Here at Ask NYT Climate, we usually dive into specific questions, from the greenest ways to dispose of pet waste to the most eco-friendly workout clothing. But because Tuesday is Earth Day, we’re tackling one of the big questions: What is the single best thing I can do for the planet?
We put this to half a dozen experts who shared their advice on how to be the best planetary citizen possible.
I got banned from r/Sustainability for saying I was in favor of lowering birthrates. (Cue the accusations of eco-fascism and eugenics, rather than any meaningful discussion.)
For what it’s worth, I don’t believe governments should have the power to dictate our ability to give birth, that’s immediately dystopian. But we need to acknowledge that overshoot is a function of population x per-capita consumption, and we can’t just look at one side of that equation.