While a childfree lifestyle may be a valid and important ethical choice (though probably a freedom for only a portion of the female population in this world), the woman in the article that started this discussion chose to terminate a pregnancy using the save the planet rationale (as I recall). Using "saving the planet" as an incentive or rationale to terminate a pregnancy is ethically and morally scary path. Furthermore, more could be accomplished by educating people, providing contraception and changing cultural practices in developing nations than terminating pregnancies in nations where birth control is for the most part a broadly accepted and relatively easy practice.
At 02:34 PM 11/28/2007 -0800, you wrote: >Yes, I am pleased to see the childfree movement continuing to garner press >attention; a childfree lifestyle is one of many tools that may contribute >to a long-term balance in human demand on natural resources. (In order to >share experiences and ideas with others, childfree-leaning individuals >need not reproduce; communication without procreation can be sufficient...) > >Emily Gonzales <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: You said: >"All of the people who believed that they could help to save the >planet by not having babies lived their life span and died. The rest >of the world's population went ahead and had babies. As the genetic >(and cultural) lines of those believers in birth control perished, >the human population grew even faster. Mike Marsh" > >Some of those childless people lived their life span - contributed >profoundly to the community through teaching, volunteerism, sharing >their knowledge and passion - then died. Producing children is not >the only contribution people make to the world (and for some, not >producing children is a wonderful contribution to make to the world). > >It is wonderful if people who care about the natural world are able >to pass those values onto their children. I have seen successes - but >also failures because pressing values onto children, especially >strongly held values, isn't well received by independent minds. > >Have children because it's a wonderful, rewarding experience. But >rationalizing that it is necessary to pass on your values to them (so >they can save the world?) is faulty logic. We have a population and >resource use problem. Fewer people using fewer resources will help >solve the problem. > >We could do greater good by devoting the time and resources spent >parenting into teaching, sharing our passion with others, >volunteering for community groups, conducting ecological research, >restoring habitats, spending time with nieces and nephews, etc... > >I believe human behaviour is strongly influenced by genes, however, >the decision to not have children is an intellectual and value-based >choice that can be quite distinct from our genetic (and cultural) >heritage. It is a difficult decision to be childless as social >pressure is strong, but obviously those who do so have made a >decision distinct from the values of their parents! > >Many of us came of our passion independent of our upbringing - >through teachers, experiences, and intrinsic values. It can and will >happen again. > >Emily Gonzales > > > >At 09:04 AM 11/28/2007, Mike Marsh wrote: > >All of the people who believed that they could help to save the > >planet by not having babies lived their life span and died. The rest > >of the world's population went ahead and had babies. As the genetic > >(and cultural) lines of those believers in birth control perished, > >the human population grew even faster. > > > >Mike Marsh > >--------- > >Matheus Carvalho wrote: > > > >... to reduce her CO2 footprint. > > > >http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/femail/article.html?in_article_id=4 > 95495&in_page_id=1879 > >Emily Gonzales, Ph.D. Candidate >Centre for Applied Conservation Research >3041-2424 Main Mall, Forest Sciences >University of British Columbia >Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4 >604-822-1256 (office) Laura W. Jodice Research Associate Recreation, Travel and Tourism Institute Parks, Recreation & Tourism Management 263 Lehotsky Hall Box 340735 Clemson, SC 29634-0735 [EMAIL PROTECTED] 864-656-2209
