Is adopting a kid more green?

Question

Besides the fact that adopting save a life of a kid who would otherwise spend years in orphanage, is adoption more environmentally friendly?

What do you think?

My friends are starting to have babies, and they are environmentalists but refuse to agree that their baby will create waste etc like we all do, so would adopting a child who is already in this world more considerate?

No judgements - this is a good question I think.

Answer 1

Not really. Adopted kids still make a mess too!

Answer 2

I think we should provide a large monetary bonus to any woman that gets her tubes tied and/or adopts instead of having more babies.

I say this for several reasons. First, population expansion is the primary root cause of all pollution and global warming. Secondly, if you believe Al Gore who states if we don't turn around our CO2 Emmissions by 2016, we are probably doomed to millions and millions of deaths due to global warming. We have made little progress. It would seem to be very selfish to have a baby now.

(Al said within 10 years on Oprah in 2006)

Answer 3

That would be the humane thing to do. But most people won't see it that way.  We're in this mess because the population is exceeding our resources.  It's egotistical for people to be firm in 'having their own' children when there are so many that need homes.

I wonder how many of your environmental friends will use cloth diapers, or contribute daily to the landfills with 'disposables'.

Answer 4

Oh geez...if people start adopting babies as "carbon credits" I'm gonna hurl...

Of course the fewer people we produce, the better off the environment will be.  But this is much, much different than buying a different car or composting your garbage.

Answer 5

Wow...impressive can of worms you've opened here!

This goes to core issues I think.  The size of the human population is obviously putting the environment under a considerable strain.  So the simple answer would be "yes it is eco-friendly."

Say you even manage to adopt a baby from an African country where there are sever stresses to the environment occurring.  Wouldn't this just be freeing up one bed in a orphanage that can be filled by hundreds if not thousands of other children?  Thus a kind hearted decision that has no real environmental bearing.

To this day I think education is a global silver bullet.  Teaching the importance of birth control, schools, land management, etc. all could play a key role in stabilizing the world population and  create better lives for those already here.

I like the question.  I just don't see adoption as having a "green" element yet.

Answer 6

I have lots of info that I think you will find quite helpful and enlightening:

http://ecowellness.multiply.com/   for excellent inspirational info within my blog to help not only our world and its creatures, but to also open peoples hearts and minds to many amazing wonders that life has to offer.  I also have lots of info in my blog to help fuel peoples imaginations to many possibilities that can be found only in the minds eye.

Along with lots of environmental info, amazing environmental pictures and videos (These videos show the beauty of this world and what life can be like if people take the time to appreciate life’s true beauty).

Let us all strive for a greener/brighter future by helping to create a solid foundation for future generations to build upon, so we can hand them a beautiful world, filled with never ending awe and wonders!!

Where peoples differences and uniqueness are accepted, where we all live as one, helping one another so that we can all play our own mysteriously beautiful melodies in the never ending, awe inspiring, song of life :-)

I truly have faith in humanity and believe that someday our lives and the world in which we live will truly be transformed for the better.

Answer 7

Taking all emotions out of the problem.

Kids who are never adopted tend to die younger leaving behind less of a footprint.

The less people alive the better for Earth.

Answer 8

It's certainly not your run-of-the-mill question, is it?

A child in an orphanage will be a consumer, whether you adopt him/her.  Let's assume it's a "green" orphanage for argument's sake.  

You're essentially dealing with the issue of population control.  Yes, no doubt, not adding another human being to the planet is "greener."  

That said, encourage your friends to think about the environment when making choices in planning for their child and raising the child.  And keep in mind that the biological urge to leave your own genetic material on the planet is a strong one.

I like questions that make people think, but I suspect as with so many questions most will shoot from the lip and ask questions later.  Stick to your guns and follow the path that works for you.  If that path leads to adoption, good luck.  Either way, if we raise our children with love and compassion it should be easier for that child to love our planet.  A parent -- or grandparent/relative -- who demonstrates a green lifestyle to a child is giving a great gift indeed.

Answer 9

It is not only more environmentally friendly but also ethically better.

I was adopted. If my parents had not adopted me, I would have spent more years in an orphanage, probably would have been abused, or been deprived of love, attention and care.

People who spend thousands on fertility treatments are the most selfish people on earth. Not only they run the risk of having multiple foetuses but they waste that money that could have been used in adopting already born children.

As you said no one mention that issue, because society does not want to make people guilty of wanting to procreate. but they should feel that way.