Activists go on ‘birth strike’ over climate change

A group of activists say they are going on “birth strike” to protest climate change, Vice News reported Wednesday.

The group, #BirthStrike, which has roughly 90 members has vowed “not to bear children due to the severity of the ecological crisis and the current inaction of governing forces in the face if this existential threat.”

“We are on course for ‘no future’ and our government is steering us there,” the group’s declaration states. “We have been abandoned by our leadership to committing species-wide suicide via lawless economics and business.”

{mosads}#BirthStrike states that the group’s aim is not to promote the decision not to have children, but “an opportunity to raise awareness of the growing horror we face in the wake of climate and ecological collapse.”

News of the group’s “birth strike” comes shortly after Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) raised the “legitimate question” of whether it’s OK for people to have children as the earth faces looming climate-related consequences.

The rookie lawmaker posed the question during an Instagram stream late last month.

The concept immediately drew significant backlash among right-leaning critics.

#BirthStrike co-founder Blythe Pepino was grilled by Fox News’s Tucker Carlson about the concept during an appearance on his show Tuesday. 

“What you’re describing sounds very much like a religious conversion,” Carlson said. “And the life you’re living seems almost a monastic life, has that occurred to you? … You’re giving up family for the cause.”

“This is my way of saying, come on, humanity, we’ve got two options: We’re either going to commit some kind of species suicide by ignoring the issue because we’re too afraid of the change … or we’re going to unite together and at least try and manage some of the collapse that’s predicted in a sensible and rational way,” Pepino responded.

“We just met, it’s a little early for me to be giving you advice,” Carlson interjected. “I think you should have children, I think they solve a lot of problems and put things in perspective.”

“We don’t have time,” Pepino said, chuckling.