Do you worry about the future?

[newmamalizzy]

A professor from my alma mater was the guest on On Point (NPR call-in show) today, and it jolted me out of my SAHM-bubble back into the world of climate science.  I was an activist and earned an advanced degree in ecology before becoming a mom, but the concept of climate change has been stowed far, far in the depths of my brain under mounds of poopy diapers, fractured nights, and nap problems (and, of course, the constant adorableness of my little girl).  Today I remembered.  I remembered that I really believe that the consequences of climate change will be dramatic and occur on a really short time-scale - if not within our lifetimes, most definitely within that of our children.  Now I can't stop thinking about it.  I didn't HAVE a baby the last time I seriously thought about this issue, and even then it seemed dire.  I keep trying to picture adult DD, in this weird, uncertain future - will there be huge wars over resources?  What species will disappear in her lifetime?  Will there be a stable food supply?  I know it must sound weird that I'm so worried about this, but all of a sudden I can't believe that I brought a child into this future crisis.  I know there are people on this forum who are incredibly concerned about potential effects of various chemicals and whatnot on our children, trying to control it as much as possible by avoiding plastic, choosing safe cleaning products, organic foods, etc.  But the global future isn't an individual choice. 

Anyway, I hope I don't infect anyone with my paranoia-of-the-day.  Do fears like these creep into the minds of others of you out there?  How do you deal with it?  How do you strike a happy balance of living your daily life while remembering that these issues are out there and real? 

BTW:  I really don't just sit around and worry about the geological future.  It's just one of those things that suddenly hit me.

[CatsCradle]

I think about these things.  Less about climate change per se (as I think we're more adaptable to that situation) and more about our dependence on fuel.  I think that as a civilization, and a western one at that, we're going to have to make a huge shift from our dependence on earth resources like fossil fuels and learn to do things differently.  My mind is blown about the amount of waste we produce and the amount of resources that we think we need to maintain a daily existence.  At some point there is going to be a huge shift.  How this will happen, I don't know.  Maybe it will be a gradual progression or maybe there will be a big event that will force us to think and act differently.  Of course I worry about DD's future and the future of her possible children, but I would hope that our actions now and in the near future will ease us into a new age.  

[TheDivineMrsM]

I absolutely worry about these things. I look at my baby and wonder what kind of world she'll inherit. 

[P.J.]

Yeah, sometimes I have very grim thoughts. The recent tragedy in Japan got me thinking like that again. I also wonder what my adult son's life will be like; what kind of world he'll live in.

But honestly, I more often go with just blocking it out. I mean, sitting around worrying about it certainly isn't going to help!

But yes, I know what you mean and there are days / moments when I just think we are all f*cked.

[SilverFish]

yep, i have these thoughts a lot. before and after having dd, but especially after. i wonder what on earth i thought i was playing by bringing a new life into this world and if i'll ever be able to forgive myself if the world goes to shi*t in her lifetime.

then i remember that it was a biological imperative that made me have a baby in the first place and my brain wasn't really logically making a choice :) and then i feel better.

people were still having babies when WWII and other tragedies were immanent and most of those babies probably went on to have normal human lives. i'm a historian by training and one thing i've realized is that humans are always very sure that the future is going to be terrible, when really, life generally goes on as normal. while i do fully believe in climate change, i do also think that in general humans will carry on. maybe on a very different scale than today, but there's no way to predict. meanwhile, biology urges us to go on procreating and living, so that's what i try to do... just remember that i'm an animal like the rest of them.

[Mosaic]

Well, I cheat: I'm a full-time environmental scientist. I spend 50 hrs/week on air quality, including greenhouse gas emissions, so that alleviates my guilt a little bit. But also, I'm exposed to real, recent data; I work with the agencies making changes and preparing for the future; I see on a daily basis what is being done to improve our future, and that makes a big difference in how I feel about things.

[CI Mama]

Yes, I worry about climate change and about my daughter's future. So does my partner.

We mostly channel our worry into action, by making choices that we hope will make us part of the solution, or at least less of part of the problem. We recycle & re-use, we have a lot of interest in sustainable agriculture and go to great lengths to make food choices that are healthy for the planet (as well as for ourselves), and we use our car as little as possible (in fact, soon we will get rid of it altogether). I do think a lot about what kind of education we need to give her...what kind of skills will she need in order to thrive in the world that will be waiting for her? The ability to grow food, live simply on few resources, and work collectively with others may be the most important things for her to learn. So how can I make that happen for her?

It's funny, but the specific issue of climate change doesn't freak me out as much as the realization that my daughter's reality is so different than my reality as I've grown up, and therefore I have limited ability to guide her through life because my wisdom gleaned from my experience isn't necessarily going to apply to her situation. In times of rapid change, it's hard for wisdom to carry over from one generation to the next, and that's very disorienting.