Does It Matter What We Do?
On a recent episode of the new podcast “Terrestrial,” Mary and Travis explain that they’ve decided against expanding their family beyond their 100-pound bulldog, Tonka. Travis arrived at the decision after noticing the water level fall near his Las Vegas hometown. Later in the episode, Les Knight chimes in with a resounding echo. Knight’s a substitute teacher, and he likes kids just fine—he just thinks that no one ought to have them. Knight is representing the Voluntary Human Extinction Movement, which holds that the most benevolent thing we can do for the planet is to let homo sapiens go the way of the dinosaurs. His is a long-range plan: If everyone pledged to halt reproduction, eventually, birth rates would dwindle. Then, there would be a greying generation with no successors. (The group’s website sells bumper stickers bearing the motto, “May we live long and die out.”)
On the podcast, a project of NPR’s KUOW station in Seattle, host Ashley Ahearn drills down into what she describes as “the choices we make in a world we’ve changed.” The show wrestles with climate volatility on its smallest scale, looking at personal decisions. Each interview offers a window into how people make sense of their place in the world, particularly when they perceive the terrain shifting under their feet.