Bill Gates has studied emissions. He knows the more people, the more pollution. In the U.S., the average person brings about 20 ton of CO2 per year. In poorer countries, the average person requires less than a single ton of CO2 emissions. The thing, though, is that poor countries often have much larger families. In Niger, the average family has about seven children.
Gates looks at that and suggests the folks of Niger do not need to have that many children. Often, they themselves do not want so many children. If they had greater access to contraceptives, they might choose to use them. They might choose to have smaller families.
My understanding is that contraceptives do not even allow life to be created -- at all. So, it is fair to ask this question: If it is wrong for those in Niger to choose not to have children by using contraceptives, is it wrong for those in the U.S. to choose not to have families with seven children? Some U.S. families do have seven (mine did). Others do not. Do we look at the family with two children and tell them they are wrong to only have two? I have not seen that. And, am glad I haven't.
You might argue, though, that Gates is also for abortion. I am guessing he, indeed, is. Many families have children they do not want and would to prevent it by aborting them. But, this point is worthy: If they were provided contraceptives, and could keep from having unwanted children that way, they would not need to have the abortions. There would still be some abortions, for they might change their minds and say, I wanted the child when I became pregnant, but now I've changed my mind.
Still, the number of abortions would be way down. Usually, those who had not already chosen not to have children by using contraceptives would not change their minds.
(Index -- Climate change info)
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