A fifth of female climate scientists who responded to Guardian survey said they had opted to have no or fewer children

Ihad the hormonal urges,” said Prof Camille Parmesan, a leading climate scientist based in France. “Oh my gosh, it was very strong. But it was: ‘Do I really want to bring a child into this world that we’re creating?’ Even 30 years ago, it was very clear the world was going to hell in a handbasket. I’m 62 now and I’m actually really glad I did not have children.”

Parmesan is not alone. An exclusive Guardian survey has found that almost a fifth of the female climate experts who responded have chosen to have no children, or fewer children, due to the environmental crises afflicting the world.

An Indian scientist who chose to be anonymous decided to adopt rather than have children of her own. “There are too many children in India who do not get a fair chance and we can offer that to someone who is already born,” she said. “We are not so special that our genes need to be transmitted: values matter more.

  • @[email protected]
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    22 months ago

    Cool, now you, an educated, well intent person with good morals won’t have any offspring to pass those values to, and thus won’t have any representation in the next generations. Meanwhile redneck Terry will make 7 children with 3 different women and teach them to hate the libruls and that the earth is flat.

    It is your decision not to have kids, I chose so myself too. But your line of thinking is in discord with the argument.

    • @[email protected]
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      22 months ago

      Have you met the kids of those rednecks? A lot are estranged from their parents.

      Especially with the internet, parents have a limited amount of control over kids, the more important part is education.

      • @otp
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        12 months ago

        the more important part is education.

        And that’s why there’s growing far-right movements around the world (especially the Western world) who want to defund education!