Imagining A World Without Children

The World WITHOUT CHILDREN As of 2012, children ages 0 to 17 make up 23 percent of the U.S. population, down from a peak of 36 percent at the end of the "baby boom" in 1964, according to the Forum on Child and Family Statistics. Children's share of the population is projected to continue its gradual decline through 2050, when they're likely to make up only 21 percent of the population. 10 2050 10 BILLION 2010 8 BILLION GLOBAL POPULATION 2050 2010 0-17 15 - 64 64+ BUT WHAT IF THE GOVERNMENT CONTROLLED THE HUMAN POPULATION? The right to start a family is a basic human right, but WHAT IF the government controlled your womb; stripped away your right to have a child according to your race, socioeconomic status, weight or even how attractive you are? How would that affect your emotional or psychological wellbeing? How would that make you feel? In terms of schools, teachers, businesses that cater to children, would they be useful anymore? How many people would be out of jobs? How many businesses would fold? How many families would suffer? If we were in a world with no children, how would that affect health, childcare, education or income? HERE ARE SOME WHAT IF SCENARIOS: EDUCATION How many schools would shut down? 98,817 U.S. public schools. Which means: 67,086 elementary schools, 24,544 secondary schools, 6,137 combined elementary and secondary schools, and 1,050 special education, alternative or charter schools. 6,137 1,050 Special Combined Elementary and Secondary Schools Education, Alternative or Charter Schools 67,086 98,817 Elementary Schools U.S. Public Schools ¡B88688E SCHOOL BUS SCHOOL BUS SCHOOL BUS SCHOOL BUS SCHOOL BUS HOW MANY TEACHERS NO LONGER NEEDED: WOULD BE UNEMPLOYED? 480,000 school buses that An estimated 3.7 million full-time elementary and secondary school teachers now carry more than 25 million children to school CLOSED FOR BUSINESS CHILDCARE Data from the Survey of Income and Program Participation says that in 2011, an estimated 32.7 million children were in a regular childcare arrangement (daycare, childcare center, nursery school, preschool or Head Start program) while their parents worked or pursued other activities outside of the home. With declining birthrates, these services are no longer needed. BUSINESSES The baby food industry would cease to exist, leaving $153 million worth of baby food and beverages unusable. That would be the equivalent of 2 million gallons of jarred baby food, or four Olympic-sized swimming pools. $22.98 BILLION The toy industry, which made $22.98 billion in 2014, will cease to exist. In terms of, say, a 25-cent alphabet block (40 cubic inches). That's 91.9 billion blocks, or 893.7 billion cubic feet - enough to fill the space occupied by 10,000 Pyramids of Giza. $11 BILLION The children's apparel industry, worth $11 billion in revenue, would completely fold. 3.8 MILLION TONS 3.8 million tons of diapers are used in the U.S. each year -for context, that's the equivalent weight of 73 R.M.S. Titanics. In a childless world, these will be rendered useless. EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING Aging population: As of 2012, the proportion of the total U.S. population aged 65 and older is expected to more than double between 2012 and 2060, from 43.1 million (13% of the population) to 92 million (27% of the projected population). More older people equals greater need for health care resources, but without a generation behind them, who will fill that need? 92 MILLION 13% 2012 27% 2060 POPULATION 43.1 POPULATION MILLION THE PATH TO EXTINCTION If the U.S. government barred its people from having children, here's how long we predict it would take for the population to become extinct. 2010 2020 2030 2040 2050 2060 2070 2080 2090 2100 2110 KEY: 0-17 15-64 64+ Graph derived from predictions based on 2010 CDC and U.S. Census Data on death rates by age and gender. AND THEN THERE WHERE NONE! SOURCES: American School Bus Council: "Environmental Benefits" (2014) www.americanschoolbuscouncil.org/issues/environmental-benefits Pew Research Center: "10 Projections of the Global Population in 2050" (2014) www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2014/02/03/10-projections-for-the-global-population-in-2050 U.S. Census Bureau: "U.S. Census Bureau Projections Show a Slower Growing, Older, More Diverse Nation a Half Century from Now" (2012) www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/population/cb12-243.html U.S. Department of Education: National Center for Education Statistics: "Fast Facts: Teacher Trends" (2010) www.nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=D28 U.S. Department of Education: National Center for Education Statistics: "Fast Facts: Educational Institutions" (2013) www.nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id384 MALE FEMALE Organie BABY FOOD NOITTI8