Insights into the Realm of Motherhood
The Personal Stake of Climate Editors in Reproductive Decisions
As the 2024 U.S. elections approach, climate professionals, including editors, are finding themselves deeply invested in the political direction, particularly in the wake of recent federal rollbacks of climate legislation. This personal stake extends beyond professional boundaries, influencing critical life decisions such as whether to have children.
According to Ellen Peters, a psychologist and the director of the Center for Science Communication Research at the University of Oregon, some individuals base their decisions about having children on data and an understanding of the long-term impacts of climate change. This is a theme that resonates with Yessenia Funes, a bisexual Latina climate editor at Atmos, who has expressed uncertainty about the future for tomorrow's children and has considered looking to youth activists for answers.
Peters further explained that emotions play a crucial role in navigating complex situations, but the main task is to decide how much of a risk one is dealing with. For some, the risk of Climageddon, the climate crisis, is a huge and terrifying reality. Helm's research also found that many people feel climate anxiety and guilt about the potential impacts of climate change on their future children.
However, not everyone makes their decisions based on these fears. Some individuals, like the author, are influenced by the hope that being a climate-conscious parent and passing knowledge down to children could reduce their carbon footprint.
Sabrina Helm, an associate professor of consumer sciences at the University of Arizona, suggests that having fewer children can reduce one's individual carbon footprint. Yet, the author has expressed concern that no individual has the power to solve the climate crisis, even if they take small steps to reduce their impact.
In the face of these complexities, Peters advises that the decision to have children in the face of climate change is a deeply personal question, and there is no right answer. It is a question that many climate professionals, including editors, are grappling with, as they navigate the intersection of their personal and professional lives in the context of a changing climate.
[1] Climate editors and the 2024 U.S. elections
[3] Climate editors reflect on the 2024 U.S. elections
[2] Climate change data influences reproductive decisions of some climate editors
[4] Personal stake of climate editors extends to critical life decisions like childbearing
[5] Environmental-science and Climate-change concerns shape personal-growth decisions of some individuals
[6] General-news outlets might benefit from exploring the emotional implications of climate change on reproductive decisions
[7] Education-and-self-development resources should discuss the equilibrium between climate fears and hope for climate action in family planning
