometimes, what is the actual point and then why do we bring more and more innocent people into this world?? This planet that is at breaking point.

I didn’t choose to be born yet here I am expected to ‘live’ and experience life. I don’t want to force innocent humans into this world. That would be incredibly selfish, heartless and thoughtless of me. I wish more women would think about the implications and be more selfless. Do they ever look into their newborns face and think, I have literally pushed you out into this world screaming, this was not your choice to be born. Now I’m going to thrust all these expectations and rules at you. No they don’t. They just think oooh how exciting I wanted a child, I made a child and here they are. It’s all me me me. A few on here have said ‘I try not to think about it’ You are basically saying you don’t care about your children’s future just the short term, selfish need to make another person. Who cares what they want and if they actually wanted to be born. You have your ‘mini me’

And because this is MN.....no I’m not depressed![/quote]
I mean you wouldn't be able to ponder such things in the first place if people needed to be asked if they wanted to be born as its impossible. I suppose it depends what your view and experience of life is as to why you had children and why you view it as fair and worthwhile, if indeed you do.

I guess the thinking must be if gas and oil ran out. It wouldnt be the end of humanity, just the end of this way of life. I would still want to survive through that and adjust to the change, but I wouldn't want to be responsible for several other lives having to adjust through that. And those changes would be significantly easier with the world being less populated (e.g if people in already hot countries had to relocate due to increasing temperatures)

Is that worldometre accurate? I thought people were saying that the reason for our population growing is that people are living longer, nothing to do with birth rates. though that is saying theres more than twice the people being born today than dying. There definitely needs to be public information and awareness campaigns to advise people not to have more than 2 children. I know so many people planning on having multiple children and I just wish they would think beyond their dream of having a big family and see the bigger picture.

As fossil fuels run out, we’ll start relying on renewable energy. We already use some and this will likely be developed further and expanded.
I don’t understand this catastrophising.

@Mreggsworth my opinion isn’t a popular one but we keep people alive beyond their time really, people sitting in care homes with dementia and life limiting illnesses being treated for antibiotics and infections that would otherwise kill them, it’s quantity over quality and completely ridiculous. I will be putting a directive in place to say I don’t want treatment should I get dementia or a life limiting illness although I hope euthanasia will be a choice.

I do what I can I don’t fly, I recycle, have meat free nights and get my milk from the farm near me and get my shopping delivered. Unfortunately living rurally I rely on my car as no where near school, doctors shops etc and I also work in community nursing covering that large rural area, fortunately it’s a new car with a small 1.2 engine. I am not ready to change to electric yet as I don’t have drive and have to park on the street which is set back from my house so would need to run cables which is a hazard, I also don’t think electric cars are the answer and will end up being the next diesel, better for the environment until they weren’t. The infrastructure simply isn’t and won’t be there in the time frames they are talking and a lot of charge points don’t actually work when you go to use them

@househousehousefox
Thank you for your post, it is really inspiring. I have screenshot it.
If everyone could do their bit, it would make a huge difference.

Yes people have always had children no matter what the state of the world, through wars etc but that is because people put their selfish want of children before anything else.

How many people actually consider what sort of life their child is likely to have?

I know lack of contraception is one of the reasons people keep having children in countries where there is terrible poverty, hunger etc but why would you bring a child into that sort of life in all honesty?

Me and DH decided 40 years ago not to have any children. We both already thought the world was overpopulated which causes enough problems and will cause many more but also because of climate change.

Sorry but future generations are going to have a really shit life

I have thought about this quite a lot as well . Things I've asked myself are - Do we have children in the first place , just to conform ? Why do we have children ? Yes the obvious is to bring something into the world , that we can care for and love etc . But then what - they do the same etc .

@lynsey91
Well the people having children during WWII actually created the most prosperous generation of the century.....But the children of the prosperous baby boomers are the millennials who’ve been the least prosperous and most unlucky generation of the century.

So honestly, you can’t assume that a child born during a bad time in the world will have a bad or good life or vice versa. There is no way to know.

