Terrified for my child’s future

[VegMam]

My husband and I spent a long time considering whether to have children due to climate change. We felt things were looking up (more action from governments and business) so decided to try and are now expecting our first.

However, the latest IPCC report is extremely concerning. Without significant action (which no governments are yet taking), we’ll feel the impacts of climate change sooner and more drastically than expected. In my lifetime we can expect global food shortages, millions of deaths, mass migration, social unrest, and ultimately large swathes of the world being uninhabitable.

I’m deeply concerned about the world I’m bringing my child into and the bleak future they face.

It helps me to feel I’m taking action, I’m active in a number of environmental groups, climate activism, changing my lifestyle (e.g. I plan to buy everything for the baby second hand as I do for myself), writing to my local MP etc.

I know there’s still hope if governments act now but sometimes it feels like everyone is just going on business as usual, to hell with the consequences for our children. I find it so sad and frustrating.

How do others deal with this?

I also agree with @grey12. I sort of imagine the future to be a bit like a Shakespeare tragedy where you get left with a few of the basically good and wise characters at the end to try and piece things back together and make things better in the face of devastation. Not having anyone left to try and forge a way forward wouldn’t be very productive at all.

We are actually only having the one but I’ll be honest and say that age and finances play the biggest part in that. I still care deeply about climate change but no, I’m not living in a ‘terrified’ state about it and don’t intend for my child to do so either.

Yes also agree with @grey12

We do need people to have children who will be well-informed and educated to help solve the climate crisis in the future.

But I’ve just come off quite a depressing thread about larger families where people are debating having another child. And it’s all just about whether they have enough bedrooms or a large enough car. It’s all ‘well I want another child and that’s all that matters’. No thought at all to climate change.

There’s a happy medium I guess

www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/picture/2021/aug/10/ben-jennings-on-a-level-results-for-young-people-facing-a-future-on-fire-cartoon?CMP=fb_cif&fbclid=IwAR0HKMLtqGyUvqNOpWa1lV0SVeKWxywZF6FKGnty2ZSpuIWaJZ6t_vD2aLI#comments

Terrifying cartoon.

There is a facebook group called parents for the planet. I think you would find your tribe there.

I think you’re being very disingenuous, OP.

It’s a known fact that the worst thing you can do in terms of your own environmental impact is to have a child. You’ve chosen to do that (a fact, not a judgement) and now you’re hand-wringing about the fact that the world that child grows up in will be a difficult one for him/her when you’re the one adding to the population.

I am being slightly facetious here, to be fair, but nobody will judge you for having a baby because you want to.

Own it.

Ttc and feel same OP. If I have kids I will raise them to be vegan, care for the environment but I will also teach them how to grow their own food, to survive in a less civilised society. Some predictions cite breakdown of many societies in 20-30 years. The UK is probably one of the better places to be, although food shortages and overpopulation are likely to give rise to some disorder. I find educating myself and looking at ways to prepare to deal with whatever hits us to be the best way to cope.

@GoodnightGrandma

I’d suggest you stop reading/watching this information that’s making you anxious, and concentrate on enjoying your child. Children need lots of positivity, not negativity.

This. And only this. Your poor child is in for a rough time if you don't.

There’s also broad agreement technology won’t save us, only rapid decarbonisation will.

What do you mean by this?

Pretty much everything that allows decarbonisation is technology. Wind turbines, heat pumps, solar panels, heat batteries, even things like traditional windmills and water wheels!

Thanks for the replies. Just to be clear, our concern was not necessarily the environmental impact of having a child (we’re vegan and live a low carbon lifestyle). In fact most scientists agree overpopulation is not the problem, how we live and use the world’s resources is.

Our concern with having children was what kind of world they would grow into adulthood in. As I said in OP, we’re pregnant with our first child now.

Although the future worries me I agree it’s important not to pass these concerns onto children while they’re young, innocent and should be enjoying life.

It’s nice to know other parents share these concerns. Hopefully we’ll build an army of wiser more compassionate humans who will take better care of the planet.

@PolkadotsAndMoonbeams

There’s also broad agreement technology won’t save us, only rapid decarbonisation will.

What do you mean by this?

Pretty much everything that allows decarbonisation is technology. Wind turbines, heat pumps, solar panels, heat batteries, even things like traditional windmills and water wheels!

