Slog - Comments on Wanna Save the Planet? http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/wanna_save_the_planet Don't divorce the bastard. Forget about staying together for the sake of the kids. Researchers have a new reason: Do it for the planet. An analysis of data on domestic relations and resource use in the U.S. and 11 other countries shows that divorce leads to more households--so more land gets built up and more building materials are used. They concluded that in the U.S. circa 2000, there were about 6 million "extra" households due to divorce. Worse yet, the households have fewer people in them. So on a per capita basis, divorced residents consume more goods, use more electricity... Copyright 2008 Tue, 04 Dec 2007 08:42:32 -0800 Wed, 05 Dec 2007 00:31:27 -0800 http://www.movabletype.org/?v=3.34 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Comment by Hal I've always been anti-divorce, now I have scientific data to back up my position. Thanx Dan!

]]> Hal http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/wanna_save_the_planet#c860905 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/wanna_save_the_planet#c860905 Enviro Tue, 04 Dec 2007 08:49:19 -0800 Comment by Heather "Always been anti-divorce?" How quaint.

But really this makes another case for same-sex marriage. If more of us can marry we can save the planet.

]]> Heather http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/wanna_save_the_planet#c860913 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/wanna_save_the_planet#c860913 Enviro Tue, 04 Dec 2007 08:59:53 -0800 Comment by Ryan Red I'm going to use this to try and get a date. Oh what my sad sad life has come to.

]]> Ryan Red http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/wanna_save_the_planet#c860914 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/wanna_save_the_planet#c860914 Enviro Tue, 04 Dec 2007 09:01:46 -0800 Comment by Providence Actually this is a case for murdering your spouse instead of divorcing him - one less person in the world spreading their carbon around (and no alimony!).

]]> Providence http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/wanna_save_the_planet#c860916 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/wanna_save_the_planet#c860916 Enviro Tue, 04 Dec 2007 09:05:19 -0800 Comment by It's Mark Mitchell And another good argument for polygamy as well.

]]> It's Mark Mitchell http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/wanna_save_the_planet#c860923 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/wanna_save_the_planet#c860923 Enviro Tue, 04 Dec 2007 09:10:11 -0800 Comment by raindrop Not to mention parents that divorice and remary, make more babies, and their first kids are doomed to shuttle visits to go "visit" daddy or go "visit" mommy. Ugh!

]]> raindrop http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/wanna_save_the_planet#c860928 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/wanna_save_the_planet#c860928 Enviro Tue, 04 Dec 2007 09:15:12 -0800 Comment by KeeKee Yes, think of all the emissions being put out just from shuttling those kids around all the time.

]]> KeeKee http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/wanna_save_the_planet#c860938 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/wanna_save_the_planet#c860938 Enviro Tue, 04 Dec 2007 09:23:58 -0800 Comment by tsm Join my harem, ladies. It's for the sake of Mother Earth.

]]> tsm http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/wanna_save_the_planet#c860939 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/wanna_save_the_planet#c860939 Enviro Tue, 04 Dec 2007 09:24:57 -0800 Comment by Paul Barclay This is a great argument for polygamy. Also, a great argument for "live in your parents' basements until you're 45". Better still, practice polygamy while living in your parents' basement.

]]> Paul Barclay http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/wanna_save_the_planet#c860941 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/wanna_save_the_planet#c860941 Enviro Tue, 04 Dec 2007 09:26:22 -0800 Comment by snark If you're that concerned about the planet,
the best thing for it would be for everyone to kill each other.

Are we there yet?

]]> snark http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/wanna_save_the_planet#c860945 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/wanna_save_the_planet#c860945 Enviro Tue, 04 Dec 2007 09:28:00 -0800 Comment by Greg I could do more for the planet by killing any random ten people in Medina.

]]> Greg http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/wanna_save_the_planet#c860949 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/wanna_save_the_planet#c860949 Enviro Tue, 04 Dec 2007 09:33:17 -0800 Comment by Carollani This study has nothing to do with "marriage," it's cohabitation that saves the earth.

]]> Carollani http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/wanna_save_the_planet#c860957 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/wanna_save_the_planet#c860957 Enviro Tue, 04 Dec 2007 09:45:30 -0800 Comment by M I'm with #4 on this one. Just make sure a good life insurance policy is in place.

