Tony P.
I was lucky to be born with biophilia—to love and defend nature. As a scientist, I assessed large landscapes for conservation, studied wildlife in five countries; as an activist launched campaigns for grizzly bears, jaguars, wolves, and coral reefs; as a teacher, taught environmental studies, entomology, and wildlife biology; and, after 50 years, continue working on behalf of my totem animal, the Andean deer. At “Scale Down” on Substack and Facebook, I explain why shrinking the human enterprise is key to saving the living world, including us. Except for pets, plants, and a few students, I’ve been childfree.
Sarah
Once we settle into the theater, but before the show begins; we are asked to silence or power down our phones. We want to be fully present for the performance. There is an exclusive, never-before-seen production being crafted. You are given the ticket for this once-in-a-lifetime show: your own life. <br>
Will you be fully present?<br>
Being phone-free has offered me reverence for the happenings extending themselves to my immediate senses. The people, events, and environment of my experiential realm desire attention. For me, having periods of being phone-free has provided intimacy and satisfaction of the everyday ordinary.
Joe G.
With a devotion to nature, and some fortuity in my circumstances, I live with ecocentrism as a guide. I am married and childfree, and, despite a feline fondness, have no pets. Our time is split between a tiny home (30x12 feet) and a spare room in a family member’s house. I tend towards organic veganism, with food-miles and zero-waste considerations. I get almost everywhere by bus and train and on foot, rejecting planes and rarely using cars. I work a 15-hour week and buy things through need much more than want, seeking pre-used items wherever possible.
Sneha
For me, “shrinking toward abundance” is a daily practice of conscious choices. It is a refusal: to reproduce, to consume non-human animals, to live as if the planet is expendable. I live as a childfree vegan, reducing my footprint where I can. I share my life with three adopted dogs and a cat—my chosen family, a small support circle of friends who make the world a little softer. In a world built on the extraction of bodies—human, non-human animal, and ecological - care becomes resistance. Not virtue, but responsibility. Through my work, I create space for intersectional animal rights, veganism, and procreation ethics.
Dusti B.
I am childfree. Being a teacher for decades filled that itch nicely. We have one car used mainly locally. We are vegan/vegetarian, and enjoy growing food and native plants on our half acre. I help my husband with online outreach at Scale Down, advocating for lowering human numbers and reducing consumption such that other species and ecosystems suffer less from human impacts. International flights are infrequent for recovery of endangered giraffe in Kenya and tropical forest conservation in Ecuador. I bring joy to my community and self through music, fiddling at old time and Celtic music jams.
Tonya S.
Like many who follow OVERSHOOT, I’m aware that the planetary health crisis touches every aspect of life today. Equally, I see the increasing difficulty of staying values-aligned when life pressures us to use the tools of the system, like AI, to stay current. I reduce my planetary impact by not owning a car, being childfree, eating lower on the food chain, buying less, sharing more, the list goes on. And I talk, with anyone who will listen and allow me to illuminate the ecological considerations in any topic of conversation. Normalising these conversations feels like a tiny buffer against despair.
Laura U.
One of my favorite ways to give nature a little boost is to replant or propagate the discarded plants I find piled at the end of people’s driveways after a big weekend of yard work. I take them home and either plant them directly into the ground or I root them in little pots and eventually give them as gifts. While it has resulted in the opposite of a trim and pristine front lawn, my yard is always full of birds, butterflies, and busy pollinators, and I delight in giving them a lush place to snack and rest.