In summary, technology will be too little too late. Here’s an example of the scientific view on this: www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/04/200420125510.htm

@SmidgenofaPigeon I'm not sure I follow the 'privileged' point you're making... can you explain more?

I thought the fact that not everyone has the bandwidth to consider it makes it MORE important that those of us who do, do - not the other way around. Especially since the people who have the least are likely to be the most affected by it.

Am I missing a link somewhere?

I'm slightly buoyed by the fact that a number of kids and young people I know have parents who are full-out climate deniers, and it's swung them entirely the other way –the kids are Greenpeace members and very vocal about their own futures. It's nice to know that some apples roll a long way from their trees

Children learn about climate change in school. Mine are always coming back home telling me what I should/shouldn’t be doing.

It’s not about terrifying them but raising them to be aware and responsible citizens.

Children in the UK are pretty lucky in that we’re only feeling mild climate change effects. What about the children living in the areas affected by fires, floods etc.
How about telling them that ‘Children need lots of positivity not negativity’ 🤷‍♀️

Well it’s pretty self explanatory isn’t it OP? that in many cases only the privileged will have the means and resources to try and ‘do their bit’ to mitigate the effects of climate change on an individual scale. Many people can’t afford to eat vegan (at least not in a healthy way), or have the space and time to grow their own produce, or pay to move to eco nappies or sanitary products (which are obviously cheaper in the long run but with a high initial start up)

What I’m saying is, hand-wringing about the (admittedly very serious) potential consequences of climate change is a preserve of the privileged in a lot of cases.

@SmidgenofaPigeon that was a bit unnecessarily sharp, no?

I understand that it IS the preserve of a privileged few, what I'm asking is what the logical end of that point is: as I said in the next paragraph of my post.

Are you saying that you think the people with privilege to make a difference (like OP and many of the rest of us) shouldn't bother because they're in the minority?

Or are you just pointing out privilege because you've noticed it and there's nothing more to it?

Based on your later posts I don't think it's the latter – but I am interested to hear more, which is why I asked. I wasn't picking a fight.

I don’t het what you think was sharp about it at all, sorry. I’m genuinely confused.

@penguinwithasuitcase my mistake was directing that to the OP as I got confused and thought they’d asked. But I see it wasn’t the OP.

OBVIOUSLY I am not saying it is is not worth bothering if you happen to be in a privileged minority, at all, it should be more pertinent if anything. I’m just saying it’s a complex argument as to why people don’t or can’t react in the same way to the impact of climate change.

[quote penguinwithasuitcase]@SmidgenofaPigeon I'm not sure I follow the 'privileged' point you're making... can you explain more?

I thought the fact that not everyone has the bandwidth to consider it makes it MORE important that those of us who do, do - not the other way around. Especially since the people who have the least are likely to be the most affected by it.

Am I missing a link somewhere?

I'm slightly buoyed by the fact that a number of kids and young people I know have parents who are full-out climate deniers, and it's swung them entirely the other way –the kids are Greenpeace members and very vocal about their own futures. It's nice to know that some apples roll a long way from their trees [/quote]
The fact that those who are poor in this country and around the world are worrying about putting food on the table, having shoes, keeping the lights on, staying alive and Maintaining a job. Climate change is probably down their priority list. They don't have the money to contribute to reducing climate change. Lots of the changes I have made are more expensive and some less convenient, changing a car to electric, green electricity, shopping at the local greengrocers, getting the bus, solar panels, cleaning products, sustainable clothes. Often things that are the worse for the climate are the cheapest. This is what is a shame but you can see why these people, especially in poor countries aren't doing their bit.

@BergamotandLime

I knew a couple who didn't have children as they were afraid of what their child would have to face during its life in terms of climate etc. That child would now be 50ish. They missed out on so much joy because of fear.

That sounds odd because climate change was only flagged up as big concern starting about 42 years ago.

@IrishGirl2020 I didn't exactly mean for earth conscious people to have a huge family, like a football team I meant as in 1 to 3 kids, instead of refusing to have any kids whatsoever. And leading them to do good things and be aware of the problems and how to help make a change

gendread.substack.com/p/resources-for-working-with-climate?fbclid=IwAR38xZXvkLgN_vfeJVceCQk--7EOrcCMGf71pni6SsbxBbIKEg677XbECJA