Blogger, 39, reveals she doesn’t want to have children because ‘there are too many people in the world destroying the planet’ – and admits it’s been a ‘deal-breaker’ in relationships
- Emma Luther, who lives in the Cotswolds, believes the planet is overpopulated
- Doesn’t wanted to start family because there are ‘too many people in the world’
- Admits her views resulted in end of relationship with man she really loved in 20s
A blogger has revealed she doesn’t want to have children because she believes there are ‘too many people in the world’ and it’s ‘destroying the planet’.
Emma Luther, 39, who was born near Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire and now lives in the Cotswolds, admitted her reluctance to start a family has been a deal-breaker in relationships.
She added that the coronavirus pandemic has made her ‘feel more certain’ about her decision.
Writing in the Sunday Telegraph’s Stella magazine, Emma explained that from a young age she has believed the world is overpopulated.
Emma Luther, 39, who was born near Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire and now lives in the Cotswolds, says she doesn’t want to have children because she believes there are ‘too many people in the world’ and it’s ‘destroying the planet’
‘Even as a child I had a strong sense that the planet is overpopulated,’ she wrote, recalling how her aunt was ‘horrified’ when, at age 10, she told her she doesn’t want to have children because ‘there are too many people in the world’.
Emma said her feeling of not wanting to add to the number of humans ‘destroying’ the planet has stuck, even when it signalled the end of a relationship with a man she ‘really loved’ in her early twenties.
‘He wanted children and my reluctance was a deal-breaker that we couldn’t work around,’ she admitted.
Emma said her countryside upbringing is largely responsible for her close connection with and passion for nature – but the only time her choice to remain child-free has wavered was following the death of her mother in 2006.
Emma admitted the coronavirus pandemic has made her ‘feel more certain’ about her decision not to start a family
Emma said her feeling of not wanting to add to the number of people ‘destroying’ the planet has stuck, even when it signalled the end of a relationship with a man she ‘really loved’ in her early twenties
She told how she suddenly longed to care for a child like her mum had done for her, but a grief counsellor suggested it was an attempt to ‘replace loss with love’, and her desire for a baby vanished.
Emma, whose current partner Matthew shares her views, says the majority of her friends have children but she doesn’t judge them and they too respect her opinion.
While she appreciates her decision to not have children won’t save the world, Emma said it’s still important to her to make a ‘positive difference’.
Emma, whose current partner Matthew shares her views, says the majority of her friends have children but she doesn’t judge them and they too respect her opinion
She added that, along with not adding to the population, she is making an active effort to recycle, consume less, support local businesses and buy organic produce.
‘I hear my friends talk about how much they’re spending on their families, the waste they’re creating (namely a mountain of nappies), and how tired they are now they have children,’ she wrote.
‘Some may say I’m selfish, but I want my life to be my own and I’d rather spend my energy doing what I can to help the planet.’