GetOffYourGas said:
NavyCuda said:
I don't have children. I'm not going to have children. So if pollution kills everyone in two generations, I don't care.
What a wonderful attitude :roll:
OTOH, most human actions are based on short or long-term self-interest, so as long as it's not going to impact him or anyone he cares about, why
should he care? The earth will survive regardless. It's certainly arguable that on the whole it might be better off without us, and given the unlikelihood that we're the only sentient species in the universe let alone a particularly critical one, our survival is probably of no importance (except to us).
Besides, having kids is the single greatest environmental impact anyone can have, as their impact continues unto the nth generation including
all their descendants, and the greatest underlying cause of most environmental problems is the sheer number of humans. His not having any will reduce future environmental impact more than any other single step he might take, regardless of his reason for doing so. I made the same decision about the time I was sixteen, and although the environmental impact of my descendants wasn't my primary reason, it was a factor. The world's population has increased by 150% in my lifetime, and projections are that it will have more than tripled before I die, so everyone who chooses not to propagate is helpful.
So for someone like him, we have to come up with other reasons to switch, and fortunately there are many to choose from. Reducing local air pollution will directly impact his quality of life. Energy/national security is another reason. An economic argument, while currently somewhat hard to make in North America, works for an increasing number of people. Acceleration/quietness/smoothness. Reduced maintenance. Pick whichever one(s) work for you.