From the The Daily Mail (UK): (my comments in red)
Had Toni Vernelli gone ahead with her pregnancy ten years ago, she would know at first hand what it is like to cradle her own baby, to have a pair of innocent eyes gazing up at her with unconditional love, to feel a little hand slipping into hers - and a voice calling her Mummy.
But the very thought makes her shudder with horror.
Because when
Toni terminated her pregnancy, she did so in the firm belief she was helping to save the planet....
Incredibly, so determined was she that the terrible "mistake" of pregnancy should never happen again, that she begged the doctor who performed the abortion to sterilise her at the same time.
He refused, but Toni - who works for an environmental charity - "relentlessly hunted down a doctor who would perform the irreversible surgery.
Finally, eight years ago, Toni got her way.
At the age of 27 this young woman at the height of her reproductive years was sterilised to "protect the planet". In all this, the case for saving the planet by not ever made. One need not accept the premise. Actually, I'd argue that single people pollute way more, driving alone, heating homes just for themselves, buying food in smaller parcels that have relatively more packaging, engaging in selfish, worthless hobbies and trips.
But nothing in Toni's safe, middle- class upbringing gave any clues as to the views which would shape her adult life. The eldest of three daughters, she enjoyed a loving, close-knit family life.
She excelled at her Roman Catholic school, and her doting parents fully expected her to grow up, settle down and start a family of her own. Another brilliant product of the Vatican II schooling system.
Toni was happy, at last, with fellow environmentalists who shared her philosophy. But when she was 25, disaster struck.
"I discovered that despite taking the Pill, I'd accidentally fallen pregnant by my boyfriend. The Pill - all the breast cancer, obeisity and depression, half the pregnancies.
"I was horrified. I knew straight away there was no option of having the baby.
"I went to my doctor about having a termination, and asked if I could be sterilised at the same time. "A termination", how quaint, polite and British. Don't worry, the Muslims are having babies at five times the rate that Anglos are. I'd dare say that a complete burqua will complement your looks.
"This time it was a male doctor. I remember saying to him: 'I want to make sure this never happens again.' "Yes, yes baby you need to stay childless for me ... and when you're 40 I'll dump you for a younger woman."
"I've never doubted that I made the right decision. Ed and I married in September 2002, and have a much nicer lifestyle as a result of not having children. Yes indeed, a "nicer lifestyle", this is all about the money, with eco-fundamentalism as a nice little covering.
"We love walking and hiking, and we often go away for weekends. Hmm ... how much carbon do you burn on these trips? If you had children you'd travel way less.
"Every year, we also take a nice holiday - we've just come back from South Africa.
"We feel we can have one long-haul flight a year, as we are vegan and childless, thereby greatly reducing our carbon footprint and combating over-population. "We feel", yes this is all about feelings. No serious environmentalist would pollute the stratosphere by flying to South Africa for the fun of it.
"My only frustration is that other people are unable to accept my decision. Seeking validation of your sinful and selfish ways?
"When I tell people why I don't want children, they look at me as if I was planning to commit murder. You already did commit a murder, so lets get that out of the way.
"A woman who does not have maternal-feelings is seen as some sort of anomaly. These feeling are analamous ... as evidenced by the billions of people on this planet.
"And a woman like me, who is not having children in order to save the planet, is considered barking mad. That's because you are not saving anything besides $$$ in your bank account.
"What I consider mad are those women who ferry their children short distances in gas-guzzling cars." Is that any different than hob-nobbing around the planet in jets just for the fun of it?
The funniest thing is the comments from the Daily Mail:
Has this woman seen a psychiatrist? Human life is much more precious than the planet!
- Bobbie, UK
My reason for not having kids isn't quite so lofty. I much prefer cats!
- Margaret, Devon
So what do these couples want - an uninhabited planet? Stopping having babies isn't the answer to protecting the earth, it's educating our children about the right way to live. Killing a baby, because it's an 'environmental inconvenience' is deplorable. I'm sure that God, although concerned about the world He created, is far more concerned at the vile act carried out against a precious, innocent human life.
- Joy Moore, Bristol
Perhaps a suicide pact might reduce the impact on the planet still further.
- Motionless Cat, Kent, UK
What a pair of plonkers!
Still, the world will be a better place without any clones of them in it, so we have to be grateful for that.
- Maggie G, W. London
Thanks God these fools won't pass on the breathtaking stupidity contained in their genetic profile.
- Kenneth, Georgia, USA
- Crystal, USA
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