Tuesday, November 24, 2009

This is where I piss off half the civilized world

and I don't care. Even though I have strong feelings on this topic, I have never really expressed them for fear of upsetting people. Well, eff people (see? I am still concerned about upsetting people so I won't even swear properly).

Let me give this a little pre-note: this isn't aimed at any generation except mine and the ones after us. Why? Because our generation seems to be so gung-ho on environment issues and not leaving a big carbon footprint. We buy Hybrids, and use recyclable bags in grocery stores. We throw daggers with our eyes at people who dare throw their soda can in the garbage. Well, you know what the largest freakin' carbon footprint is? Children.

This is where y'all attack me like zombies and eat my brains for a mid-noon snack.

But, hear me out first, as you sharpen your steak knives and start the big pot of water boiling. It's no surprise that the world population is headed towards disaster. When I was little, even the Prime Minister of India started a campaign that said: Hum Do, Hamare Do. It translates literally to: Us Two, Ours Two which implies that stick to 2 children. Why? Because that keeps the population from rising. the implication being a mother and father will die and the 2 children pretty much replace their space on earth. Well, with advances in medicine, more people started living longer and the replacement figures didn't really work. And, people were still having more than 2 children. So, the campaign actually changed to asking people to only have one child.

Think about it. The question isn't whether you can support your children or not (unlike the Octomom in CA, who can't but went for it because God will somehow help her or Cable TV). The question is can the environment, can Mother Earth really handle it? And how selfish for somebody to say that they don't care; they'll have as many kids as they can afford. Do they give thought to a future 100 years down the road? Will there be enough resources; water, oil, even frickin' land to support those generations? How selfish to not think about that. According to the UNFPA, "In the next century, temperature is expected to increase by 6.4 degrees Celsius, resulting in change in climatic patterns leading to intense tropical storms, floods, water scarcity, loss of glacier melt-water, food shortages and health crisis, the report said." Also, "Slower population growth... would help build social resilience to climate change's impacts and would contribute to a reduction of greenhouse-gas emissions in the future," the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) says.

Have 1 kid if you want; have 2 if you REALLY think you need to. But, any more than that, and you are increasing the burden on the environment. And people like the Duggars, with their 19, in my eyes, are committing crimes against humanity.

Oh, and people who keep having children because they are waiting for a girl or a boy ... that's a whole another crazy and a different post waiting to happen.

4 comments:

Amelia Sprout said...

Yeah, we're pretty sure we're stopping at one, maybe two, if we can afford it. I know what a footprint the little snot causes. I don't get it either. Really, do NOT get it.

Kate/Susan said...

I am looking forward to all my friends entering menopause :-) Seems like there's a new pregnancy every week.

Syl said...

Amelia, thanks for being the very first to post; I was thinking I'd have some pissed off mom of 5 :-)

Kate/Susan, I forgot to mention adoption. I am very in awe of and proud of my friends who've made the decision to adopt. You are amazing and even though I don't always comment, I am following Leah's growth with you :)

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