Reconciling global over-population and over-use of resources with how many children to have

[GreenMeansGo]

Dp and I discuss the idea of having a second child largely from the perspective of how it will affect us - our family unit. But at the moment, my conscience is grappling with the bigger, global picture: how having too many (one? Two? I don't know how many might be considered 'too many') kids sits with the responsibility each of us has for care and sustainable management of the planet and its resources.

The current global population is 6.5 billion. Since we're largely failing to stall/reverse global warming or better manage our resources right now, how will we/the planet cope when there are an expected additional 2.5 billion people (including our children) to keep warm, feed, transport, etc, by 2050? And is having fewer children something we all can/should do in light of this? Or, if ours/your children are fairly likely to be environmentally conscious, should we have kids aplenty, since the next generation needs as many people like this as possible?

So in a nutshell, how do I/you/we reconcile the number of children we choose to have in the face of a growing global population and planetary exhaustion?

Discuss ...

If you have two, that replaces you and your DP. Fair enough, I think.

Population is falling in this country, isn't it?

I think if you're bright enough to be worrying about things like this, you're just the kind of person who should be reproducing, but I'll go now before anyone accuses me of eugenics

if you want someone to wipe your bum and replace your hip for you in your 80's then procreate - at this rate a lot of us will be doing it ourselves

Personally I think globally: too many people. UK though needs more young people to support our pension (whatever pitance of a sum that'll be by then), so we've decided to go for lots of babies. With a bit of luck at least one of them might take us in when we're old and crippled

yes belgian me too - surely one of my masses will still love me!

The reasons for stopping at 2 are very complex and deserve more than a few words.
Visit the website of The Optimum Population Trust for all the facts - and no, the UK population is NOT falling.

I think it depends whether you can afford to bring them up or are dependant on others eg state benefits.

I am all for people who have enough money having as many children they can afford, but grapple with those living on benefits have more..... my view is probably affected by the current (dreadful) situation in the UK where children being born into families who are not working as less likely to achieve themselves etc etc and so the cycles starts over...

perhaps thats a terrible thing to say but I think more than two children is an indulgence and if you can't afford it you shouldn't.

a tiny percentage of the world's population is consuming the vast majority of it's resources.

in the first year of it's life, a child in the UK uses up the same amount of resources as 17 Sri Lankans will - over their entire life time.

The balance needs significant changes.