“It is basically a scientific consensus that the lives of our children are going to be very difficult, and it does lead young people to have a legitimate question: is it OK to still have children?” – Rep. Ocasio-Cortez

She is not the first to ask this question. It’s an existential worry many are asking as they consider whether to have kids, or have another.

Given what we know about how climate change will affect the next generation, especially those most vulnerable, isn’t it a fair question? Or is it a fight too taboo to discuss?

Sadly, some call such a question extreme. What’s extreme is the suggestion by some like Meghan McCain that action on climate change means supporting infanticide.

Thankfully, AOC is more reasonable. While she did not give a definitive answer to the big question, she did explain:

“…even if you don’t have kids, there are still children here in the world and we have a moral obligation to them to leave a better world to them.”

But how do we get there?

We could not agree more with Rep. Ocasio-Cortez. But the Green New Deal she’s advocating forgot to include the most important factor in creating a better world: better family planning. People drive emissions and use resources. While transitioning to a carbon-neutral economy is important, it’s not enough to protect natural spaces and species that are disappearing due to urban sprawl. It’s not enough to protect us from water scarcity and an increasingly crowded planet.

Family planning investments and policies not only improve lives and reduce inequality. Research indicates that they result in smaller families which demand less on our communities and more sustainable. Improving family planning in our country and across the world would allow us to fulfill the moral obligation we have to our kids.

TAKE ACTION:
Tweet Rep. Ocasio-Cortez, @AOC and ask her to include family planning in the Green New Deal to give kids a #fairstart and #actonclimate.