Ezra Klein has a dilemma.

Vox Media reports responsibly on the horrors of factory farming and the climate crisis but openly pushes women to have more kids as a means of creating economic growth. They do so through their tax policy promotions, the work of Matthew Ygelsias, articles denying the science of population and climate, etc. It’s the same approach used by Donald Trump and many right-wing politicians who think of future generations as numbers to inflate the economy, rather than as children who all need a socially and ecologically fair start in life.

Factory farming and every other animal and environmental crisis is fundamentally driven by human population growth. While Peter Singer is often credited with advancing the philosophy of animal rights, Paul Ehrlich probably did more to actually mitigate animal suffering and extinction through his influential work to slow population growth. Animal liberation, ours and nonhuman, begins with a family planning ethic that promotes sustainable and more equitable families who build empathy and fluid democracy in future generations. It’s not whether we talk about animal rights — it’s how we actually influence nonhumans and their worlds.

Vox’s “women should have more kids” reporting is slanted, exacerbates the greatest factor driving the climate crisis, and hurts animals. Vox should recognize that any economic growth is first contingent on human rights compliance, which requires more equitable and sustainable families that invest heavily in each child. The human rights regime envisions a future filled with town halls where everyone has a voice, defined by nonhuman habitat. It does not envision a world where the average voice is lost and nature is paved with shopping malls where consumer freedom has replaced political freedom.

Take Action:

Learn more about why social justice for all starts with family planning reform and urge Editor Lauren Williams (@laurenwilliams) and Ezra Klein (@ezraklein) to support Fair Start sustainable family planning policies, and to stop pushing women to have kids.

Also, urge Cory Booker to adopt family planning reform as key aspects of his opposition to factory farming and his support for guaranteed minimum income for children.