Would you have children in the next 5 years, thinking about climate change?

[Howbigaretherisks]

I have fertility issues so it would not be easy anyway but sometimes I get so broody and start dreaming of having a child - always thought I would have them one day. I love kids and always saw them in my future.

But I'm also concerned about what the world will be like over the next 100 years, with crop failures and access to clean water making things harder, even for high income countries. Populations in rich countries will likely be insulated from the worst of it for a good long time, many decades hopefully. But things are incredibly bad for a large percentage of the global population already. It is only going to get worse.

Would you have more children, or start having them if you haven't already, at this point?

Ah you'll never dissuade the doom mongers

I have a child studying pharmacology. She might be the one to develop a cure for many ills, discover the next mycoprotein, make insects palatable... who knows. The world is ever changing and our children bring hope to tomorrow. Just think of all the research, all the advances that our children will see and produce in their lifetime.

Who knew 50 years ago I'd be able to sit here "chatting" with people anywhere in the world on a phone with more computing power than was used to put men on the moon.

Don't sell the next generation short, they may provide a better future.

It wouldn't feature one jot for me. Mankind has always adapted.

Climate change is not/was not/wouldn't be a factor in my decision to have children.

I love this view, and this is always how I argue back to myself in my own head

Not possible for me to have children anymore, but climate change wouldn’t affect my decesion. I would still have them.

That article is a fabulous summary. Climate change is serious, but we have made huge changes, and we are already avoiding the worst scenarios. Every generation has a challenge.

No I wouldn’t.
Because of climate change and AI taking all the jobs in the next 10 years.

No I wouldn't and I am deeply sorry I brought children into this world.

I don't think i'm alone. Stats show that in almost every country in the world, the population is declining. By choice.

I don’t think any kids you’d have would have to worry about the weather in 100 years….

They might be a bit worried if the soil cannot produce enough food anymore in the decades beforehand.

Thank you, this sounds really encouraging. Now I want her book!

Jesus, it's no wonder we're screwed

How are we screwed? How do you know this isn't just how our planet is meant to play out? No one knows. Also even if every single person in every single other country plays ball and becomes/lives extra "green" it won't make the tiniest bit of difference unless America, China, India etc get on board too. Which they never will. So don't bother! Live the life you want to live.

Climate change wouldn't even enter my head as any reason to do/not do anything.

If you want a baby have one. Why let something you have zero control over stop you from experiencing the joy of having a baby?

(If you really feel that you have to justify having a baby... tell yourself that your child will grow up to save the world.)

OP, you have well and truly been duped. Climate is changing as it’s always done. Aside from that, the scaremongering nothing but a grift by corrupt governments to rip off the taxpayer to siphon money away for their cronies.

If climate change was such a threat, why would the US and China care enough to do anything about it. Why would they risk their own lives? Are they really that stupid, that they are knowingly making things worse if climate change is such a risk. These are two of the most developed, scientifically educated nations in the world. If they don’t see climate change as a threat, why the hysteria.

Why let something you have zero control over stop you from experiencing the joy of having a baby?

Because I'm wondering about the quality of life they will have if the environment can't support a high % of people in terms of clean water and food?

If resources become very scarce - the price will be high.

Good job our human ancestors didn’t think this way and carried on reproducing when we lived in caves and had to hunt our dinner. Thank goodness they carried on throughout various wars, famines, plagues, lack of access to any medical care, sky high mortality etc. If they had been so navel gazing a lot of us wouldn’t be here now.

Thank you so much for sharing that, it had given me a lot of hope x

@NitsGalore you just explained perfectly why we're all screwed, the answer is in your attitude. "I'm alright Jack, sod everybody else"
Thankfully, not everyone's like you!

🤦‍♀️ it's nonsense. Even if everyone on mumsnet and beyond lived as green as possible it Will make zero difference.

I’m more worried about the shift in demographics, have babies people!!!

I understand how you feel, but wouldn’t you have felt the same way during the Cold War thinking your children could end up nuked, or during the world wars, or if you’d lived during a time when infant mortality was very high and half of kids ended up dying of TB…. And so on and so on and so on?

most of human history has been pretty grim. The future may be grim too. Such is life

There has always been some reason to be fearful about the future. Fortunately most people live their lives and have hope, otherwise none of us would be here.

@Alcyoneus China is a leader in renewable energy. The US is also now on board with preventing climate change, now that Trump is no longer in charge.