SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk wishes people to have more children.
Musk said, “There are not enough people. I can’t emphasize this enough, there are not enough people. Low and rapidly declining birth rates are one of the biggest risks to civilization.”
His comments come at a time when a growing number of people are deciding against having children, citing reasons such as inequality and climate change.
Musk added, “too many “good, smart people,” think there are too many people in the world and that the population is growing out of control. It’s completely the opposite. If people don’t have more children, civilization is going to crumble. Mark my words.”
When questioned to him if this is the reason he has six children, he said, “I am trying to set a good example, and I have to practice what I preach.”
Analysts at Morgan Stanley said in a note to investors in July, “the movement to not have children owing to fears over climate change is growing and impacting fertility rates quicker than any preceding trend in the field of fertility decline.”
UCLA researchers reported that the number of births in the USA fell in the nine months after an extreme heat event in the country, while a study of 18,000 couples in China last year showed that climate change, and particulate pollution specifically, was associated with a 20% increased likelihood of infertility.
Indeed, many people see having children as a fundamental human right and one that can bring happiness and joy to families.
