There’s a ton of reasons not to have children. Money, hereditary issues, location, your in-laws, your porn history just to name a few — but Climate Change? Really?
Let’s Put Things in Perspective
I have both a blessing and a curse and they’re both the same thing — my age. Not going to reveal my age just yet because I don’t want to give you any bias to stop reading. Rather let’s look at known facts vs. unknown fear.
The earth has been around for millions of years — or 6,000 years if you’re very religious. Either one is a long time. Mankind (and womankind for you politically correctors) has also been around for a long time. Those are cold hard facts.
There have been dust bowls in the Midwest in the 1930s. Ice ages and glaciers. Let’s not confuse weather and climate. Climate is over periods of time. Weather is today.
What Are Previous Reasons Not to Have Kids?
Let’s look at the 1700s. No toilet paper yet. No epidurals. No ambulance. No automobiles. No supermarkets. No shopping malls. No kids toys.
Children delivered by family members or midwives. The country was brand new. Who in their right mind would want to bring children into such a primitive situation? Thankfully lots of people did.
Didn’t they know that the 1800s were just around the corner that they were pioneering a world changing country?
Now the 1800s weren’t anything to write home about. Toilet paper would still not make an appearance until 1889 when the first patent was issued. I can only imagine how that must have been celebrated.
But medicine had not made many advancements. And the horse and buggy were still the transport of the day. Imagine cleaning the streets of New York City.
There Are No New Ideas
There’s a story that was passed around and I have no evidence of it being accurate but I’m going to present it here because it will assist us in our quest for understanding the argument of couples rethinking child rearing.
In the late 1800s there was interest in closing the US Patent Office. Why? Because people were convinced that all the good ideas had been thought of.
Now that makes perfect sense when you really think about it. Not much had changed in America for over 300 years. Horse and buggy, the axe, shovel, pick, hammer pretty much all the same.
No one had any idea they were poised on the verge of the Industrial Revolution.
They were basing their assessments on known facts vs. unknown speculation.
Let’s Predict the Future by Using Evidence of the Past
What has America accomplished in just 50 years between 1900 and 1950? Electricity, Flight, Telephone, Radio and TV, and the Automobile.
That’s pretty darn cool for just 50 short years. No one seemed to get that done anywhere else.
These five things not only changed America but the entire world. Only the Amish have chosen to retain the horse and buggy.
So why do we find ourselves stuck in 2022 believing that all the good ideas have been thought of? Isn’t that the true essence of the Climate Change argument?
We’re terrified that something might change in the future and we’re powerless to do anything about it? Based on what?
Let’s Look at Some Facts We Do Know
Growing up as a kid my biggest fear — and the fear of every other kid — was Polio. We prayed nightly to be spared from this horrific disease.
On March 26, 1953, Jonas Salk ended that fear for all of us by developing a Polio vaccine and never took a single dime for doing it.
Polio was an ideal reason not to have children in the 30s, 40s, and 50s but people did despite the fear. The joy of children to those parents was worth the risk.
Pollution and climate change was not given a single thought back then even though it was much more prevalent than today.
Those folks developed x-rays, MRI machines, and many other medical advances. Oh, I left out the tongue depressor and the Band-Aid.
More Miracles
The baby boomers. Children born between 1946 and 1964. Highest birth rate in history — then that bunch produced a smaller but still impressive group of children who went on to create handheld calculators, home computers, the eight track, the pocket fisherman, cell phones and the microwave. Oh, and the internet boom too.
They made it possible for 16 men to walk on the surface of the moon while jet travel reduced the size of the planet.
On July 9, 1970, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) became law. Leaded gas and lead paint were gone forever. Most people today have no idea what the Ozone Layer Hole is or was.
Returning to Present Day and Climate Change
I grew up before there was a television in every home. Now I have a 75-inch flat screen in my living room capable of 500+ channels, plus streaming, plus the internet, and smaller ones in the bedroom and office.
I have a cell phone with 100 times more computing power than the rockets that took men to the moon.
I’ve had two knee replacements and a hip. Kids born today won’t have those issues.
I predict that electricity will be broadcast into your home like radio and tv is today.
I can walk into almost any supermarket in America and buy individually wrapped slices of cheese.
And you think Climate Change will be an issue American minds can’t solve? Seriously? Individually wrapped slices of cheese? And Climate Change is your problem?
If Climate Change Is Real Who’s the Hero Who Will Ride in on the White Horse??
That’s an easy answer — business. Yes, business will be the one to battle and win against Climate Change — not governments regulations or restrictions. Consider the following.
Businesses know that by saving energy you can increase profits. That fact is not lost on Walmart. Walmart committed to spend $600 million per year to increase the fuel efficiency of their truck fleet.
The goal was to increase fuel efficiency by 25 percent over the next ten years and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent in seven years. Better than what the government is asking.
Walmart is working to reduce energy use in its stores by 30 percent and to cut solid waste by 25 percent in three years. Eventually they will only use renewable energies and have zero waste.
Alternative Fuels and Other Environmental Savings
Three experimental Walmart stores in McKinney, Texas, Aurora, Colorado and Las Vegas, Nevada, will use wind turbines, photovoltaic solar panels, bio-fuel-capable boilers, water-cooled refrigerators, and xeriscape gardens.
Walmart is now the largest seller of organic milk and the largest purchaser of organic cotton in the world.
Walmart hired outside consultants to study its impact on the environment and what they could be doing better. They discovered that by reducing some packaging on their store brands they could save $2.4 million dollars in shipping costs, 3,800 trees, and a million barrels of oil per year.
They also saved $20 million dollars per year by shortening the length of their customer receipts.
Does anyone believe that Walmart gives a crap about the environment? But they and other businesses do care about profits.
Business will triumph over Climate Change because it’s profitable for them to do so.
Some Final Thoughts for Those Thinking of Not Having Children Due To Climate Change
I mentioned the curse of my age before — I just turned 79. At that age you’d think I was near death. But I blog, write books and articles, produce YouTube videos, and do a three-hour weekly radio show.
After everything I’ve seen in my life what I wouldn’t give for another 50 years. And that’s the way couples should think about it too.
Am I worried about Climate Change? — I keep reading the papers looking for beachfront property sales in Miami Beach and Hawaii. So far nothing. Maybe they haven’t got the word on rising sea levels.
Do I have faith and confidence in future children to correct Climate Change? You bet. Based on the undeniable past performance of America’s solving problems — I’ll go with the kids for sure thank you.
Imagine that most children born in 2022 will see the year 2100 and what amazing life changing creations will be brewing in those young minds. OK some will possibly be serial killers.
Today’s college freshman will be tasked with solving problems four years from now that don’t exist today.
The total knowledge of the entire human race doubles every 13 months. Climate Change will be relegated to the dustbin of history — as will I.
Have kids — trust me they’ll be fine. They’ll find the answers to the questions you fear so wrongly— if you will allow them to be born to do it.