Ezra Klein: Don't Stop Having Kids Because Climate, or: Be Hysterical...Just Not So Hysterical You Stop Making Babies

I've been wondering how progressives were going to deal with this. Conventional mythology on the left has it that if we don't reduce CO2 output by [some absurdly large amount] by [some absurdly near-future date], we're all going to die. Conventional progressive mythology has it that climate change is an "existential crisis." Oh, Sorry. I meant EXISTENTIAL CRISIS!!!1111   It's a small step to All your kids are going to die horrible climate-deaths. I certainly used to believe something slightly different, but just as goddamn stupid. (See: last decade's screeds on TEH OVERPOPULATIONZ!!!111). Now, I'm not saying that I don't want progressives to have kids... Though...if somebody isn't reproducing,,,well...they wouldn't be the worst choice...   But it seems that even the more sober climate hysteriacs--who mostly know that there isn't really going to be a climate apocalypse--really can't go on tacitly promoting a false belief that's leading their more gullible comrades to make profoundly life-altering decisions. So props to Ezra for breaking ranks. I don't have the stomach to read the comments--I'm sure he'll get some hate for sobering up. But I think he does manage to keep the hysteria level pumped up pretty high even while trying to talk the more hysterical hysteriacs down a bit. And, hey, from my perspective, it's a big step in the right direction. At this rate, who knows? Maybe progressives will be ready to admit that it's a problem, not a crisis by the time they fail to hit Biden's absurd target of 50% reduction of CO2 output by 2030. I mean, when one or another made-up drop-dead date rolls around and we don't meet the goal, what are they gonna do? As I've pointed out several times, there's exactly zero chance that they'll say Whelp, the window has closed. Might as well quit trying. I mean, they kinda believe that tipping point shit...but not so much as to give up on getting rid of fossil fuels, personal automobiles, and socialism... Climate apocalypticism is still their best chance at getting all those things in one fell swoop. Sure, we'll make fun of them when they update their eschatological nonsense yet again...but who cares what we think? They'll keep riding this horse until it drops stone dead...and they have to come up with some other fictive enviro-nightmare...