Divorces cause emotional and financial damage. It also has consequences for children and… the environment.

In Sweden, Finland and Belarus, more than 50% marriages end up in divorce, the highest rates in the world. An American study found that divorced households spend 46% more electricity than married ones. They also spend 56% more on water. This means that divorce causes the demand for electricity and water to double. Prolonged singledom and empty nesters also damage the environment for similar reasons.

In the US, 73 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity, and 627 billion gallons of water could have been saved if there were no divorces. Divorce also means more houses, 38 million more in the US, meaning more construction work and more pollution.

Using cars also damages the environment; however, few people consider that it is a reason solid enough for them to abandon using cars. Now that people know that divorce is also responsible for climate change, it will not prevent them from doing so.

Environment protection being one of the leading causes people adhere to, with green parties emerging around the world, one wonders if green parties will try to lobby for ethics and morality. However without concluding too fast, I would argue that gay marriage and adoption for gay people might help prevent environmental damage as well. Well, at least a little.

Other less “radical” solutions include sharing apartments and remarriage. Indeed, living alone not only damages the environment, it also damages physical and psychological health. Having a roommate also means having someone to talk to when arriving home.

Be this as it may, no matter what reasons one might find to prevent divorce, it will remain a trend throughout this century. People who come from divorced homes are more likely to get divorced. Divorce seems less like a big deal if you have seen your parents go through with it. But after you divorce, try sharing an apartment with someone.