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from the just-harness-the-children's-energy dept.
Travis Rieder has defended his assertion that families should consider having less children to lessen the impacts and suffering caused by climate change:
Earlier this summer, I found myself in the middle of a lively debate because of my work on climate change and the ethics of having children. NPR correspondent Jennifer Ludden profiled some of my work in procreative ethics with an article entitled, "Should we be having kids in the age of climate change?," which summarized my published views that we ought to consider adopting a "small family ethic" and even pursuing fertility reduction efforts in response to the threat from climate change. Although environmentalists for decades have worried about overpopulation for many good reasons, I suggest the fast-upcoming thresholds in climate change provide uniquely powerful reasons to consider taking real action to slow population growth.
Clearly, this idea struck a nerve: I was overwhelmed by the response in my personal email inbox as well as op-eds in other media outlets and over 70,000 shares on Facebook. I am gratified that so many people took the time to read and reflect on the piece. Having read and digested that discussion, I want to continue it by responding to some of the most vocal criticisms of my own work, which includes research on "population engineering" – the intentional manipulation of human population size and structure – I've done with my colleagues, Jake Earl and Colin Hickey. In short, the varied arguments against my views – that I'm overreacting, that the economy will tank and others – haven't changed my conviction that we need to discuss the ethics of having children in this era of climate change.
Consider reading the article before commenting, or turning off your computer to conserve energy.
(Score: 2) by linkdude64 on Tuesday September 13 2016, @07:30AM
Literally every person who knows, or who would ever know what a bio-ethicist is absolutely needs to continue having children - maybe more than they were considering.
What this utter fool doesn't consider is that the people who are having the most children without any regard to the health, education, or living situations of those children will never read his glorified blog.
I want more competition for resources by competent and strong people who will save the planet. I do not want fewer and fewer intelligent people supporting more and more stupid and ungrateful welfare queens and their ilk. I want scientists. I want well-read peers for my nieces and nephews to grow up around.
(Score: 2, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday September 13 2016, @08:05AM
Maybe he is dog-whistling to the New World Order to tell them to speed up population eradication procedures.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday September 13 2016, @10:26AM
Yeah, "bio" is placed before every profession these days (mostly generating in some BS profession). This here, has hardly to do anything with "bio" (I'm a biologist). The problem is also not from biological nature, but a social one.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday September 13 2016, @03:06PM
But are you a bio-biologist?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday September 13 2016, @05:32PM
I'm a bio-cyber cyber-bioethicist!
(Score: 2) by julian on Tuesday September 13 2016, @05:22PM
Literally every person who knows, or who would ever know what a bio-ethicist is absolutely needs to continue having children - maybe more than they were considering.
I'd love to do my part but unless they figure out asexual reproduction for humans I'm probably an evolutionary dead end.
(Score: 2) by linkdude64 on Wednesday September 14 2016, @08:38AM
Apparently asexual reproduction has recently been accomplished in mice, but I hear you, and am in similar shoes.
(Score: 2) by takyon on Wednesday September 14 2016, @09:11PM
I think one of the stories I'm about to submit is that. Here's the sneak preview: http://www.nextbigfuture.com/2016/09/baby-mice-made-from-non-egg-cells-and.html [nextbigfuture.com]
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