Environmental Health News, Week 3: Climate Change and Children

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Some people are deciding not to have children because of climate change. The title "No Children Because of Climate Change? Some People Are Considering It" caught my eye. The reason it caught my eye is because I had told a family member about some of the things I had been learning in this class, and she said something along the same lines. "That makes me not want to have kids," she said. It seems as if she is not the only one pondering the idea.

It's true- this world is a scary place. With all the natural disasters, the social injustice, and so on and so forth, it can be a question for some to reproduce. Yes, climate change is a huge problem. Yes, it will continue if we do not take it seriously and make changes. That being said my reaction to this article instead of agreeing with the idea of not reproducing, is to instead think more positively and become more educated. We can create change if we work diligently. While I see the benefits of not reproducing, I also don't see the benefits of just "giving up." If a couple desires children, then the best thing that they can do is become educated. If they don't, then education is still a powerful tool, and can be helpful for the future population. We can create sustainable solutions and participate in coalitions that work for environmental change.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/05/climate/climate-change-children.html?utm_source=EHN&utm_campaign=9e629dc69e-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_8573f35474-9e629dc69e-99470193

Comments

  1. Ashley SubramaniFebruary 9, 2018 at 4:28 PM

    Hello Loren,

    We can not simply say we will not reproduce because of climate change. That is allowing for the problem to continue. I agree with you that we must put effort into bettering our planet so that when we decide to have children, the world is a better place for them. It is easy to give up but what good will that do for people and for the earth. It is essential that we try harder to help make improvements to the planet for the planet itself and for future generations.

    ReplyDelete

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