Summary:
In this article, a reader named April is struggling with the decision to have children due to concerns about the impact of climate change. While she and her fiancé are both passionate about caring for the planet, they also want to start a family. The article argues that, from an ethical perspective, having children is not in itself problematic, as the marginal effect of a few individuals on the planet’s population is negligible. However, the author suggests that individuals should consider whether they can provide their offspring with a good prospect of a decent life in the context of the climate crisis. While some may argue that having children is selfish, the article contends that the right answer is not to reduce the number of children who have privilege but to work together to create a world where every child has access to resources and opportunities.
Additional Piece:
The decision to have children is deeply personal and complex. For many people, it is a lifelong dream to raise a family and pass on their values and traditions to the next generation. However, concerns about the impact of climate change can complicate this decision. As the world faces increasingly severe weather events, rising sea levels, and other environmental crises, some individuals may wonder whether it is ethical to bring children into a world that is rapidly changing and possibly less habitable.
One way to approach this dilemma is to consider the role of privilege in shaping our decisions. As the author of the article notes, April’s fiancé argues that they can provide enough financial support to ensure that their children can navigate the challenges of climate change. While this may be true, it also highlights the broader issue of inequality and the unequal distribution of resources and opportunities.
In many ways, climate change is an issue of social justice. The poorest and most vulnerable communities are often the most affected by environmental disasters and are least equipped to cope with them. Wealthy individuals and communities, on the other hand, have more resources to adapt and mitigate the effects of climate change. Thus, when we consider the decision to have children in the context of climate change, we must also recognize that this decision is shaped by issues of power and privilege.
One way to address this issue is to think more deeply about what it means to be a responsible and ethical parent. While financial resources can help provide a sense of security and stability, they do not guarantee a good life. Parents must also consider how they will raise their children to be responsible and engaged citizens who are committed to creating a more just and sustainable world.
This may mean teaching children about environmental issues, volunteering in their communities, and supporting policies and initiatives that promote sustainability. It may also mean recognizing the interconnectedness of all living things and working to build a more inclusive and equitable society. Ultimately, the decision to have children in the context of climate change is a complex and nuanced one, and it requires us to think deeply about our values, priorities, and responsibilities as individuals and as a society.
In conclusion, while concerns about climate change can complicate the decision to have children, it is not inherently unethical to do so. Instead, we must consider the role of privilege in shaping our decisions and recognize that creating a more just and sustainable world requires us to think beyond our own individual desires and needs. By raising our children to be engaged and responsible citizens, we can help build a better future for ourselves and for generations to come.
Summary:
A reader named April struggles with the decision to have children because of the impact of climate change. This article explores the ethics of this decision, arguing that having children is not in itself problematic. However, individuals should consider whether they can provide their offspring with a good prospect of a decent life in the context of the climate crisis. The right answer is not to reduce the number of children who have privilege but to work together to create a world in which every child has access to resources and opportunities. The decision to have children is a complex and personal one, shaped by issues of power and privilege. Responsible and ethical parenting involves teaching children about environmental issues, volunteering in the community, and supporting policies and initiatives that promote sustainability and build a more just and equitable society.
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I have always liked babies and children. I babysat through high school and college, and do so even now as a full-time engineer. My fiancé was drawn to me because of how much he appreciated my talent and love for children. We have many nieces, nephews, and little cousins who we love but don’t see often. We have also always been clear with each other that we would try to have biological children soon after we were married.
That being said, my fiancé and I, both Gen Z, care deeply about the planet and watch with pain as scientists predict that the Earth will reach 1.5 degrees Celsius warming by the 2030s. Is it selfish to have children knowing full well that they will have to deal with a lower quality of life thanks to the climate crisis and its many cascading effects, such as increased natural disasters, food shortages, greater social inequality and unrest?
