Having Children in Tough Times - A Dark Perspective
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Some accurate points with regards over population. It's not so much the overpopulation that is the problem as the over consumption, which comes more with western civilisation. When over population is brought up, people are quick to point out that westerners are actually producing less children and it's none westerners that are the problem. When they migrate to western countries and continue to have their traditionally large families, then I guess it does become an issue. Also the push to increase the 'standard of living,' ie industrialising 2nd and third world countries, is just bringing them to the same consumption level as us.
A problem that could arise is that couples like yourselves choosing not to raise children are the very couples who could best teach a new generation to be more conscientious. So if they all decided not to raise them, we would be left with only those who don't care about the damage people are causing bringing more destructive generations into this world. Having said that, I don't think that will happen, because while you guys aren't raising children, I get the feeling you are still educating and reaching many and I can only respect that choice not to have children. I think it's becoming more common and I even wonder if it's a natural response to the situation we're currently in, with regards overuse of resources.
I believe one way or another nature will find a balance, even if it means the decimation of our species. People will need to wake up and drastically change direction if that isn't to happen and I have to believe we can do it. Although if the top 10% have their way they'll probably choose to wipe the rest of us out so they can continue at their current consumption levels without it having such a harmful effect on the earth.
The graph is from an article I linked in my post on this and fully illustrates what you are saying about population and consumption.
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:-) I saw this same graph in various places, thanks to this QOTW. And I agree, it's not about migrating to 1st world countries that makes people consume more. Just moving to a local town can have that effect. Also, CO2 emissions are only part of the issue. It's an unsustainable lifestyle on a large scale, leading to decreasing biodiversity, dropping water table, eroding landscapes, etc. But once someone stops living on the land, off the land, and with the land, their immediate interests become detached from it as well.
Absolutely, things are rarely as simple as one thing alone, but it seems to be the only thing that anyone focuses on. Is it because carbon footprint is the easiest thing to measure or the easiest thing to tax?
Talking of water table, there's a chap here in Australia who's spent decades trying to convince people and government to change land management methods to a way he's proven restores waterways and water tables. His name is Peter Andrews and he calls it natural sequence farming. I think he's still struggling to convince government to lift policies which actually compound the problem.
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Oh wow, I gotta check out Peter Andrews. Seems like Australia has given the world a number of amazing geniuses in terms of sustainable practices. Something to be proud of.
Haha! Yes, it's ironic when they have some of the worst sustainable practices and track records here. Maybe it's a response to that. We really have to fight government incompetence and bad practice.
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Thank you! I'm glad you like it.
a great post really, no So doom and gloom.. you left space for a miracle! ;-)
nice one really, very balanced and im happy for you that made your life work as you did.. we are all different and so this answer is really personal to us.. and we really shouldnt all have the same answer or we are in trouble!
I love your article, it’s a pretty fair assessment of where we’re at. The children of today are going to live through food, water and energy shortages like we have never seen before. No need to look far to see these problems emerging today.
Being very sensitive, I would not be at peace knowing what’s in store for my children if I were to have them. Given how many cars are in circulation, the destruction of our environment shows no sign of slowing down.
I agree, if we must go through hardship (and to me it looks like we will) there's no point in dragging other innocent ones into it.
You're right that when we move away from sustainability is when the whole having kids 'thing' goes belly up. Nice contribution.
Right, and I believe that goes for everyone, no matter where they're from. Thanks for the comment.
I think you make a great point about this individualism and materialism and consumerism! I see it here in Africa too, we’ve traded many of our ways for western ideals of success and a so called better life but in doing so we’re already almost ran out of water last year and we’re currently out of electricity for the last month!
You can see how it’s affecting people even people who never had running water and electricity growing up! We can only produce a finite amount of these resources and I feel plenty of it goes to waste! If we don’t do something about it and shift to sustainable practices the environment will do it for us, people will grow frustrated and start taking each other out or moving to places where there are resources and pillaging their way through because they feel that’s they only way they can live when it really isn’t
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The funny thing about "waste" is that I think we are naturally predisposed to it, which in and of itself is not a bad thing at all: we take what we need from a resource (say water) and leave the rest "wasted" for others, whether they are people, animals, plants, or even the soil. Waste becomes a problem when the same resource is "saved" that is made inaccessible to all others, or polluted, or destroyed, or disconnected from its rightful place in nature. That's when it starts causing all kinds of problems.
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