The climate baby dilemma
(DVD)

Title from web page.

Originally released as a motion picture in 2022.

Wide screen.

Deciding whether to have a child is a deeply personal process. Deciding amid increasingly dire warnings for the planet makes it even more overwhelming. The Climate Baby Dilemma explores how the long-held goals of entire generations are being thrown into flux by a warming planet, as a rising number of young people express discomfort with having children due to the existential threat of climate change. Featuring prominent science writer Dr. Britt Wray, the film seeks out activists, authors, and prospective parents considering the implications of introducing a new human into a rapidly changing climate. Some, such as Payton Mitchell and Emma Lim, are driving a youth climate initiative and have joined a "no child" pledge to compel leaders to action. On the other end, Indigenous activist and new mother Sarain Fox talks about how having a child resists the goals of colonialism and allows culture and language to live on, a crucial political activity for oppressed communities. The film also looks at how these movements are misunderstood and weaponized by climate deniers who would deem their efforts "population control" and "civilizational suicide." It also considers the effects that pre-traumatic stress and climate grief have on young people, with declining birth rates being one indicator of growing climate anxiety. Eventually, Wray herself faces the question of whether or not to start a family as she weighs that decision against the knowledge brought about by her work, and ultimately reconciles starting a family with climate action.

DVD, wide screen.

Closed-captioned.