Energy and Human Ambitions on a Finite Planet, 2021a

3 Population 46
continue until all countries have completed the journey. But bear in mind
that earlier successes transpired during times in which global resource
availability was not a major limitation. If conditions change, <strong>and</strong> we
reach a “full” earth, past examples may offer little relevant guidance.
3.4 Touchy Aspects
3.4.1 Population Discussions Quickly Get Personal
Some of the decisions we make that translate into impact on our physical
world are deeply personal <strong>and</strong> very difficult to address. No one wants
to be told what they should eat, how often they should shower, or what
temperature they should keep their dwelling. But the touchiest of all can
be reproduction. It can be tricky to discuss population concerns with
someone who has kids. Even if not intentional, it is too easy for the topic
to be perceived as a personal attack on their own choices. And we’re
not talking about choices like what color socks to wear. Children are
beloved by (most) parents, so the insinuation that having children is
bad or damaging quickly gets tangled into a sense that their “angel” is
being attacked—as is their “selfish” decision to have kids (see Box 3.2).
The disconnect can be worse the larger the number of kids someone has.
Couples having two kids take some solace in that they are exercising
net-zero “replacement.”
One common side-step is to focus attention on the high birthrates in
other countries, so that the perceived fault lies elsewhere. As pointed
out above, if stress on the planet—<strong>and</strong> living within our means—is what
concerns us, undeveloped countries are not putting as much pressure
on global resources as many of the more affluent countries are. So while
pointing elsewhere offers a bit of a relief, <strong>and</strong> is a very natural tendency,
it does not get the whole picture.
Having two kids is not a strict replacement,
in that parents <strong>and</strong> children overlap (doubleoccupancy)
on Earth. But the practice is at
least consistent with a steady state.
The overall point is to be aware of the sensitive nature of this topic when
discussing with others. Making someone feel bad about their choices—
even if unintentionally—might in rare cases result in an appreciation
<strong>and</strong> greater awareness. But it is more likely to alienate a person from an
otherwise valuable perspective on the challenges we face.
Box 3.2: Which is More Selfish?
Parents, many of whom sacrifice dearly in raising kids—financially,
emotionally, <strong>and</strong> in terms of time investment—underst<strong>and</strong>ably view
their tireless commitment as being selfless: they often give up their
own time, comfort, <strong>and</strong> freedom in the process. It is underst<strong>and</strong>able,
then, that they may view those not having kids as being selfish:
the opposite of selfless. But this can be turned on its head. Why,
© 2021 T. W. Murphy, Jr.; Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International Lic.;
Freely available at: https://escholarship.org/uc/energy_ambitions.