Children of the Apocalypse
You say you don’t want children in the face of climate change. Here’s why you might reconsider.
“Your life is your life. Don’t let it be clubbed into dank submission. There is a light somewhere. It may not be much light, but it beats the darkness. You can’t beat death, but you can beat death in life. The gods wait to delight in you.” — Charles Bukowski, The Laughing Heart
Every time I hear an iteration of the phrase “when I think of climate change, I don’t think I can bring children into this world”, I am deeply saddened.
I get it. It’s hard to see the good life in climate change, what with the wildfires and floods and diminishing croplands and insect extinctions and feedback loops and collapsing supply chains and… but look at this a different way. Ask yourself, “What does it take for a child to live a happy, fulfilling and meaningful life?” Can they find safety in harsh environments, as humans have for millennia? Might they be happy with less than you have had, or even happier than you can imagine? Will meaning in their lives come from places we’ve forgotten — the comforting presence of others, the laughter of a friend, the caring eyes of a lover, a spark of learning in a child of their own, a challenge they can rise to.