Children of millennials may inherit a golden age who knows?

To those people talking about human extinction - calm yourselves. This is not on the table even with the most extreme temperature rises.

Misery and catastrophe- yes. Which is why we need to act now. Paralysing yourself with fear is not an option.

@IfYoureCrappyAndYouKnowIt

To those people talking about human extinction - calm yourselves. This is not on the table even with the most extreme temperature rises.

Misery and catastrophe- yes. Which is why we need to act now. Paralysing yourself with fear is not an option.

Actually it is. It's not about being "paralysed with fear", its the exact opposite. The complete inaction caused by everyone minimising and denying the problem is a big part of the problem.

Why do we have children ? Yes the obvious is to bring something into the world , that we can care for and love etc . But then what - they do the same etc.
As animals it is our nature to procreate our species.
It is the only reason any of us are here.

No human extinction is not on the table. It’s people like you causing threads where 16yo are thinking the world is ending and threatening suicide. It’s blatant scaremongering and recklessly irresponsible.

Of course human extinction is on the table. You’re point is that imminent human extinction is not on the table so the next generation is safe. Well that’s a point to be argued and I’m not even sure that’s the main worry. Death is often a release after all. The main concern is that our children and grandchildren will see hunger, hardship and war. No one wants to imagine that and the prospect frightens many (including myself).

@PlanDeRaccordement human extinction is very much on the table. The ecosystem is a very delicate balance and losing species impacts on the next. The atmosphere would become more toxic and the planet less habitable. It’s not just about increasing temperatures, it’s an atmosphere that life can’t survive in. Plus all of the disasters and wars as people become more and more desperate. It’s very much a real thing and very much an extinction event.

No human extinction is not on the table

Of course it fucking is! Are you insane?

(And to blame me for autistic teens being upset by actual real news items is both ridiculous and insulting. And embarrassing for you, as it makes you look like a total twat using someone else's troubles as point scoring)

Human extinction is extremely unlikely in anything like the near future, although of course a comet or something could unexpectedly take us all out- I don't know any scientists that are claiming otherwise? I think a balance between we are all going to be wiped out soon (which leads to less action be taken typically as there's more of an element of head in sand mixed with ah too late now fuck it), and we need to try and make changes to avoid things worsening is probably the ideal balance. People largely seem to fall mostly into one or the other though.

On the conundrum specifically of children, I guess it depends on a lot of personal factors as well. I lost a lot of friends young, and so although I hope with every fibre of my being that DS lives a long and healthy life, enjoying the now is also important to me, and the future on an individual level is never guaranteed for any of us. We only have one child and are happy with that, this morning he was absolutely fascinated with the leaves blowing in the wind and seeing all of the different types of sticks. If we were all gone tomorrow, he would still have been happy in that moment and been fortunate enough to spend time on this planet.

You will always have people who bring awareness and find solutions. It’s happening already and we’re not immediate danger at all.
Look at all the research, monitoring and work going on, people are looking at solutions and finding ways to reverse this. They know planting trees and reducing emissions will make a huge impact so this has been started.
We’re so much more aware of the dangers of plastic to the environment now and lots of changes are being made.
Children today are more socially aware and aware of being global citizens. My dc and their friends are very interested in the environment and the planet in general, they’ve watched documentaries, thanks to sir David Attenborough, my dc are passionate about reducing plastic waste, littering and helping out wildlife. They’ve taken part in initiatives run by global charities and raised money for them. They’re under 16. This is not me bragging or anything because they’re not unique. I’m just trying to show that kids are growing up with this awareness and a desire to be part of the solution.
It’s up to us to educate our young help them to foster a love for our planet and the societies that make up our world.
There’s hope.

Human extinction means every single human being being wiped out entirely and utterly. This is extremely unlikely

The collapse of modern civilisation? Sure - this is possible if we don't do something about climate change - but even in a worst case scenario some people (Likely the rich and / preppers / military etc) will survive.