logo
episode-header-image
Apr 2021
1h 2m

Should I still have kids if I’m worried ...

Vox
About this episode

Climate scientist Kimberly Nicholas co-led a study that showed the single most effective thing an individual can do to decrease their carbon footprint is have fewer kids. Despite that finding, she still says that people who really want to have kids should go ahead with their plans. She explains how she squares that circle to Vox’s Sigal Samuel, and the two discuss how to think about the decision to have kids or not and how to make meaning in a warming world.  

 

Read more of Sigal’s climate reporting:

 

More information about Dr. Kimberly Nicholas

 

Host:

Sigal Samuel (@SigalSamuel), staff writer, Vox 

Producer: 

Sofi LaLonde (@sofilalonde)

 

More to explore:

Subscribe to Vox’s Future Perfect newsletter, which breaks down big, complicated problems the world faces and the most efficient ways to solve them.

We always want to hear from you! Please send comments and questions to futureperfect@vox.com. 

Subscribe to Future Perfect on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app to automatically get new episodes of the latest season each week.

 

Follow Us:

Vox.com


Support Future Perfect by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly/givepodcasts

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Up next
Apr 2021
Sucking the carbon out of the sky
Most of our efforts to fight climate change, from electric cars to wind turbines, are about pumping fewer greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. But what if we could pull out the gases that are already there? Akshat Rathi, a reporter at Bloomberg with a doctorate in chemistry, kno ... Show More
43m 52s
Apr 2021
Engineering our way out of the climate crisis
In an ideal world, cutting carbon emissions would be enough to stop global warming. But after dithering for decades, the world needs a back-up plan. Kelly Wanser is the leader of a group called SilverLining that works to promote research into what it calls “solar climate interven ... Show More
35m 59s
Mar 2021
Unexplainable
Unexplainable is a new podcast from Vox about everything we don’t know. Each week, the team looks at the most fascinating unanswered questions in science and the mind-bending ways scientists are trying to answer them. New episodes drop every Wednesday. This episode: Scientists st ... Show More
28m 45s
Recommended Episodes
Jan 2024
How much does having a baby contribute to climate change?
There are a growing number of people speaking out about their decision not to have children because of climate change. They worry about the environmental impact of bringing a new person into the world. But how polluting is it to have kids? And is staying childfree a good way to l ... Show More
14m 42s
Sep 2023
Talking to Kids About Climate Change
On this episode: Zak Rosen, Jamilah Lemieux, and Elizabeth Newcamp talk about climate change and kids with Anya Kamenetz. Anya is a journalist who covers the intersection of the climate crisis and parenting in her newsletter, The Golden Hour. She is a former NPR education reporte ... Show More
27m 11s
May 2024
Is There Any Good News on Climate Change? with Bill McKibben
We’re in a massive climate crisis, but it’s hard to think about it, isn’t it? It’s a great temptation to shut our eyes to climate change. It’s overwhelming. This week on the show, climate activist and author Bill McKibben on facing the reality of the climate crisis, understanding ... Show More
51m 41s
Aug 2020
Rocka Bye-Bye Babies: Do We Need to Stop Having Children?
Almost everyone apart from a certain President (few months left) would agree that Climate Change and Global Warming are large threats to life as we know it. But what does that mean for us? Is the world really overpopulated? Are there too many people on this earth for us to truly ... Show More
30m 19s
Oct 2021
Wednesday, October 13 - The big toy revamp; Chloe's English Channel record; the elk with a tyre around its neck; and calling all Newshounds!
Squiz Kids is a free daily news podcast just for kids. Give us ten minutes, and we’ll give you the world.  A short weekday podcast, created here in Australia, that gives kids the lowdown on the big news stories of the day, delivered without opinion, and with positivity and humour ... Show More
9m 30s
Oct 2021
Should I have kids? Move? Recycle? Your climate questions answered
Ahead of the U.N. climate talks in Glasgow this weekend, Sam chats with climate experts Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, marine biologist and writer, and Kendra Pierre-Louis, senior climate reporter with the podcast 'How to Save a Planet.' Together, they answer listener questions about e ... Show More
24m 46s