We realize that the very existence of a child adds to our carbon footprint, but as parents we would do all we can to foster an environmentally friendly home and try to teach our children how to navigate life sustainably. My fiancé says that because we are privileged as two engineers working in the United States, we can provide enough financial support to prevent our children from suffering the brunt of climate change damage. Is it okay to use this privilege? — April
From the ethical:
Here are two questions we often ask about a stock. First, what difference would it make? Second, what would happen if everyone did? Both raise important considerations, but may point in opposite directions. The first question asks us to evaluate the specific consequences of an act. The second question asks us (as Kant would say) to “universalize the maxim”: to determine if the rule that guides your action is one that everyone should follow. (I won’t get into the philosophers’ debates about how these maxims should be specified.) Suppose someone pockets a Walgreens ChapStick and asks: What’s the difference? One answer is that if everyone shoplifted as they please, the retail system would collapse.
There is no such conflict in answering those questions when it comes to having at least one child. The marginal effect of adding a few humans to a planet of some eight billion people is negligible. (A recent article, by a group of environmental and economic researchers, projects that by the end of the century, the world’s population could be smaller than it is today, although that is only a model). And if everyone stopped having babies, the effect would be not to help. humanity but to end it.
I am not one of those people who will encourage you to imagine that you will give birth to a child who devises a solution to the climate crisis. (What are the odds?) Still, it’s realistic to think that children raised with a sense of responsibility could, personally and collectively, be part of the solution, ensuring human survival on a livable planet by promoting sustainability. adaptation, resilience and mitigation.
Probably the key question to ask yourself is whether you can give your offspring a good prospect of a decent life. The climate crisis is listed here not because your children will contribute to it, but because they may suffer from it. It sounds like you’ve already made up your mind that your children would be fine, provided with the necessary resources. That is, as you acknowledge, a privilege in our world. But the right answer is not to reduce the number of children who have that privilege, but to work, together, towards a situation where every other child on the planet does too.
readers respond
Last week’s question was from a reader who had cut off contact with his father after enduring a horrible relationship with him for years. They asked: “I have found myself wondering what I will do and feel when my aged father dies. I don’t even know who would arrange his funeral etc. Ethically speaking, what do I owe to a father with whom I have no contact, do not respect and do not want to see again?
In his response, the ethicist noted: “Some people argue that just because someone is your biological parent means you owe them something. After all, you owe them your existence. … I grant you that there is a case for you to arrange your father’s funeral, perhaps in recognition of the role he played in your life, and perhaps as a minimal act of gratitude for your existence. He doesn’t have many calls for you beyond that. (Reread the full question and answer here.)
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Yes, there is an argument. that caring for an estranged parent’s funeral is a minimal act of gratitude for one’s existence. If it does, it may even provide some closure. However, doing so could be detrimental to mental health, especially in cases of PTSD. The needs of a child far outweigh the gratitude for being born. — Cathy K.
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I paid and fixed my estranged mother’s funeral. It was painful, but it provided closure I didn’t know I needed. Plus, I took pride in being able to be better than her and do something nice. Funerals are for the living. What can you live with? — Ashley
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As an authorized funeral director for the last 28 years in my state (Wisconsin) you are the next of kin and therefore the person the funeral home will work with to make funeral arrangements for your father. If you don’t want to do that, and I can empathize with your feelings of not wanting to, please explain to your dad so he can fill out the necessary paperwork for someone else to do those tasks. — David
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we owe no gratitude for being born to parents who did not meet our emotional and other needs, needs that they had an ethical obligation to meet. Adult children should stop feeling guilty about something they had no control over. Kudos to the letter writer for moving on and seeing her father for who she was. — Jul
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To ask the question “What should I do?” in this case he recognizes the existence of a persistent feeling of some kind of obligation. See that it is an opportunity to close these painful memories. Any benefit from participating in or planning a funeral for an abusive, absent, or just awful parent will accrue to you and not to the deceased. Simply put, you do it for yourself. – Richard
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