Save Money, Save the Planet, By Not Having Children?

In honor of Earth Day I decided to post on a topic that can save money and help the environment. Choosing to not have children can do both of those things.

According to a report from the USDA it costs almost $200,000 to raise a child to age 17 in the United States. Many consider this figure to be misleadingly high. I certainly don’t know where the $200,000 I’ve saved from not having children is. Even if that figure is high there is a considerable financial cost to having children. The decision to have children isn’t primarily a financial decision but the financial consequences should be considered when deciding to have children.

The concept of not having children to help the environment seems outrageous to many but it is a logical idea. No matter how green you are you’re unlikely to be able to offset the environmental cost of adding another child to the world population. This is especially true here in the United States where individuals do much more damage to the environment than in developing countries.

This would be a voluntary decision not like the mandatory population control they have in China. Nevertheless, in the articles I read while researching this topic many people seem to think that people voluntarily deciding to not have children will lead to government mandated programs. People seem to think this idea is an attack on humanity. I don’t see it that way and think this is a reasonable idea. Most people will probably disagree so there is still going to be plenty of people.