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David Williams

Mr. Garcia

English II Honors

13 May 2019

Climate Change

At first, having an unpaid credit card bill might not seem like a big deal, but as the interest

accumulates, it becomes an exponentially harder problem to fix. Climate change acts in the same way; the

longer the world treats it as a non-issue, the more work society as a whole will have to do to fix it.

Climate change isn’t just about the world getting warmer in some places; it can cause other related

problems, including a food and water crisis, increased drought and flooding, and increasingly devastating

natural disasters, as stated by acciona.com. A common myth is most carbon dioxide emissions come from

governments and big corporations. This is simply not true; as reported by whatsyourimpact.org, over 87%

of carbon dioxide emissions come from the use of fossil fuels from ordinary citizens, including driving

cars, heating houses, and using plastic products. But how can a single person make a meaningful impact?

Quoting David Suzuki, “in a world of more than seven billion people, each of us is a drop in the bucket.

But with enough drops, we can fill any bucket.” Everyday people can help reduce their carbon footprint in

a number of ways. According to davidsuzuki.org, some of the most meaningful ways to help fight climate

change include taking a greener commute (e.g. bikes, public transit, EV’s, etc), use energy efficiently, fly

less, and to eat less red meat. While these are all great ways to be environmentally conscious,

independent.co says that the best thing someone can possibly do for the planet is to not have children.

These two solutions, reducing one’s own carbon footprint VS eliminating their potential offspring’s, both

have their pros and cons. However, after considering the positives and negatives of both solutions, the

overall benefit of reducing one’s own carbon footprint far outweighs the benefit of not having children.
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Reducing one’s own carbon footprint is an excellent way to contribute to stopping climate

change. Not only does being more energy efficient help the planet, but it can also save money. The

Department of Energy estimates that turning down the thermostat ten degrees for eight hours per day can

save as much as 10% off of an energy bill. However, even if one is doing virtually everything to help the

environment that they can, the amount of carbon they produce will always outweigh the amount they

saved. For example, according to carbonindependent.org, a single transatlantic flight can produce almost

400 kilograms of carbon per passenger. In comparison, independent.co states that recycling for an entire

year would only save about 210 kilograms of carbon. Nonetheless, reducing one’s carbon output in any

way is better than doing nothing at all.

The only way to totally eliminate one’s carbon footprint is to not exist at all. This means not

having kids is the single most environmentally conscious thing a person can do. Independent.co estimates

that having one less kid can save an average of 58.6 tons of carbon per year. To put this figure in context,

one would have to recycle for 279 years to reach the same carbon savings as not having a kid for a year.

This solution also helps with the overpopulation crisis, which in turn helps the food and water crisis.

Having researched these things, if one were to want to do everything in their power to help the

environment, not having children is the way to go.

While not having children might be good for the environment, one must ask why society is

concerned for the planet’s future if their children and grandchildren will not be there to enjoy it.

Furthermore, abstaining from reproduction is not something everyone can do, unlike reducing oneselves

carbon output. If everyone stopped having children for the environment’s sake, humanity would be in far

more trouble than had they done nothing at all. Not having children, while good in the short term, is an

unsustainable method of trying to reduce carbon dioxide in our atmosphere.

The two solutions, reducing one’s carbon output VS eliminating one’s potential child, both have

their benefits and drawbacks. However, the more sustainable method of saving the planet is trying to keep
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one’s carbon footprint to a minimum. It may seem as though an ordinary citizen cannot make a difference

on their own, but if enough people join the fight against climate change, a difference can be made.
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Works Cited

Mortimer, Caroline “Having Children Is Bad for the Environment, Say Researchers.” ​The Independent​,

Independent Digital News and Media, 12 July 2017,

www.independent.co.uk/environment/children-carbon-footprint-climate-change-damage-having-ki

ds-research-a7837961.html.

“Main Sources of Carbon Dioxide Emissions.” ​What's Your Impact,​ 8 July 2017,

whatsyourimpact.org/greenhouse-gases/carbon-dioxide-emissions.

“Program Your Thermostat for Fall and Winter Savings.” ​Energy.gov,​

www.energy.gov/energysaver/articles/program-your-thermostat-fall-and-winter-savings.

“Summary.” ​Aviation Sources,​ www.carbonindependent.org/sources_aviation.html.

“Top 10 Things You Can Do about Climate Change.” ​David Suzuki Foundation,​

davidsuzuki.org/what-you-can-do/top-10-ways-can-stop-climate-change/.