Comments on: Doctors: Third babies are the same as patio heaters http://www.bioethicsinternational.org/blog/2008/07/28/doctors-third-babies-are-the-same-as-patio-heaters/ Where Healthcare, Life Science & Ethics Meet Sat, 27 Feb 2010 03:30:51 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: Enjoy Every Sandwich » Blog Archive » Children Environmentally Unsound http://www.bioethicsinternational.org/blog/2008/07/28/doctors-third-babies-are-the-same-as-patio-heaters/comment-page-1/#comment-15222 Enjoy Every Sandwich » Blog Archive » Children Environmentally Unsound Wed, 30 Jul 2008 16:21:38 +0000 http://www.bioethicsinternational.org/?p=591#comment-15222 [...] Doctors: Third babies are the same as patio heaters Writing in the British Medical Journal, John Guillebaud (emeritus professor of of family planning at UCL) and Pip Hayes (a GP) raise the spectre of global population explosion, and suggest that the children of the developed world are a particularly severe carbon burden. The Optimum Population Trust calculates that “each new UK birth will be responsible for 160 times more greenhouse gas emissions . . . than a new birth in Ethiopia.” Should UK doctors break a deafening silence here? “Population” and “family planning” seem taboo words … isn’t contraception the medical profession’s prime contribution for all countries?Unplanned pregnancy, especially in teenagers, is a problem for the planet, as well as the individual concerned. But what about planned pregnancies? Should we now explain to UK couples who plan a family that stopping at two children, or at least having one less child than first intended, is the simplest and biggest contribution anyone can make to leaving a habitable planet for our grandchildren? We must not put pressure on people, but by providing information on the population and the environment, and appropriate contraception for everyone (and by their own example), doctors should help to bring family size into the arena of environmental ethics, analogous to avoiding patio heaters and high carbon cars. [...] [...] Doctors: Third babies are the same as patio heaters Writing in the British Medical Journal, John Guillebaud (emeritus professor of of family planning at UCL) and Pip Hayes (a GP) raise the spectre of global population explosion, and suggest that the children of the developed world are a particularly severe carbon burden. The Optimum Population Trust calculates that “each new UK birth will be responsible for 160 times more greenhouse gas emissions . . . than a new birth in Ethiopia.” Should UK doctors break a deafening silence here? “Population” and “family planning” seem taboo words … isn’t contraception the medical profession’s prime contribution for all countries?Unplanned pregnancy, especially in teenagers, is a problem for the planet, as well as the individual concerned. But what about planned pregnancies? Should we now explain to UK couples who plan a family that stopping at two children, or at least having one less child than first intended, is the simplest and biggest contribution anyone can make to leaving a habitable planet for our grandchildren? We must not put pressure on people, but by providing information on the population and the environment, and appropriate contraception for everyone (and by their own example), doctors should help to bring family size into the arena of environmental ethics, analogous to avoiding patio heaters and high carbon cars. [...]

]]> By: Tony http://www.bioethicsinternational.org/blog/2008/07/28/doctors-third-babies-are-the-same-as-patio-heaters/comment-page-1/#comment-15115 Tony Tue, 29 Jul 2008 21:55:12 +0000 http://www.bioethicsinternational.org/?p=591#comment-15115 From the good doctors website: "Qualified in Liverpool in 1981 and has worked in Zimbabwe, South Africa, New Zealand and Australia." Wonder if she has offset that carbon footprint? Patronising is the word that comes to mind. From the good doctors website:

“Qualified in Liverpool in 1981 and has worked in Zimbabwe, South Africa, New Zealand and Australia.”

Wonder if she has offset that carbon footprint?

Patronising is the word that comes to mind.

]]> By: TMLutas http://www.bioethicsinternational.org/blog/2008/07/28/doctors-third-babies-are-the-same-as-patio-heaters/comment-page-1/#comment-15113 TMLutas Tue, 29 Jul 2008 21:44:14 +0000 http://www.bioethicsinternational.org/?p=591#comment-15113 All the population scenario revisions for the past few decades have been down, down, down and a large chunk of the human population (44% last I heard) live in countries that are losing, not gaining population. The trend towards a baby bust has profound impacts on our bedrock social spending policies. Too many government programs are financially dependent on an ever increasing population to fund pensions and other long-term funds. All the population scenario revisions for the past few decades have been down, down, down and a large chunk of the human population (44% last I heard) live in countries that are losing, not gaining population. The trend towards a baby bust has profound impacts on our bedrock social spending policies. Too many government programs are financially dependent on an ever increasing population to fund pensions and other long-term funds.

]]> By: O mesmo « O Insurgente http://www.bioethicsinternational.org/blog/2008/07/28/doctors-third-babies-are-the-same-as-patio-heaters/comment-page-1/#comment-14929 O mesmo « O Insurgente Mon, 28 Jul 2008 22:14:42 +0000 http://www.bioethicsinternational.org/?p=591#comment-14929 [...] O mesmo Arquivado como: Ambiente, Comentário, Cultura, Emissões Especiais, Internacional, Teoria — ruicarmo @ 11:14 pm Depois de ler isto (aqui): A pair of doctors have said that British parents should have fewer children, because kids cause carbon emissions and climate change. The two medics suggest that choosing to have a third child is the same as buying a patio heater or driving a gas-guzzling car, and that GPs should advise their patients against it. [...] [...] O mesmo Arquivado como: Ambiente, Comentário, Cultura, Emissões Especiais, Internacional, Teoria — ruicarmo @ 11:14 pm Depois de ler isto (aqui): A pair of doctors have said that British parents should have fewer children, because kids cause carbon emissions and climate change. The two medics suggest that choosing to have a third child is the same as buying a patio heater or driving a gas-guzzling car, and that GPs should advise their patients against it. [...]

]]> By: M. Simon http://www.bioethicsinternational.org/blog/2008/07/28/doctors-third-babies-are-the-same-as-patio-heaters/comment-page-1/#comment-14912 M. Simon Mon, 28 Jul 2008 20:19:15 +0000 http://www.bioethicsinternational.org/?p=591#comment-14912 Solar scientists think we are headed for a little ice age. Will the people who came up with this idea suggest that families start turning out more patio heaters? Solar scientists think we are headed for a little ice age.

Will the people who came up with this idea suggest that families start turning out more patio heaters?

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