The Prospective Parent’s Dilemma: What Overpopulation Entails for Individuals

Should I have children in light of overpopulation and its negative environmental and social impacts? The Earth cannot sustain eight billion people living at the lifestyle and consumption levels that people in developed nations enjoy. This gives rise to a dilemma: the opportunity to procreate is essential to many people, but doing so in an unsustainable manner causes damage to the environment. I propose a way through this dilemma that places a responsibility on people to cultivate a certain type of character: overpopulation concerns must be an essential part of who we are when considering whether to have a child.