Short Wave Climate Anxiety Is Altering Family Planning
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Dec 30, 2025 The discussion dives into how Gen Z and younger millennials grapple with climate anxiety, affecting their family planning decisions. Alessandra Ram shares insights from her experiences as a new parent in a changing world. Experts highlight the importance of collective climate action over individual guilt and explore the real drivers of climate change beyond population. Tools for discussing climate issues with kids are provided, emphasizing hope, resilience, and the potential for a positive future.
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A Journalist's Wake-Up Call
- Alessandra Ram describes fleeing a wildfire and then becoming a new parent, which compressed her focus into short increments.
- Her recent newborn changed how she thinks about immediate safety and long-term climate risks.
Why The 'Kid Question' Sparked Debate
- A 2017 paper highlighted 'have one less child' as a top individual climate action because lifetime emissions compound.
- That framing sparked debate due to strong feelings about reproduction and historic population narratives.
It's How We Live, Not That We Live
- Science shows fossil fuel use, not sheer population numbers, drives global climate change.
- The core problem is how we organize energy and infrastructure, not the fact that humans exist.
