Stop Breeding, Start Adopting

It's a common line put forth by many in regards to pets but it holds true for children too...

One of the least talked about issues regarding global climate change is overpopulation. The birthrate continues to increase and with it devastating consequences for our planet.

Just as animal shelters are bulging at the seams, Earth has witnessed increased population numbers as well.

With an average global birth rate of 18.5 births per 1,000 total population, a current estimated population of 7,577,130,400 and a death rate of 8.5, one doesn't need to be a mathematician to figure out that if things continue at the current rates, we're going to be in big trouble.

A 2014 report by the University Of Washington concluded that global population would not level off as has often been predicted in the past, resulting in a total global population of near 11 billion people by the year 2100.

Five years later and it looks like they might be right.

In Africa, for example, reproductive rates are not declining as was previously expected. This could result in that country's population ballooning to quadruple it's current numbers.

In fact, "the study concluded there is an 80 percent chance the population will fall between 9.6 billion and 12.3 billion."

That's a lot of people on a planet having a hard time sustaining 7 billion already.

Which is why it is time to change the way we think about how we have children.

Adoption.org states that "according to UNICEF (the United Nations Children's Emergency Fund), there are roughly 153 million orphans worldwide. Every day, an estimated 5,700 more children become orphans. Children are often relinquished due to war, natural disaster, poverty, disease, stigma, and medical needs."

Just like animal shelters, most orphanages are full to capacity and can barely cover the basic provisions of these children until they can be adopted, many of which aren't.

The difference might only be in the way those that aren't adopted are dealt with.

That's why it may very well be time to push the idea of adoption rather than that of natural childbirth.

Instead of governments rewarding citizens for having children they should be rewarded for adopting them instead.

The Canadian Child Tax Credit costs 57 billion per year to parents. In some cases this money is the reason certain parents have as many children as they do.

That's not to say that it doesn't help legitimate families, it most assuredly does, but what if we were to increase the allotment for those who chose to adopt rather than have children "of their own"?

This would no doubt add to increased adoption rates while relieving some of the burden on those terribly overcrowded orphanages.

More importantly - for every adopted child that is already on this planet, there will be one less child to add to the global population.

Now, that's not to say that you should demonize your friends when they have a new baby with hashtags like #adoptnotshop, but for new would be parents and governments eager to seem diligent regarding climate change, it's an idea worth thinking about.

Maybe we should throw in a free puppy or kitten from the local shelter while we're at it.

It could be like a family start up kit...

#adoption #globalpopulation #overpopulation #stopbreedingstartadopting #sheltervsorphanage #seasonsintheabyss