Keep the planet cool when things are getting hot
Welcoming children in a changing world
From conversations I had with friends to articles I have read, you definitely sense that some people are seriously questioning having children due to climate change.
There are some interesting insights to take away from these conversations and studies. When it comes to the impact of climate change on the decision of having children, there are mainly two factors at play:
- Some people are fearful of bringing children into a world increasingly impacted by extreme weather events
- Others are not wanting to have children due to the environmental impact of welcoming another human being to the planet
To set things straight, I’m not here to tell you if you should have children or not. It is a very personal decision and as a man, I am in no position to tell women what they should be doing with their bodies.
Wrapping my head around the carbon emissions of having children
I am much more interested in understanding the environmental impact of having children. Luckily, one of my favourite books has the answer for us.
I wanted to share the actual data with you but reading into copyright and intellectual property infringement laws made me question that decision (if you own the book “How Bad are Bananas”, check out pages 157–159 or reach out to me if you want to have a more in-depth conversation).
The short of it is that having children will undoubtedly increase global emissions but how much will vary considerably depending on their own lifestyle choices.
It is a gamble to estimate the lifetime emissions of your children before they are born but I am hopeful that we can influence our children to live responsibly and to be vectors of positive change.
It will be critical, especially when considering that we need to emit eight times fewer tonnes of CO2 emissions than our grandparents over our lifetime to ensure we can live in a 1.5C world.
Hard to talk about population control without mentioning condoms
It is easy to underestimate how lucky we are to have access to a wide range of contraceptives. Originally, birth control was very ineffective and dangerous for women in particular.
With modern contraceptives, family planning has played a key role in population control and will continue to do so, especially in countries with high fertility rates.
Condoms themselves have come a long way. Initially made from animal intestines, they have evolved to the latex type we know today. Beyond birth control, condoms have played a key role in preventing the spread of sexually transmittable diseases such as HIV.
Coming to terms with the environmental impact of condoms
Condoms are by nature and thankfully, single-use goods. However, the need for new condoms drives the continuous demand for virgin materials.
As we have seen, the use of condoms will lead to a reduction in global greenhouse gas emissions as it limits population growth but there are still various environmental impacts to address such as:
- Deforestation and loss of biodiversity arising from the activities of rubber plantations needed to produce the latex.
- Waste generation from packaging materials. Aluminium in packaging is responsible for 57% of the emissions generated in condom production for some brands.
- Damage to aquatic life and water systems through the release of harmful chemicals if flushed down toilets by users.
Safer sex for you and the planet
If you are concerned about the environmental impact of condoms, there is no need to worry as environmentally sustainable options exist for you.
Einhorn is one of those. Founded by Philip Siefer & Waldemar Zeiler, they are on a mission of providing “fairstainability”, proving that a company can generate profits while generating value for people and the environment.
They manufacture vegan condoms and use a life cycle thinking approach to understand how they can reduce the environmental impact of their products at every stage.
Einhorn sources its latex from smallholder farmers (which they pay 15% above minimum wage) in Thailand employing regenerative agriculture practices. These agroforestry systems increase the fertility of soils, promote biodiversity, and reduce the need for fertiliser. They are also working to reduce their packaging and wherever possible, use recycled materials.
The company also invests 50% of its profits to finance projects with social & environmental impact, some of which include:
- Financing reforestation projects as part of their CO2 compensation efforts
- Supporting companies such as Seven Clean Seas to clean beaches and collect plastic waste
Wearing condoms is good for your health and may also be beneficial for the planet. As individuals, we can also take an extra step to ensure that when we do purchase condoms, we are supporting companies that are pushing for positive environmental and social impact.
