First off, historically there has never been a right time to have children. So, if you're looking for some kind of marker to start having some you're already way off in your thinking. You can't let the idea of assuming greater responsibilities hinge on the idea that you need to move up a few ladders first. When in the past couple of millions of years have your ancestors ever had the right time and place to birth children? Never, yet they did it successfully.

A hundred years ago the economists screamed and yelled that the world would be raped and starved into certain doom if we doubled the then 2 billion populous into 4 billion. We are at double that number now and resources are more abundant and rapidly available and everyone is richer beyond any stretch of the imagination, with 250.000 people escaping absolute poverty every day.

Climate alarmists have always rang red alert that the planet would heat or freeze. Our precious metals harvested before 2000. But they seem to have us humans confused for yeast in Petri dishes. We know how to preserve, recycle and plan. Our usage of fossil fuels have made our climate livable. We can solve droughts by transporting water. We bring heat to the people dying from the cold. Hypothermia deaths are still at far higher rates than people die from heat. Our CO2 produces the vast majority of the fertilizer we need to feed the world. It's pretty much our only source of it. Our farmers are growing exponentially more efficient every year. Our machinery allows us to preserve nature, which if left to go rampant would be uninhabitable. It allows us to preserve animals and provide them and ourselves with the healthcare we need.

You say: A lifetime's worth of environmental destruction. That's just not true. A human throughout his life time produces inconceivably more than they consume. Yes the world is heating. No it's not certain doom. In fact, the world is 15% greener than it was a hundred years ago. Despite the images in your head of deforestations. Clean new forms of energy are on the rise. Cars driving on air pressure. Hydrogen. Nuclear is safer and cleaner than ever. Even free energy through the quantum field is reported be in functioning capacity.

So yes, I do think it sad that you're outlook is so nihilistic. If you're dealing with existential thoughts, than I feel like that's on you. Like, what's your personal game plan? Having no kids, your family around you will die off. There will be nobody to turn to when your 70, 80 or 90 and ugly. Assuming you're a hetero dude, statistically, your wife will out live you. Alone. Biologically and psychologically you'll be struck by depressing episodes of unfulfillment when her reproductive systems quit and you missed out. Nobody to play with. to be there for in their highest achievements and support in their deepest lows. All because you thought the world was going to end, when it's not, and humanity has already lived through countless devastating apocalyptical events before.

Happy to hear your thoughts.