Global Warming: A Consequence of Divorce
by: jameswalsh
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Word Count: 807
Protestations and national and international discussions are held to ponder this grave issue. But one factor is grossly overlooked all the time.
Divorce and Global Warming: People rubbish the direct correlation between a high divorce rate and global warming. But, quantitative research shows otherwise. Divorce breaks up families. This creates more households which use up additional resources of energy, fuel and water. Studies prove that single households are prone to using more than half the natural resources in comparison to married households. Hence, the existence of married intact families is a necessity for the sustenance of planet earth.
On the other hand, marriage counsellors argue that an individual must not be forced to stay in a bad marriage just because after divorce she or he will add further strain on natural resources. Personal freedom and happiness cannot be sacrificed at the altar of environment. What good is a safe planet going to be to an abused and unhappy individual staying in a bad marriage? In this case, the ends do not and will not justify the means.
Social psychologists along with behaviour therapists advocate a middle path of awareness. They argue that human beings should not start at the top to bring about a change. The change has to start at the bottom of the scale. The change should be focused on self. If every person begins to look inward and effect a personality change, there will be no need for external policing by governments and environmental bodies. These therapists state that to decrease the rate of divorce, the attitude and perception of the individual have to change. There is no doubt that a high divorce rate leads to the creation of more households. This puts additional strain on the planet leading to global warming. Efforts have to be made to stem this growing trend of divorces.
Education: Education is a powerful tool to bring about intrinsic changes. Education can be used at the personal level as well as the general level. Media and technology can spread awareness. People need to be educated and moulded in the proper frame of mind. They need to be encouraged to embrace right moral principles and values while shunning amoral ones. These include:
- Familial values of trust, sacrifice, tolerance and sharing
- Social values of altruism, friendship, discussion, teamwork and participation
Education ought to guide people to realise that individual selfishness is harmful for the overall good of society. It has negative consequences in the long run. It is better to share and work together. Education is the tool which should be utilised for the realisation of the true meaning of marriage including marital love. People should develop a different perspective about marriage. This is where media and technology have to step in.
Media: The media is the fourth estate of power alongside the government. It wields influence on people’s consciousness directing and influencing their behaviour and actions. The power of media has been recognised throughout history. Freedom movements, social and civil reforms have all taken the help of media to garner support and influence people to their point of view. A similar situation has to be created now. Researchers agree that media, i.e. print, audio visual and online, have to send the message of global warming to the public. The media has to highlight the biggest cause as divorce. Therapists argue that media can shatter and destroy skewed perceptions of marriage. It has to educate and inform public about the harsh reality.
Media and technology have to make use of their vast and diverse resources to reach different sections of society. People need to be made aware of the different types of marital love. They need to be guided about the working of a normal marriage. A typical marriage undergoes five stages of love. This love may not remain sexual all the time. But this does not mean that love has vanished from the marriage. The marital couple has to understand that marital disagreements and ego clashes are a constant fixture of every marriage. The solution is not to quit and head for the divorce court. It is environmentally friendlier and better to discuss the problem and work things out. It is beneficial for the society and environment for a married couple to communicate and discuss issues rather than opt for divorce at the slightest hint of an argument.
Once this is done, the public will automatically make the connection between divorce and global warming. The message has to be to opt for divorce only when it is absolutely necessary. But all this initiative has to include state and national governments also. They have to formulate an environmental policy which successfully includes social initiatives of continuous education in the form of premarital counselling.
About the Author
James Walsh is a freelance writer and copy editor. If you want to find out more about a solicitor managed divorce see http://www.managed-divorce.co.uk
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