MAR 05, 2019

To combat climate change, I'm not having kids

WRITTEN BY: Kathryn DeMuth Sullivan

The global population is currently 7.7 billion (though you'll note that it was 7.6 billion at the time that this video was published). Experts predict that number will rise to 9.8 billion by 2050. Amidst this daunting reality is one particular implicit little fact: we have the power to change that fate.

Of course, in certain situations, one does not get the privilege to choose whether or not to have a child. However, for those who are able to make those choices, more and more people are deciding against populating the planet with their offspring. The reasoning behind these decisions are as unique as the people making them, but nonetheless fall into several categories. Some people are choosing to abstain from procreating because of the undeniable truth that producing more humans will require more resources, resources that are becoming scarcer and scarcer. Others are choosing to adopt instead of create their own offspring for reasons equally humanitarian as environmental or perhaps biological (or all three!). Watch the video above to hear about one woman's journey in her decision to not have children and the way she hopes her decision will impact the planet.