Comments on: Beyond Earth Hour… The Childfree Contribution http://thebritgirl.com/2008/03/31/beyond-earth-hour-the-childfree-contribution/ The Interests of a Childfree Brit Living in Toronto Sat, 11 Oct 2008 14:02:13 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: Explosive Bombchelle http://thebritgirl.com/2008/03/31/beyond-earth-hour-the-childfree-contribution/#comment-13646 Explosive Bombchelle Mon, 23 Jun 2008 16:30:36 +0000 http://thebritgirl.com/2008/03/31/beyond-earth-hour-the-childfree-contribution/#comment-13646 You know, I was thinking about the reports that electricity use actually spiked during Earth Hour and thought it made sense; there are probably more spiteful people who don't buy into the "green thing" and turned on every item in their house for an your than people willing to shut everything off for an hour. You know, I was thinking about the reports that electricity use actually spiked during Earth Hour and thought it made sense; there are probably more spiteful people who don’t buy into the “green thing” and turned on every item in their house for an your than people willing to shut everything off for an hour.

]]> By: Emily http://thebritgirl.com/2008/03/31/beyond-earth-hour-the-childfree-contribution/#comment-13619 Emily Sat, 21 Jun 2008 13:41:48 +0000 http://thebritgirl.com/2008/03/31/beyond-earth-hour-the-childfree-contribution/#comment-13619 Another European (from Belgium too) chiming in: This Earth Hour thing was just ridiculous. My husband works in a bank and the week before it, they all received an email saying that the company would participate and turn out the lights of the building for an hour to show its concern for the environment. He snorted in disgust because this same bank thinks nothing of leaving those same lights on all night, all year. Have you heard of the Voluntary Human Extinction Movement? The basic premise is that the only way we can save the planet is to let the race die out progressively by not reproducing! Another European (from Belgium too) chiming in:
This Earth Hour thing was just ridiculous. My husband works in a bank and the week before it, they all received an email saying that the company would participate and turn out the lights of the building for an hour to show its concern for the environment. He snorted in disgust because this same bank thinks nothing of leaving those same lights on all night, all year.
Have you heard of the Voluntary Human Extinction Movement? The basic premise is that the only way we can save the planet is to let the race die out progressively by not reproducing!

]]> By: str8six http://thebritgirl.com/2008/03/31/beyond-earth-hour-the-childfree-contribution/#comment-13271 str8six Fri, 16 May 2008 01:17:34 +0000 http://thebritgirl.com/2008/03/31/beyond-earth-hour-the-childfree-contribution/#comment-13271 There's something here I've noticed which has not yet been mentioned : as someone in the medical field, I cannot stress ENOUGH just how much SHIT is used in the birth of ONE baby!! The plastic plastic plastic would blow you away!! It's far too dense for me to even delve into, but everyone here I feel is intelligent enough to put 2 and 2 together. I won't even bother to mention the garbage created for the maintenance of a pregnant woman for the 9 months preceding her imminent birthing. This poor earth, thank GOD I will be long gone in another few years (hopefully) There’s something here I’ve noticed which has not yet been mentioned : as someone in the medical field, I cannot stress ENOUGH just how much SHIT is used in the birth of ONE baby!! The plastic plastic plastic would blow you away!! It’s far too dense for me to even delve into, but everyone here I feel is intelligent enough to put 2 and 2 together.

I won’t even bother to mention the garbage created for the maintenance of a pregnant woman for the 9 months preceding her imminent birthing. This poor earth, thank GOD I will be long gone in another few years (hopefully)

