Why large families are good for the environment?

Question

I'm writing an article and wanted as many reasons as anyone could think of why large families (5 to 10 or so) are better for the environment?

Here are ones I could think of for environment:

1.Hand me downs (I don't know of one family with 1 or 2 children that use old used clothes - they buy new)

2. Cloth diapers, just out of sheer price we do this.

3. We are frugile (instead of throwing away a half eaten apple we just wait till they ask for another one and repeel the same apple).

4. Hang dry clothes and turn off lights to save money etc.

5. Breastfeeding is a must and usually we do our own gardens and compost bins.

6. We do local vacations and do not fly as much as others (families with 2 children might go on vacations everyyear in a plane)

Can anyone help me with some more reasons?

Answer 1

I have four children, #5 on the way, and we'll take as many more as the Lord gives us.  We'd love to have 10 or more!

I agree that large families are more likely to use hand-me-downs, cloth diapers, breastfeed, eat leftovers, and take more low-key vacations.  All of those we do.

They are also more likely to buy used items.  Our car and minivan were both bought used, and that's our plan for all of our vehicles, though we could afford to buy new.  Large families also seem more likely to eat meals at home that don't come from a box.  Less square footage per family member usually.  More likely to homeschool, which saves the driving around to and from school every day.  Larger families tend to shower each child with less stuff.

Answer 2

Those are all lies.  Regradless of what you do with the products large families still consume more

Answer 3

one of the main reasons for the increases in carbon emissions in the world is the increase in population size

Answer 4

I have 3 children which I guess you consider a large family. I disagree that your reasons have anything to do with family size. They in fact have a LOT more to do with economics. I don't do hand me downs. I buy new and donate my children's old clothing. I don't do cloth diapers and never did. They were a waste of time and money. I don't live frugally. I don't need to. I don't hang dry clothing but i do turn off lights. i also have 4 comps running all day long so don't really save by turning lights off. I didn't breast feed and i don't grow my own veggies. Instead I support local farmers by buying their products. And my family goes on vacation a minimum of once a year by plane. We have been to England, Scotland, France, Italy, St Martin and many other wonderful places. We also own 4 vehicles. 2 hybrids and 2 4 wheel drive exclusively for winter. These are my family's lifestyle choices because we can afford them. It has little to do with family size. If I had 10 children my lifestyle would be different but not with 3 children.

Answer 5

I don't agree. Just because a family is large doesn't necessarily mean they are poor/frugal- there are plenty of rich large families. Small families don't always mean they have more money to waste- the lack of money is why they usually stop having children.

The only things I can see as being better for the environment would be that they are living in one house and only consuming one houses gas/electric and they would most likely carpool. Although, it still would be higher than most because of all the people using the gas and electric and more places they have to go.

In the end though, a large family means more people on Earth using up resources.

Answer 6

Your logic is totally broken. Start over.

Answer 7

1. Most clothes are cotton in material, which are a renewable resource/ biodegradable. And, the world would be better off if smaller families at least bought stuff from thrift stores.

2. Everyone can use cloth diapers, not just big families.

3. Small families don't have to waste food either.

4. Small families can also hang clothes dry, and turn off lights.

5. Small families can also breast feed/ garden and compost.

6. Cars waste WAY more gas than the average person uses for plane travel yearly.

Most of the things you listed aren't mutually exclusive to big families, and the others aren't even true. I don't know what kind of article you are writing, but according to REAL research, the planet is severely overpopulated already. humans are a K selected species, and we hit our carrying capacity about a few billion people ago. No matter how much you THINK a large family would save, it's not saving anything. People need food, which needs soils, air, water, nutrients, and there are already so many people that those resources have been used up for future generations as well.

Anything you write will be based on... I don't even know what you are basing it on?! Something silly that popped into your head? It's all wrong. Find a new article topic.

Answer 8

Have as many children as you want! :-)

Answer 9

Large families are not good for the environment because they use more resources for fuel, food and shelter than a family with controlled family numbers

1. I pass on my hand me downs to other families in need so they go to at least 20 children in all;

2. Cloth diapers are washed; sometimes several times;

3. Frugality is part of having more than able to support;

4. I recycle my family's items; we don't overbuy;

5. I breastfed exclusively; I grow my own garden;

6. I introduce my children to other cultures so they are not isolated and understand how we are privileged.

7. Since we are fewer than 10, we use less resources when we eat.

Answer 10

Kids from big families know it is a good idea to check to see if anyone wants more cake before they finish it----raising kids who think of others instead of gobbling up all the "resources" themselves are a blessing to the planet.

Think about it---kids who think this way won't want huge carbon footprints.They won't want to use up the planet because they know other people need it.

Answer 11

I can't really think of any more, you've got some good points.  But I don't think that many large families are resourceful like this.    I'm impressed that you can be so resourceful with a large family.  We try to be but aren't always successful.  But yes, we try to not have so much waste, like with food.  We re-use leftovers until they are gone (or gone bad :P), my kids wear hand-me-downs, both from each other, and from places like Salvation Army and garage sales, and we try to walk/ride bikes as many places as we can.  With a large family, trying to be resourceful is a necessity due to financial reasons usually.

Answer 12

The word is 'frugal' not 'frugile' ...

There is less need for housing if a large family lives in one house ... and in many places, there are brothers and sisters who are married with children still living with their parents ... less housing is definitely 'greener' because less wood, steel, etc. is needed to build it ... plus most 'multi-generation households' have more 'land' ... and green plants and trees grow there, and plants and trees use the carbon dioxide and give out oxygen ...

Answer 13

When playing on sports teams or something.. if they are on the same team, carpooling is easy.

Answer 14

err,i think the parents get a tax reduction with more children