A recent survey reveals a concerning trend: 40% of Australian women without children are hesitant to have children due to climate change concerns. This finding highlights a gender disparity, as women are more anxious and feel more insecure about the future due to climate change. The survey, commissioned by Professor Clive Hamilton, sheds light on the varying levels of concern among different voter groups and age groups. It also highlights the impact of education level on climate change awareness. The survey's findings suggest that women's hesitancy to have children may be linked to a 'gendered calculus of risk', where women's values of care make them more receptive to scientific warnings about the dangers of climate change. This could potentially lead to a decline in Australia's birth rate, as the survey reveals a disconnect between young people's discussions about having children and government policy discussions about the country's demographic future. The survey's results are supported by a 2019 Australian Conservation Foundation survey, which found that one in three Australian women under 30 are reconsidering having children due to climate change concerns. Interestingly, the survey also found that living through extreme weather events has only a small effect on concern about climate change, as people tend to attribute these events to natural factors or other causes. This finding is consistent with other research, which suggests that experiencing extreme weather events has a short-lived impact on people's beliefs about climate change.