]]> By: Emma http://thebritgirl.com/2008/03/31/beyond-earth-hour-the-childfree-contribution/#comment-12866 Emma Fri, 04 Apr 2008 13:37:00 +0000 http://thebritgirl.com/2008/03/31/beyond-earth-hour-the-childfree-contribution/#comment-12866 Warning: TMI Alert: I just had to pop in to say that I <i><b>am</b></i> a Prius owner (the smug part? eh, sometimes...but I'm not nearly as smug about my Prius as I am about using my bicycle for transportation) as well as a fan of the Diva Cup (what you refer to as a "reusable tampon.") It doesn't just help alleviate the landfill problem (albeit by a very small amount - but every little bit helps), it also saves ME money (not to mention last minute trips to the store when I realize that supplies are desperately low). Oddly, since I've been using it, I've also noticed a decrease in the occurrence and severity of menstrual cramps. Warning: TMI Alert:
I just had to pop in to say that I am a Prius owner (the smug part? eh, sometimes…but I’m not nearly as smug about my Prius as I am about using my bicycle for transportation) as well as a fan of the Diva Cup (what you refer to as a “reusable tampon.”) It doesn’t just help alleviate the landfill problem (albeit by a very small amount - but every little bit helps), it also saves ME money (not to mention last minute trips to the store when I realize that supplies are desperately low). Oddly, since I’ve been using it, I’ve also noticed a decrease in the occurrence and severity of menstrual cramps.

]]> By: Explosive Bombchelle http://thebritgirl.com/2008/03/31/beyond-earth-hour-the-childfree-contribution/#comment-12859 Explosive Bombchelle Fri, 04 Apr 2008 01:53:07 +0000 http://thebritgirl.com/2008/03/31/beyond-earth-hour-the-childfree-contribution/#comment-12859 Oh BritGirl, I so wish I was kidding when I mentioned <a href="http://www.salon.com/mwt/feature/1998/11/30feature.html" rel="nofollow">reusable tampons</a>. Oh BritGirl, I so wish I was kidding when I mentioned reusable tampons.

]]> By: Paul2607 http://thebritgirl.com/2008/03/31/beyond-earth-hour-the-childfree-contribution/#comment-12856 Paul2607 Thu, 03 Apr 2008 21:18:05 +0000 http://thebritgirl.com/2008/03/31/beyond-earth-hour-the-childfree-contribution/#comment-12856 Great point Sanne, Great to see another European here!! (I'm from Belgium btw) Yep, defenitely true that a child (or more) does more to the environement than parents think. - Using more electricity (swiching on those lamps every night a couple of times) - Creating noisepollution and with doing that, asking attention from everybody (even childfree persons) - Using up more resources (spitting food on floors, tabletops, faces ... when they don't like it, so parents have to wipe up everything, and ... did I see a tree running for cover there??) - Using more space (let's plan to have a baby.... I have to redo my house ... no, build an extension.... wait .... a bigger garden ... now, only becomming pregnant!) makes me smile ... hmm question: Is it a way to show off them that they are capable of having a baby (living in a big house)? - Using more energy (starting with mothers who have to carry them arround for nine months, giving birth, and then the parents have carry them again to ... everywhere) - ... - And finally using more words, because let's face it, without them we would not be here in the first place. Great point Sanne,
Great to see another European here!! (I’m from Belgium btw)

Yep, defenitely true that a child (or more) does more to the environement than parents think.

- Using more electricity (swiching on those lamps every night a couple of times)
- Creating noisepollution and with doing that, asking attention from everybody (even childfree persons)
- Using up more resources (spitting food on floors, tabletops, faces … when they don’t like it, so parents have to wipe up everything, and … did I see a tree running for cover there??)
- Using more space (let’s plan to have a baby…. I have to redo my house … no, build an extension…. wait …. a bigger garden … now, only becomming pregnant!) makes me smile … hmm question: Is it a way to show off them that they are capable of having a baby (living in a big house)?
- Using more energy (starting with mothers who have to carry them arround for nine months, giving birth, and then the parents have carry them again to … everywhere)
- …
- And finally using more words, because let’s face it, without them we would not be here in the first place.

]]> By: Sanne http://thebritgirl.com/2008/03/31/beyond-earth-hour-the-childfree-contribution/#comment-12853 Sanne Thu, 03 Apr 2008 18:15:25 +0000 http://thebritgirl.com/2008/03/31/beyond-earth-hour-the-childfree-contribution/#comment-12853 Freedom, a silent home and more disposable income are very nice perks, but the main reason I refuse to pop out a mini-me, is because I want to spare the Earth. For such a dominant species as the human race, there are far too many of us! I once explained my reasons to a breeder and she started rambling about how it's no use, because people in Africa pop uit kids like pez dispensers. They conveniently forgot to mention that my European baby would do 60 (!) times more damage to the planet than an African child... To all eco-breeders out there: don't glare at me when I take long showers and forget to turn the lights off when I leave the room, when you're pregnant with your 4th baby consumer! And no, using cloth diapers is not enough to compensate. Not even close. Freedom, a silent home and more disposable income are very nice perks, but the main reason I refuse to pop out a mini-me, is because I want to spare the Earth. For such a dominant species as the human race, there are far too many of us!

