There are some stats that everyone should know by heart. This is one of them:

Oregon State University researchers have calculated the savings from all kinds of conservation measures: driving a hybrid, driving less, recycling, using energy-efficient appliances, windows and light bulbs. For an American, the total metric tons of carbon dioxide saved by all of those measures over an entire lifetime of 80 years: 488. By contrast, the metric tons saved when a person chooses to have one fewer child: 9,441.

Or, put another way:

…in the United States, the carbon legacy and greenhouse gas impact of an extra child is almost 20 times more important than some of the other environmentally sensitive practices people might employ their entire lives – things like driving a high mileage car, recycling, or using energy-efficient appliances and light bulbs.

20 fucking times.

Lund University, a research university in Sweden, conducted a study with similar conclusions. According to this study, bearing one child pumps “an average of 58.6 tonnes of CO2-equivalent emissions per year” into our planet’s already devastated atmosphere. On the other hand, they found that “living car-free saves about 2.4 tonnes of CO2 equivalent per year, while eating a plant-based diet saves 0.8 tonnes of CO2 equivalent a year.” Essentially meaningless in comparison. Another interesting stat from Lund’s research: “A US family who chooses to have one fewer child would provide the same level of emissions reductions as 684 teenagers who choose to adopt comprehensive recycling for the rest of their lives.”

Environmentalists tout the positive impact of recycling constantly. Why don’t they mention the much greater impact of remaining childfree?

Antinatalists need to take advantage of these stats, and we can use them to start a productive dialogue with the mainstream environmentalist community. Approximately 50% of people around the world believe that climate change is a very serious problem. All of these individuals need to be informed about the studies I just discussed.

Perhaps some of them might think twice about reproducing. Hopefully.