No future, No children.
I PLEDGE NOT TO HAVE CHILDREN UNTIL I AM SURE MY GOVERNMENT WILL ENSURE A SAFE FUTURE FOR THEM
My Story
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Because even though I want to have children more than almost anything- what kind of a mother would I be if I brought a baby into a world where I couldn’t make sure they were safe?
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I’ve always imagined I would be a mother. I know that for a lot of people, the decision to have children is something made later on in life, but for me it was never something I had to think about. I love children so much that I worked as a nanny over the summer between eleventh and twelfth grade.
There are all of these little things I can see myself doing: singing to my babies, listening to their stories, working through homework, baking, finger painting, going for nature walks, dancing in the kitchen- and it hurts almost like a physical pain when I realize I might never get to do these things. Because even though I want to have children more than almost anything- what kind of a mother would I be if I brought a baby into a world where I couldn’t make sure they were safe?
I read the IPCC report last September, and it terrified me. I’m only a teenager, so I’ve learned about climate change for as long as I can remember. I’ve seen it all around me too. In my province once in a century floods have started to happen every year. There are heatwaves in the summer, and in the winter we’re not able to skate on the pond anymore. But the truth is that we are in so much more danger than I could have imagined. We are facing changes that will be irreversible: the loss of ecosystems, the loss of fresh water, the loss of clean air.
I want my children to see all of the beautiful things I see. I want them to go swimming in the ocean with me. I want to take them camping in the summer, and for drives to see the changing leaves in the fall. I want to go sledding with them. I want to teach them how to grow a garden. I want my children to be free to chase their dreams, but everything will be more expensive with climate change.
I am facing a future of economic instability, of food scarcity and extreme weather. What if I have to sacrifice my child’s education to pay for a new house? What if my house becomes uninsurable? What if I have to pay for clean water? What if my city becomes unsafe and I have to flee or if my baby is sick, but the hospitals are overflowing with people fleeing worse conditions?? For many people these fears are already reality.
I am giving up my chance of having a family because I will only have children if I know I can keep them safe. It breaks my heart, but I created this pledge because I know I am not alone. I am not the only young person giving up lifelong dreams because they are unsure of what the future will hold. We’ve read the science, and now we’re pleading with our government.
Please, keep us safe. Please act while there is still time.
There are all of these little things I can see myself doing: singing to my babies, listening to their stories, working through homework, baking, finger painting, going for nature walks, dancing in the kitchen- and it hurts almost like a physical pain when I realize I might never get to do these things. Because even though I want to have children more than almost anything- what kind of a mother would I be if I brought a baby into a world where I couldn’t make sure they were safe?
I read the IPCC report last September, and it terrified me. I’m only a teenager, so I’ve learned about climate change for as long as I can remember. I’ve seen it all around me too. In my province once in a century floods have started to happen every year. There are heatwaves in the summer, and in the winter we’re not able to skate on the pond anymore. But the truth is that we are in so much more danger than I could have imagined. We are facing changes that will be irreversible: the loss of ecosystems, the loss of fresh water, the loss of clean air.
I want my children to see all of the beautiful things I see. I want them to go swimming in the ocean with me. I want to take them camping in the summer, and for drives to see the changing leaves in the fall. I want to go sledding with them. I want to teach them how to grow a garden. I want my children to be free to chase their dreams, but everything will be more expensive with climate change.
I am facing a future of economic instability, of food scarcity and extreme weather. What if I have to sacrifice my child’s education to pay for a new house? What if my house becomes uninsurable? What if I have to pay for clean water? What if my city becomes unsafe and I have to flee or if my baby is sick, but the hospitals are overflowing with people fleeing worse conditions?? For many people these fears are already reality.
I am giving up my chance of having a family because I will only have children if I know I can keep them safe. It breaks my heart, but I created this pledge because I know I am not alone. I am not the only young person giving up lifelong dreams because they are unsure of what the future will hold. We’ve read the science, and now we’re pleading with our government.
Please, keep us safe. Please act while there is still time.
Emma Lim
18 / London Ontario
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