In this episode of The Good System, I tackle a surprisingly heated question: should you feel guilty about having kids in the climate crisis? Spoiler alert — it’s not your toddler’s fault the planet’s on fire.
I unpack the real reasons emissions keep rising (hint: it’s not diapers or birthday parties), and take a hard look at how blaming personal choices — like having children — lets the system off the hook. From billionaire emissions to baked-in fossil fuel infrastructure, we follow the trail of CO₂ and ask: who’s really driving the climate bus?
Highlights include:
- The myth of the carbon-guzzling baby
- Why personal guilt is a distraction from systemic responsibility
- What actually changes emissions (it’s not family size)
- A gentle roast of lifestyle purity culture
- Some unexpected hope — seriously
Whether you're a parent, future parent, or happily childfree, this episode reframes the conversation and invites you to stop blaming yourself — and start questioning the system.
This episode is based on this blog article: https://iandebay.com/thoughts/kids-are-not-sustainable/
Mentioned episodes
Is Overpopulation Really the Problem? Rethinking Climate Blame
City vs Country: What is more sustainable
For more information about the podcast and me: iandebay.com
Popular Podcasts
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.
The Joe Rogan Experience
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.