Environmental spats breaking couples apart
Therapists are reporting an increase in clashes between spouses over environmental issues. Some arguments are fairly banal, along the “Where are your recycling bins?”-line. But other times, the disputes can paralyze relationships. Consider a married couple planning a vacation. One might want to bake in the Caribbean heat, while the other might be opposed to taking high carbon footprint flights. Or imagine a couple figuring out where to eat dinner. One might feel like sushi, whereas the other might oppose eating unsustainable sources of salmon. Thomas Joseph Doherty, a clinical psychologist in Oregon whose practice focuses on environmental concerns, says climate change “touches every part of how they live: what they eat, whether they want to fly, what kind of vacation they want.”