About 25 years ago, during the rise of the environmental movement, a peculiar idea emerged – that opting out of having children could help save the planet.
Today, some environmentalists are choosing to remain childless, citing environmental concerns and climate change as reasons. In fact, data from the Pew Research Center shows that at least 5% of Americans are choosing not to have children for these reasons.
While this concept may seem extreme, there is an even more radical movement called the Voluntary Human Extinction Movement (VHEMT) led by Les Knight. VHEMT advocates for human extinction through voluntary abstention from reproduction in order to prevent environmental degradation.
As Les Knight puts it, “May we live long and die out.” However, not everyone agrees with this extreme stance, as seen in the decline of the Shakers, a sect of Christianity that practiced celibacy and communal living but eventually faded away due to changing beliefs.
Shaker Design re-imagined in New York
While the idea of human extinction for the planet’s sake may be controversial, it raises important questions about sustainability and the impact of human actions on the environment.
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