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Re:The 1.5°C goal of the Paris Agreement is no longer viable by onion2k on Wednesday October 21, 2026 @06:11AM (#50178428)
I would not say people have give up.

On the contrary in fact, I think a lot of people have decided to do something that will have a tremendously positive impact on the climate in the future: they've chosen not to have children. There will be downsides to that decision, but as far as climate goes it's by far the most impactful thing anyone can do.

Re:The 1.5°C goal of the Paris Agreement is no longer viable by roenxi on Wednesday October 21, 2026 @07:23AM (#50179060)
It's hard to find a coherent perspective where that makes sense. Most parents have had kids when future conditions looked far worse than they do now. The situation actually looks rosy in 50 years given the promising moves the Chinese are making in nuclear and renewable technology.

It is more likely that children are inconvenient to the lifestyles people want to lead. That is more consistent with how bad people are at long-term planning.

Re:The 1.5°C goal of the Paris Agreement is no longer viable by HPsquared on Wednesday October 21, 2026 @08:44AM (#50179969)
Late-stage individualism.
Re:The 1.5°C goal of the Paris Agreement is no longer viable by my-huge-pony on Wednesday October 21, 2026 @06:59AM (#50178855)
This is the kind of take that causes more traditional (including right wing, but also people from non western countries) look at climate activists as crazy fanatics. You are technically right, but I think advocating for childlessness causes people to disregard the whole movement as insane.
Re:The 1.5°C goal of the Paris Agreement is no longer viable by onion2k on Wednesday October 21, 2026 @09:54AM (#50181014)
I'm not really advocating for childlessness. I'm accepting of people who choose that life, but I don't have any skin in the game regarding whether or not anyone besides myself have kids. It's their choice.

The only judgement I make is people who have children and have no regard for the environment. I think those people are risking their children's long term welfare. That's a dick move. If you have kids you have a moral obligation to try to make sure the planet they live on in adulthood isn't fucked.

Re:The 1.5°C goal of the Paris Agreement is no longer viable by Keyframe on Wednesday October 21, 2026 @06:18AM (#50178500)
They could off themselves as well. That would help too. 4 billions of years of evolution end with me! What an absurd take. I'd understand one child, fewer than desired, etc.. but no children as a conscious effort to help the climate is something I don't buy that ever happened. Other reasons are at play for that. Nothing to do with the climate.
Re:The 1.5°C goal of the Paris Agreement is no longer viable by onion2k on Wednesday October 21, 2026 @06:54AM (#50178822)
but no children as a conscious effort to help the climate is something I don't buy that ever happened

That's not what I said. People are choosing not to have children for lots of reasons. One of the benefits is that they end up having much less impact on the climate; that's not saying it's the reason they're doing it.

Re:The 1.5°C goal of the Paris Agreement is no longer viable by skeptic_ai on Wednesday October 21, 2026 @08:59AM (#50180180)
What’s the point of climate if there is no humans?

If humans were not here there won’t be a concept of climate to even care about.

We only do it for ourselves. Not for the plants or animals.

Re:The 1.5°C goal of the Paris Agreement is no longer viable by onion2k on Wednesday October 21, 2026 @09:49AM (#50180924)
I don't think there's any expectation that humans will go extinct. We're here to stay. Suggesting this is about the extinction of the human race is a strawman.

The question is each of us needs to answer around having kids is firstly about whether or not you want to raise them in the world we live in, and secondly about whether you want (or care) that your children live in a world where the climate is broken, and having to deal with the resource issues, heat, wars over liveable land, etc. Heck, I'm sure plenty of people on HN are under 30 - there's every chance that they'll be around to see these problems first hand.

People who do want to have children are arguably very fortunate that there are lots of people who don't. The children who are born with have to deal with less contention for resources. That said though, they're still in for a pretty bad time by all accounts. Even if technology magically fixes everything, you still have to wonder if your kids will be in the part of society that can afford it.

Re:The 1.5°C goal of the Paris Agreement is no longer viable by nostrademons on Wednesday October 21, 2026 @09:25AM (#50180572)
But that is the root of the climate crisis. When it was just 150M Americans living a developed-world lifestyle, the climate was fine. As soon as you broaden that out to the 8B+ people living today, allowing all the folks in China/India/Africa to have the same lifestyle as the West, you have problems. In 1960 the average American emitted 16 metric tons of CO2; China emitted 0.5 metric tons and India 0.2. In 2020 US emissions actually decreased to 13.8, but China is at 9.2. Per capita emissions can decrease modestly but if you increase the number of capita by 50x, total CO2 emissions will increase accordingly.

Likewise, the climate crisis is far more likely to be solved by WW3 reducing the population down to ~1B than by individual per capita reductions.

Re:The 1.5°C goal of the Paris Agreement is no longer viable by dpkirchner on Wednesday October 21, 2026 @03:19PM (#50186114)
One of the things we all have to be mindful of, including you, is binary thinking. Very few are calling for there to be "no humans" and you know it.
Re:The 1.5°C goal of the Paris Agreement is no longer viable by guitarlimeo on Wednesday October 21, 2026 @06:32AM (#50178618)
Until recently I was strictly against having kids because of the world climate, both weather and political. But then my partner wanted them and I couldn't stand the notion of losing her, so I was able to compromise on my ideals.

But yeah without her, definitely.

Re:The 1.5°C goal of the Paris Agreement is no longer viable by yifanl on Wednesday October 21, 2026 @12:02PM (#50183244)
What are you proposing exactly, global distribution of cyanide capsules?
Re:The 1.5°C goal of the Paris Agreement is no longer viable by Keyframe on Wednesday October 21, 2026 @12:21PM (#50183526)
CaaS? Sounds like a business plan. I don't propose anything, except the notion was a bit absurd. Takes mostly two to make a child, so even having (only) one is still a cull that goes well into that narrative. Make one, teach it to take care of nature, to prompt less and thus consume less energy, and to teach the same to others.