20 votes

Study indicates climate ‘apocalypse’ fears stopping people having children

7 comments

  1. rkcr
    Link
    I feel like the article does the study a disservice - it makes it sound like the survey pre-screened for people who care about climate change + kids. If you read the actual abstract, it seems to...

    I feel like the article does the study a disservice - it makes it sound like the survey pre-screened for people who care about climate change + kids. If you read the actual abstract, it seems to find that a generic group of 27-45 year olds are very concerned about kids + climate change.


    That said, the concept of avoiding having children because of poor conditions is nothing new - I'm sure people abstained from children during the cold war, too, because they thought the world could end at any moment. I'm much more curious what the rate of change is - are more people abstaining because of climate change than other past issues?

    14 votes
  2. Good_Apollo
    Link
    Economic concerns are the real issue anecdotally. That the climate is going to shit and trying to minimize your own impact, say by not having kids, that’s just compounded by money problems. No, my...

    Economic concerns are the real issue anecdotally. That the climate is going to shit and trying to minimize your own impact, say by not having kids, that’s just compounded by money problems.

    No, my fiancée and I would much rather keep our money for each other and ride into the apocalypse in style.

    9 votes
  3. [5]
    wcerfgba
    Link
    Good. I definitely feel there are too many people on our planet already -- particularly in the first world where our resource consumption is so high -- and I am always trying to convince people to...

    Good. I definitely feel there are too many people on our planet already -- particularly in the first world where our resource consumption is so high -- and I am always trying to convince people to adopt instead of conceive -- why create a new life when you can provide a better quality of living for someone who already exists?

    5 votes
    1. [4]
      pumasocks
      Link Parent
      Unfortunately adopting a human is not like adopting a dog or cat. Typically it can take years before the adoption is complete, the cost is $20,000+, and if you adopt within the US, the mother can...

      Unfortunately adopting a human is not like adopting a dog or cat. Typically it can take years before the adoption is complete, the cost is $20,000+, and if you adopt within the US, the mother can change their mind for a period of time.

      The easiest way to adopt is to foster a minority baby with a disability, but not everyone has the ability to care for a child with disabilities.

      10 votes
      1. [3]
        wcerfgba
        Link Parent
        Admittedly I speak from a place of ignorance, I have never looked in to the process so I don't know how expensive it is nor exactly how long it takes, although I can imagine it does take a while...

        Admittedly I speak from a place of ignorance, I have never looked in to the process so I don't know how expensive it is nor exactly how long it takes, although I can imagine it does take a while because the adoptive parent(s) and child have to see if they are a good fit for each other, and there are lots of safety checks which should be run against the parent(s).

        Could you shed some light as to why the process is so expensive in the US? Is that typical of other Western countries or something about the US process? Thanks :)

        3 votes
        1. cfabbro
          (edited )
          Link Parent
          AFAIK the exorbitant cost of adoption is a uniquely American thing. Here in Canada the adoption has almost no cost to prospective parents if done through the government, other than in provinces...

          Is that typical of other Western countries or something about the US process?

          AFAIK the exorbitant cost of adoption is a uniquely American thing. Here in Canada the adoption has almost no cost to prospective parents if done through the government, other than in provinces that mandate parenting courses beforehand (which costs ~$1.5k for couples here in Ontario). In fact, adoptive parents here even qualify for provincial and federal subsidies, tax credits, and bursaries which can significantly offset the cost of raising and educating the child. And foster parents get even more financial assistance than adoptive ones.

          Adoption only gets expensive here if prospective parents want to pay extra to expedite the bureaucratic process, choose to go through a private agency (where the cost varies wildly), or intend to adopt internationally.

          Source: Sister who recently looked into adoption, and cousin with 2 adopted kids.

          7 votes
        2. pumasocks
          Link Parent
          Adoption.com explains at a high level why the price is so high in the US. “Typically domestic infant adoption is completed with the aid of either an adoption agency or an adoption lawyer. The cost...

          Adoption.com explains at a high level why the price is so high in the US.

          “Typically domestic infant adoption is completed with the aid of either an adoption agency or an adoption lawyer. The cost of domestic infant adoption typically covers legal fees, home study preparation, advertising, screening of birth and hopeful adoptive parents, counseling for birth parents as well as training and support for adoptive parents. Depending on the specific agency or lawyer, these fees can range from $8,000-$40,000”.

          It’s much cheaper to foster a child and then adopt them, as the states typically cover much of the cost. Unfortunately, foster children have their own unique challenges and many people are not able to meet their needs.

          https://adoption.com/cost-of-adoption-in-us

          3 votes