Save the Earth, Don't Have Kids?
The New York Times reports that a new study from statisticians at Oregon State University found that having a child has an impact that far outweighs that of other energy-saving behaviors. The article says "take, for example, a hypothetical American woman who switches to a more fuel-efficient car, drives less, recycles, installs more efficient light bulbs, and replaces her refrigerator and windows with energy-saving models. If she had two children, the researchers found, her carbon legacy would eventually rise to nearly 40 times what she had saved by those actions."
So are they saying the best way to "go green" is to go childless? I would like to have a kid or two someday, so personally I think will opt for other earth-friendly actions.
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I don't have any children and don't know if I will, but teaching your child to do all he/she could to make the world more sustainable seems like a way to counter that 40X increase. It's not just about our own behavior but also influencing other behavior. Perhaps that wasn't measured by the OSU statisticians. We can influence our children and others to be more sustainable who then in turn can influence their children and others to be more sustainable.