I once explained my reasons to a breeder and she started rambling about how it’s no use, because people in Africa pop uit kids like pez dispensers. They conveniently forgot to mention that my European baby would do 60 (!) times more damage to the planet than an African child…

To all eco-breeders out there: don’t glare at me when I take long showers and forget to turn the lights off when I leave the room, when you’re pregnant with your 4th baby consumer! And no, using cloth diapers is not enough to compensate. Not even close.

]]> By: Lurker http://thebritgirl.com/2008/03/31/beyond-earth-hour-the-childfree-contribution/#comment-12850 Lurker Thu, 03 Apr 2008 11:11:52 +0000 http://thebritgirl.com/2008/03/31/beyond-earth-hour-the-childfree-contribution/#comment-12850 FREEDOM!! Is my primary reason to be CF and what I think is the biggest loss for a parent. But helping the ennvironment by consuming less is also a bonus of being CF. I am light-saver and recycler, but I sometimes wonder if there is any use of the recycling because it all seem to be thrown into the same pile in the end. I believe less people on the planet is the key-issue to solve our problems or at least to make the problems less extensive. FREEDOM!! Is my primary reason to be CF and what I think is the biggest loss for a parent.

But helping the ennvironment by consuming less is also a bonus of being CF.

I am light-saver and recycler, but I sometimes wonder if there is any use of the recycling because it all seem to be thrown into the same pile in the end.

I believe less people on the planet is the key-issue to solve our problems or at least to make the problems less extensive.

]]> By: Adrian http://thebritgirl.com/2008/03/31/beyond-earth-hour-the-childfree-contribution/#comment-12848 Adrian Thu, 03 Apr 2008 08:15:54 +0000 http://thebritgirl.com/2008/03/31/beyond-earth-hour-the-childfree-contribution/#comment-12848 Feh: "we’re all forced to use items that contribute to the growing amounts of permanent trash on the planet," And even when a few of us reduce our consumption, and we leave the money that we save in a bank, or pay off our debts faster, thanks to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fractional-reserve_banking" rel="nofollow">fractional reserve system</a> it ends up creating a whole load of extra cash for other people to use in their purchasing of loads more polluting goods. Sometimes you just can't win. Feh: “we’re all forced to use items that contribute to the growing amounts of permanent trash on the planet,”

And even when a few of us reduce our consumption, and we leave the money that we save in a bank, or pay off our debts faster, thanks to the fractional reserve system it ends up creating a whole load of extra cash for other people to use in their purchasing of loads more polluting goods.

Sometimes you just can’t win.

]]> By: strawberry muffin http://thebritgirl.com/2008/03/31/beyond-earth-hour-the-childfree-contribution/#comment-12840 strawberry muffin Wed, 02 Apr 2008 21:28:31 +0000 http://thebritgirl.com/2008/03/31/beyond-earth-hour-the-childfree-contribution/#comment-12840 Although I'm not childfree for environmental reasons, it's probably the biggest eco-friendly thing I do. I need my car but it's small so it doesn't use much fuel, I recycle/reuse my plastic grocery bags, and I would cut down on the light usage but I live with someone who never turns lights off...ever. We need to realize that nothing else we do for the environment is going to amount to jack unless we lower the birth rate. End of story. Although I’m not childfree for environmental reasons, it’s probably the biggest eco-friendly thing I do. I need my car but it’s small so it doesn’t use much fuel, I recycle/reuse my plastic grocery bags, and I would cut down on the light usage but I live with someone who never turns lights off…ever.

We need to realize that nothing else we do for the environment is going to amount to jack unless we lower the birth rate. End of story.

