In order to protest what they must believe is the soon-to-be end of the world, over 3,500 young people have pledged they’ll keep from having children.
The petition reads, “I pledge not to have children until I am sure my government will ensure a safe future for them.”
The pledge — known as #NoFutureNoChildren — was created by Canadian teenager Emma Lim.
On the project’s website, Emma shares her story. Here’s a bit:
I’ve always imagined I would be a mother. I know that for a lot of people, the decision to have children is something made later on in life, but for me it was never something I had to think about. I love children so much that I worked as a nanny over the summer between eleventh and twelfth grade.
There are all of these little things I can see myself doing: singing to my babies, listening to their stories, working through homework, baking, finger painting, going for nature walks, dancing in the kitchen- and it hurts almost like a physical pain when I realize I might never get to do these things. Because even though I want to have children more than almost anything- what kind of a mother would I be if I brought a baby into a world where I couldn’t make sure they were safe?
I read the IPCC report last September, and it terrified me. I’m only a teenager, so I’ve learned about climate change for as long as I can remember. I’ve seen it all around me too. In my province once in a century floods have started to happen every year. There are heatwaves in the summer, and in the winter we’re not able to skate on the pond anymore. But the truth is that we are in so much more danger than I could have imagined. We are facing changes that will be irreversible: the loss of ecosystems, the loss of fresh water, the loss of clean air.
Emma’s extremely concerned:
I am facing a future of economic instability, of food scarcity and extreme weather. What if I have to sacrifice my child’s education to pay for a new house? What if my house becomes uninsurable? What if I have to pay for clean water?
She also cryptically states that “everything will be more expensive with climate change.”
As we saw Monday, the Shut Down DC protest took the opportunity to promote socialism (here).
Perhaps they’re unaware that “capitalism” means you can freely own and operate your own business, whereas socialism takes that right away — in favor of a government monopoly with no supply-and-demand to keep down costs.
With socialism, “everything will be more expensive.”
Regardless, Emma concludes:
I am not the only young person giving up lifelong dreams because they are unsure of what the future will hold. We’ve read the science, and now we’re pleading with our government.
Please, keep us safe. Please act while there is still time.
In the site’s Our Stories section, other teens share.
From an 18-year-old girl:
The science has spoken. Climate change is an established objective truth with already irreversible consequences
From a boy of the same age:
I’m scared. No – I’m absolutely terrified. If I have children, their future will be even more uncertain and endangered than my own.
From a 17-year-old girl:
Because the [planet] is already over capacity, because costs of raising a child is too high and it would be one less person other people would have to fight when the water wars start.
And another:
Our society is on the verge of a collapse. Our ecology isn’t far behind. In the prior situation, raising a kid may mean death for me and my partner. In the latter situation, humanity goes extinct. I have crippling fear about this on a near daily basis. Climate leaders don’t buy pipelines and LNG plants.
On Sunday, I wrote that components of society are “making teens miserable over the imminent destruction of the world.”
Events since then haven’t served to prove the notion wrong.
Even so, 17 years olds will grow up and notice the world is still here.
And as for that “not having kids” thing, many have tried it. But it seems to have bested many of the most radical resistors.
As for feeling pressure to rescue the world, hopefully, they’ll relax over time.
The same ideas I wrote about New York City apply:
In an effort to save the planet, New York City is considering outlawing its signature meat — the hot dog.
Yeah — that’ll save it.
…
Population of New York City: 8.5 million.
Population of the planet: 7.7 billion.
All of America: 328 million.
Think we can conquer the remaining 7,372,000,000 people by 2030? I thought colonialism was wrong?
#FAIL.
Here’s a bit more perspective:
A population cartogram, showing the countries of the world with their size relative to their population. Perhaps one of my favourite maps in the whole world. pic.twitter.com/MpAquobn6i
— Dr Adrastos Omissi (@AdrastosOmissi) September 23, 2019
That’s the world.
Take that map and enlarge it by 2000% on a 17-inch screen. Then find a baby and clip one of his or her hairs. Then touch that hair to the screen, in the upper right corner of America.
That’s New York City.
Does it look like Big Apple footlongs are the pivot point for planetary survival?
Breathe, kids. You aren’t the world. You’re one person, each. Live your life. No one can guarantee your safety. Life is precious, as is youth. Enjoy them while they’re here. And while you are.
-ALEX
Relevant RedState links in this article: here and here.
See 3 more pieces from me:
If Global Warming Is Eating At You, A Swedish Professor Has A Recipe For Relief: Cannibalism
Find all my RedState work here.
And please follow Alex Parker on Twitter and Facebook.
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