You Can Have Your Kids and Planet Too
By Danielle Butcher Franz
In the January 2023 issue of Vogue, singer Billie Eilish posed with climate activists. Clad in upcycled designer clothes, Eilish lamented her role in causing climate change, but asserted that she also had a role in fixing it.
Compared to some of her celebrity peers, Eilish has been refreshingly sober on the topic of climate change. While she obviously cares deeply about sustainability and promoting environmental education among her fans, she’s also expressed a longing to start her own family and embrace motherhood. Eilish has gone so far as to say that she’d “rather die” than not have children due to the threat of climate change – a stark contrast from many in her profession.
Today, many celebrities proudly proclaim they are choosing not to reproduce for the planet. From Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s “two maximum” rule to opting out of parenthood altogether, like Miley Cyrus, climate-minded celebrities are quick to virtue signal to fans at the expense of their families. Cyrus, for example, says she refuses to even consider having children until climate change “is addressed.”
Conservatives, such as myself, typically decry celebrities’ engagement on hot-button political issues – another symptom of our movement’s complicated relationship with pop culture. Especially on an issue like climate, it is all too easy to point out hypocrisy and vanity in what celebrities say compared to what they do. After all, who could forget Kylie Jenner’s infamous 17 minute private flight? However, while conservatives may write off celebrity rhetoric, a young, impressionable audience still exists for the sentiments they share.
Eilish’s popularity with Gen Z makes her public reckoning with climate and motherhood critical. While it’s a far cry to call Eilish a conservative, it’s encouraging to see her express her stance on climate change in a rational, level-headed way – not dissimilar to how eco-minded conservatives talk about climate.
In this month’s Vogue, Eilish admits that she continues to produce and market products despite feeling like she shouldn’t. After all, she argues, people aren’t going to stop using products – so she should use her influence to make sustainable products. Eilish remains realistic about what is to be done about our climate challenge and thus sets a hopeful tone for her many young fans. By hosting a climate conference in London, prioritizing sustainability in her tour and product lines, and making sustainable fashion a staple in her wardrobe, Eilish is not just talking the talk; she’s walking the walk.
By coupling her activism with an outspoken desire to grow a family, Eilish is raising awareness for climate action without convincing her fans that the earth, and their lives, will expire in a mere ten years. With climate anxiety among youth at an all-time high, more celebrities should use their platform to follow Eilish’s lead, rather than stoking fear and alarmism among their fans. Leaving children and young adults anxious and hopeless is a recipe for disaster, but figures with outsized influence like Eilish can combat this. More of her approach is needed to ensure that Gen Z and the following generations feel empowered to address climate change, not crushed by the weight of the challenge.
We can’t light the path forward on environmental issues with alarmism and doomsday predictions. Instead, we should focus on building a better future for our children and their children to inherit – which we can’t do if future generations don’t exist. Whether intentional or not, Eilish is championing an approach to climate issues that pulls from the very best of the conservative environmental movement.
Danielle Butcher Franz is the executive vice president of the American Conservation Coalition (ACC). Follow her on Twitter at @DaniSButcher.
Image via Telerama Magazine