]]> By: Feh http://thebritgirl.com/2008/03/31/beyond-earth-hour-the-childfree-contribution/#comment-12836 Feh Wed, 02 Apr 2008 16:42:02 +0000 http://thebritgirl.com/2008/03/31/beyond-earth-hour-the-childfree-contribution/#comment-12836 I was drinking home brew with friends during eco hour, so we did have some lights on, because stumbling drunk in the dark isn't fun after a certain age. However, the beers came in reused bottles that were not thrown in the trash or recycled, but taken home by the brewers to reuse again. That said, while it's good and fine for people to make changes to help preserve the environment, it seems like there is a lot of waste that we have absolutely no control over. I buy a box of cereal weekly, and that cereal comes in a box with a plastic liner. Every week I buy a block of cheese that comes wrapped in more plastic, and pita bread that comes in a plastic bag. Every CFL bulb I've seen comes wrapped in plastic packaging, as well as having a plastic base and having to be disposed of in a special manner lest the mercury leach into the groundwater. Hell, even aspirin come in a plastic bottle wrapped in plastic for my safety. I guess my point is, we're all consumers, and we're all forced to use items that contribute to the growing amounts of permanent trash on the planet, and that kind of sucks. I was drinking home brew with friends during eco hour, so we did have some lights on, because stumbling drunk in the dark isn’t fun after a certain age. However, the beers came in reused bottles that were not thrown in the trash or recycled, but taken home by the brewers to reuse again.

That said, while it’s good and fine for people to make changes to help preserve the environment, it seems like there is a lot of waste that we have absolutely no control over. I buy a box of cereal weekly, and that cereal comes in a box with a plastic liner. Every week I buy a block of cheese that comes wrapped in more plastic, and pita bread that comes in a plastic bag. Every CFL bulb I’ve seen comes wrapped in plastic packaging, as well as having a plastic base and having to be disposed of in a special manner lest the mercury leach into the groundwater. Hell, even aspirin come in a plastic bottle wrapped in plastic for my safety.

I guess my point is, we’re all consumers, and we’re all forced to use items that contribute to the growing amounts of permanent trash on the planet, and that kind of sucks.

]]> By: Britgirl http://thebritgirl.com/2008/03/31/beyond-earth-hour-the-childfree-contribution/#comment-12826 Britgirl Tue, 01 Apr 2008 22:55:13 +0000 http://thebritgirl.com/2008/03/31/beyond-earth-hour-the-childfree-contribution/#comment-12826 Great comments as usual. Thanks everyone. I'm waiting for the next "imperative" from the eco-peeps which will then focus on forcing people to curtail even more stuff. But it will still avoid anything to do with kids. Have people noticed all the "green taxes" that are creeping in? Except they're not graduated..which means people with several kids would pay the same tax as folk who have no kids! Oh, and I didn't take part in earth hour.... although I had no intention of doing so, in the end I was busy doing stuff on my computer - and I forgot. lol. At 9.44pm I looked up and said, "hey, the earth hour's come and gone!" Of the clips I'd seen on tv the previous day, enthusiasts were warbling on breathlessly about ground breaking it was how even though it was small it was gignificant... and it was as if the lights were going to be forcibly turned of at source! Pissed me off. Mel - I remember reading a newspaper article about the latest triplets that had been born as a result of IVF. The new father looked bemused, obviously 3 babies weren't quite expected. But he did say he was very happy. And that they would need AT LEAST 10,000 diapers a year for those kids... Explosive... I laughed so much... but this is so true. I love my travel, my computer - and I heartily enjoy my food... and I intend to keep it that way. :) You're joking about the re-usable tampons, right? (ugh!) CFSince6 "Once it’s over with, you can then go back to your rampant consumerism." Precisisely. It's business as usual. :D Stephr - true... the problem with the "recyle mantra is that most people conveniently leave out the other two componets... reduce and re-use. They don't reduce, so no matter how much they recycle it's negligible anyway. B Great comments as usual. Thanks everyone. I’m waiting for the next “imperative” from the eco-peeps which will then focus on forcing people to curtail even more stuff. But it will still avoid anything to do with kids. Have people noticed all the “green taxes” that are creeping in? Except they’re not graduated..which means people with several kids would pay the same tax as folk who have no kids!

