Friend of mine is not having kids because of climate change

[mumoffourau]

Hi all

How do we all feel about climate change? I would never admit to friends IRL but I am in a way s**ting myself about how my kids will go in the world we are giving to them.

You would never know it from how the mainstream media just completely ignores it but its certainly getting hotter isn't it, and food shortages have become the norm. What are your thoughts on where this steaming s**thole we all live on is heading?

There's enough nutrients left in the UK soil for around another 60 years crops. There will be climate refugees and water crisis in upcoming decades. (I read about this in Guardian articles)

I'm childfree for a variety of reasons, but very glad I won't be around in say, 40 years. (I am halfway there, and not healthy)

I’m not sure I would say mainstream media ignores climate change, I feel like I can’t escape it in my feeds! Which, is fair as it should be a priority. Although it feels like it’s a lot of coverage of how bad things are / will be and not a lot of action by anyone who can actually do anything about it. I do my bit but can’t pretend China / US et al aren’t out there doing their thing.

I don’t have children and likely never will, not because of climate change but it’s certainly something I would worry about (their futures) if I did have any.

I'm very much hoping that my children don't have children. Their own lives will be difficult enough. I think you only see articles about global warming in the media if you press on something - if you're interested in celebrities, or crime, you just get that. So no doubt lots of people are pretty much oblivious.

Personally I would say it's all an overblown lot of hot air (pardon the pun), just as any other crisis the media and government (via corporate lobbying) want us to believe. And despite what you hear on the BBC, the science is far from settled:

Net-Zero has seemingly nothing at all to do with improving the environment or climate. The evidence (if you look behind the curtain) shows that it is all about money and control. So I certainly would not let it put you off having kids, as kids are, for most people, the best thing that ever happens to you. And when you have kids, you can teach them about proper environmentalism, i.e. caring for wildlife and nature, looking after our wild areas, and fighting against water pollution and over-fishing that does so much to decimate our aquatic life.

I read somewhere recently that by 2045 there will be huge issues with water supply and security world wide.

Is there any point in history when you could have expected your children to be safer, healthier and more prosperous than you can now?

I find it hard to believe that people who otherwise want to have kids do not because of climate change. 3 of my uni mates say this but its bullshit - none of them like children, all are very travel and career focused, none have a long term relationship - I think they all don't want DC and this is the politcally right on virtue signalling way of saying this.

The collapse of society due to over population/war/famine/various things has been predicted for hundreds of years. There are too many unknown unknowns to be able to predict the future and the happiest way to live, is to focus on the here and now and what you can do to improve things in your family and community.

You hear a lot of predictions, like the arctic will be free of sea ice by xxxx date, past the point of no return by xxxx date, and that this will happen or that will happen. But all of the major predictions to date have been so far of the mark it is totally laughable.

And the leaders and celebrities who insist that Net-Zero is essential to save the planet all seem to have a luxury yacht and/or private jet addiction. People like Ed Miliband for example. Don't you think that if they were actually worried about their kids future, they would be leading by example?

The media's job is to scare us with sensationalism because it benefits their corporate funders, generates clicks and keeps people reading. The government's job is to make people fearful, as fearful people are far easier to control. It is all smoke and mirrors, has nothing at all to do with protecting wildlife or habitats, so please just don't worry about any of it.

As a childfree person climate change is definitely something that makes me feel my choice is the right one, but it's way down the list of actual reasons. I think if it's your number one reason either you are incredibly passionate (maybe a protester or a scientist, or both?) or you feel like your actual reason would be criticised / argued with.

Predictions haven’t been far off the mark and if anything things are happening faster than hoped for

but the changes creep up on you and people respond better to big emotive events than the ever rising price of chocolate and coffee- the first foods predicted to be affected / and look yes they are

the rich and their children will always have a much better chance of survival so what they do is pretty irrelevant really

but also pointing at one aspect of their lives is also wrong - what matters is each overall footprint and how they overall influence that

"Hoped for?"