Yes I mentioned that I think it's fine if you have kids, and i'm glad you plan on downsizing afterwards, even if your big house is more energy-efficient than a smaller one. Maybe some other family can move into it.
Just to clarify....
The reason I would likely downsize has nothing to do with "other people" or any utopian idea of organizing society or what I think is or isn't "responsible living".
The actual reason would be that I don't see myself maintaining a big house when I'm +75.
Personally, I think the whole "people living in mansions" is just peanuts when it comes to climate or "responsible living" or whatever.
There are MUCH MUCH MUCH bigger fish to go after.
Like national airline flights used for distances that take only 1h by car.
Like the whole idea of private jets or private helicopters.
Like using coal and gas instead of (modern) nuclear reactors / wind / solar for generating energy.
Like the massive and unneeded use of plastics and wasteful packaging of products in general.
If I would own and heat 100 castles, I would have a carbon footprint of ZERO if the required energy for that heating was generated through nuclear / wind / solar instead of coal and gas.
Big houses are not a problem at all when it comes to things like pollution and carbon emissions.
The
house doesn't have to emmit anything.
It's the factory that provides the house with electricity which emits all that carbon.
That's where the problem exists and where it needs to be solved.
Solve it there, and it matters not if you own a castle or a hut.