Oh, and I didn’t take part in earth hour…. although I had no intention of doing so, in the end I was busy doing stuff on my computer - and I forgot. lol. At 9.44pm I looked up and said, “hey, the earth hour’s come and gone!” Of the clips I’d seen on tv the previous day, enthusiasts were warbling on breathlessly about ground breaking it was how even though it was small it was gignificant… and it was as if the lights were going to be forcibly turned of at source! Pissed me off.

Mel - I remember reading a newspaper article about the latest triplets that had been born as a result of IVF. The new father looked bemused, obviously 3 babies weren’t quite expected. But he did say he was very happy. And that they would need AT LEAST 10,000 diapers a year for those kids…

Explosive… I laughed so much… but this is so true. I love my travel, my computer - and I heartily enjoy my food… and I intend to keep it that way. :) You’re joking about the re-usable tampons, right? (ugh!)

CFSince6 “Once it’s over with, you can then go back to your rampant consumerism.” Precisisely. It’s business as usual. :D

Stephr - true… the problem with the “recyle mantra is that most people conveniently leave out the other two componets… reduce and re-use. They don’t reduce, so no matter how much they recycle it’s negligible anyway. B

]]> By: Adrian http://thebritgirl.com/2008/03/31/beyond-earth-hour-the-childfree-contribution/#comment-12823 Adrian Tue, 01 Apr 2008 19:26:35 +0000 http://thebritgirl.com/2008/03/31/beyond-earth-hour-the-childfree-contribution/#comment-12823 Personally, I lean toward being childfree not because I care about the environment, but because so many more people do not. I know that to raise a child in this world requires me to deprive someone's other child of resourses, either by supporting governments that do this via unfair trade, or by teaching my child to act like an ass, otherwise I'd have to watch him grow up, forever losing out to other children and that would be irresponsible, won't it? Personally, I lean toward being childfree not because I care about the environment, but because so many more people do not. I know that to raise a child in this world requires me to deprive someone’s other child of resourses, either by supporting governments that do this via unfair trade, or by teaching my child to act like an ass, otherwise I’d have to watch him grow up, forever losing out to other children and that would be irresponsible, won’t it?

]]> By: Adrian http://thebritgirl.com/2008/03/31/beyond-earth-hour-the-childfree-contribution/#comment-12822 Adrian Tue, 01 Apr 2008 19:25:59 +0000 http://thebritgirl.com/2008/03/31/beyond-earth-hour-the-childfree-contribution/#comment-12822 This also applies to decisions on whether or not to have a child. Assuming all child raising products are in a global free market, then by you opting out of the bidding process, the price of diapers, baby food, and minivans will fall. This makes it cheaper for another couple to have more children. Resources associate with childrearing are in a sense <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fungibility" rel="nofollow">fungible</a>, so that a childfree policy amongst a minority is really a poor way to save the planet. This also applies to decisions on whether or not to have a child. Assuming all child raising products are in a global free market, then by you opting out of the bidding process, the price of diapers, baby food, and minivans will fall. This makes it cheaper for another couple to have more children. Resources associate with childrearing are in a sense fungible, so that a childfree policy amongst a minority is really a poor way to save the planet.

]]> By: Adrian http://thebritgirl.com/2008/03/31/beyond-earth-hour-the-childfree-contribution/#comment-12821 Adrian Tue, 01 Apr 2008 19:24:14 +0000 http://thebritgirl.com/2008/03/31/beyond-earth-hour-the-childfree-contribution/#comment-12821 The reason that Earth Hour will have even less effect than what was measured at the power companies is that it saved people money that they can now splurge on other environmentally damaging things once that hour is over. Economists call this <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7071463.stm" rel="nofollow">the rebound effect</a> which applies anytime an efficiency measure is followed by less than an absolute majority in a free market. What's worse is that really good effeciency savings can sometimes lead to even more consumption than before -- a situation known as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jevons_paradox" rel="nofollow">Jevons paradox</a>. The reason that Earth Hour will have even less effect than what was measured at the power companies is that it saved people money that they can now splurge on other environmentally damaging things once that hour is over. Economists call this the rebound effect which applies anytime an efficiency measure is followed by less than an absolute majority in a free market. What’s worse is that really good effeciency savings can sometimes lead to even more consumption than before — a situation known as Jevons paradox.

