hosted by south by southwest | march 9, 2019
kids and climate: family planning in the anthropocene
We investigated a difficult issue that can be emotional, personal and also societal: what does it mean to have children in the midst of a potentially catastrophic climate crisis? While the majority of people do not yet consider climate change in family planning, a growing chorus of voices says that we ought to. It is now well documented that having fewer or no children is the most effective way to reduce one's carbon emissions. Some people decide against it because they feel it is unethical to exacerbate our environmental challenges in an age of overpopulation, while others fear a rapidly changing world might harm their child’s ability to have a healthy, successful life. And some people counter by saying that humanity has always risen to solve great challenges. Many different cultural, class and religious divides shape our views on this complex topic. Together we explored the tensions and debates around these issues, and began to channel our individual views and feelings into positive, collective work in the world. In collaboration with Dr. Britt Wray, author and broadcaster.