]]> M http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/wanna_save_the_planet#c860958 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/wanna_save_the_planet#c860958 Enviro Tue, 04 Dec 2007 09:48:05 -0800 Comment by max Why don't they just recommend co-habitation? It takes trees to make a marriage license.
Just another way the right is keeping women stuck in bad marriages. Besides why MARRIAGE? Most of the good relationships I have seen don't involve walking down the aisle (but, of course, if someone wants to do that I am all for it.)

]]> max http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/wanna_save_the_planet#c860962 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/wanna_save_the_planet#c860962 Enviro Tue, 04 Dec 2007 09:53:35 -0800 Comment by Jethro Jeezus! You're just looking for a fight, aren't you?

]]> Jethro http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/wanna_save_the_planet#c860986 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/wanna_save_the_planet#c860986 Enviro Tue, 04 Dec 2007 10:14:31 -0800 Comment by Will in Seattle Part of this is due to the divorce decrees - I remember some divorced moms telling me they legally had to rent a 2 bedroom place, even if they had a small kid and the kid wanted to sleep in the same bed as them.

Blame the lawyers. I find that always works.

]]> Will in Seattle http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/wanna_save_the_planet#c860989 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/wanna_save_the_planet#c860989 Enviro Tue, 04 Dec 2007 10:15:49 -0800 Comment by Irena Let's see how I'm doing:

1. In an 11-year relationship (+)
2. Not married (-)
3. Not living together (-)
4. No kids (+)
5. Share one rarely-used camper van (+)

Looks okay to me. Cohabitation is overrated!

]]> Irena http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/wanna_save_the_planet#c860997 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/wanna_save_the_planet#c860997 Enviro Tue, 04 Dec 2007 10:21:35 -0800 Comment by unPC Yes, cohabitation.

Many Seattleites live by themselves, in a house (1800-3000 SF) that decades ago housed 3-5 people (in something called a "family," I think). Neighborhood groups/the City prevent such single dwellers from easily turning the upstairs or the basement (or the garage) into another dwelling unit.
Or three. Even though this would _create_ hoursing, _create_ affordable housing, and _create_ more rentals -- exactly what we need.
And be more eco-logical.

We call 75% or our land "single family" zone, but really lots of it is a wasteful "single person" zone.

Not slamming those who want to live alone; our general policies should give us more choices when the basic family structure has changed so much.

No one has 3 kids any more, really.

]]> unPC http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/wanna_save_the_planet#c860999 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/wanna_save_the_planet#c860999 Enviro Tue, 04 Dec 2007 10:23:48 -0800 Comment by Gomez That doesn't even make sense! Didn't separate households exist between members of most couples BEFORE they got married?

Left wingers are such closeted social conservatives it's ridiculous.

Posting or proliferating this line of thinking is stupid.

]]> Gomez http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/wanna_save_the_planet#c861170 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/wanna_save_the_planet#c861170 Enviro Tue, 04 Dec 2007 12:12:17 -0800 Comment by NapoleonXIV Plague, famine, pestilence and famine would go a long way to reducing global warmimg, as well.

I'm sure carbon-dioxide levels fell when a third of Europe died of the Black Plague in the Fourteenth Century.

]]> NapoleonXIV http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/wanna_save_the_planet#c861171 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/wanna_save_the_planet#c861171 Enviro Tue, 04 Dec 2007 12:12:34 -0800 Comment by Gitai In Russia, the high cost of housing often forces divorced couples to keep living together. It's a perfect solution. No increase in carbon footprint, and it leads to plenty of murders.

]]> Gitai http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/wanna_save_the_planet#c861189 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/wanna_save_the_planet#c861189 Enviro Tue, 04 Dec 2007 12:22:39 -0800 Comment by Will in Seattle Of course, in my condo association, we started off with four single people and now we have three couples and one dad with a kid, so condos can be good too.

]]> Will in Seattle http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/wanna_save_the_planet#c861219 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/wanna_save_the_planet#c861219 Enviro Tue, 04 Dec 2007 12:41:18 -0800 Comment by idaho Let's model that against no one getting married in the first place, huh? wouldn't that be the more appropriate denominator?

]]> idaho http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/wanna_save_the_planet#c862093 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/12/wanna_save_the_planet#c862093 Enviro Wed, 05 Dec 2007 00:31:27 -0800