]]> By: Adrian http://thebritgirl.com/2008/03/31/beyond-earth-hour-the-childfree-contribution/#comment-12820 Adrian Tue, 01 Apr 2008 19:17:45 +0000 http://thebritgirl.com/2008/03/31/beyond-earth-hour-the-childfree-contribution/#comment-12820 The reason that Earth Hour will have even less effect than what was measured at the power companies is that it saved people money that they can now splurge on other environmentally damaging things once that hour is over. Economists call this <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7071463.stm" rel="nofollow">the rebound effect</a> which applies anytime an efficiency measure is followed by less than an absolute majority in a free market. What's worse is that really good effeciency savings can sometimes lead to even more consumption than before -- a situation known as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jevons_paradox" rel="nofollow">Jevons paradox</a>. This also applies to decisions on whether or not to have a child. Assuming all child raising products are in a global free market, then by you opting out of the bidding process, the price of diapers, baby food, and minivans will fall. This makes it cheaper for another couple to have more children. Resources associate with childrearing are in a sense <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fungibility" rel="nofollow">fungible</a>, so that a childfree policy amongst a minority is really a poor way to save the planet. Personally, I lean toward being childfree not because I care about the environment, but because so many more people do not. I know that to raise a child in this world requires me to deprive someone's other child of resourses, either by supporting governments that do this via unfair trade, or by teaching my child to act like an ass, otherwise I'd have to watch him grow up, forever losing out to other children and that would be irresponsible, won't it? ]]> By: Feh http://thebritgirl.com/2008/03/31/beyond-earth-hour-the-childfree-contribution/#comment-12819 Feh Tue, 01 Apr 2008 19:01:13 +0000 http://thebritgirl.com/2008/03/31/beyond-earth-hour-the-childfree-contribution/#comment-12819 Man, I wish there were more fruit trees and math. Man, I wish there were more fruit trees and math.

]]> By: CFSinceSix http://thebritgirl.com/2008/03/31/beyond-earth-hour-the-childfree-contribution/#comment-12818 CFSinceSix Tue, 01 Apr 2008 18:11:26 +0000 http://thebritgirl.com/2008/03/31/beyond-earth-hour-the-childfree-contribution/#comment-12818 Lurker said: <blockquote>The human race has become overcrowded. There was never a question about renewable resources or not 10000 years ago.</blockquote> Yep. Agreed. Somewhere in the bible it says, "Be fruitful and multiply." How do we know God didn't mean to plant a lot of fruit trees and learn math? :-D Lurker said:

The human race has become overcrowded. There was never a question about renewable resources or not 10000 years ago.

Yep. Agreed. Somewhere in the bible it says, “Be fruitful and multiply.”

How do we know God didn’t mean to plant a lot of fruit trees and learn math? :-D

]]> By: Lurker http://thebritgirl.com/2008/03/31/beyond-earth-hour-the-childfree-contribution/#comment-12817 Lurker Tue, 01 Apr 2008 17:27:59 +0000 http://thebritgirl.com/2008/03/31/beyond-earth-hour-the-childfree-contribution/#comment-12817 The human race has become overcrowded. There was never a question about renewable resources or not 10000 years ago. The human race has become overcrowded. There was never a question about renewable resources or not 10000 years ago.

]]> By: RMS http://thebritgirl.com/2008/03/31/beyond-earth-hour-the-childfree-contribution/#comment-12816 RMS Tue, 01 Apr 2008 16:02:02 +0000 http://thebritgirl.com/2008/03/31/beyond-earth-hour-the-childfree-contribution/#comment-12816 A while ago I read a really interesting book called "The World Without Us." At the end, he discusses the radical idea of every woman of childbearing age only having one child and how this would impact the environment as the population falls to a managable (for the planet) level. I found it fascinating that a mainstream book would expound on such an idea and yet at the same time, he didn't mention at all the childfree option. Still it was a really good book and I liked how he discussed the idea of population in it. A while ago I read a really interesting book called “The World Without Us.” At the end, he discusses the radical idea of every woman of childbearing age only having one child and how this would impact the environment as the population falls to a managable (for the planet) level. I found it fascinating that a mainstream book would expound on such an idea and yet at the same time, he didn’t mention at all the childfree option. Still it was a really good book and I liked how he discussed the idea of population in it.

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