Election season is here, and it’s looking like a Werther’s Original showdown. We’ve got a 78-year-old and an 81-year-old limbering up for the big race. Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley’s in the mix too, but her chances of snagging the GOP nomination seem all but gone after losing the Iowa Caucus and the New Hampshire Primary.

Joe Manchin, the coal-loving 76-year-old Democratic U.S. senator from West Virginia, is mulling a third-party run as an independent, adding a youthful twist to proceedings.

What is known is that climate change and the environment will be pivotal topics in the months ahead. If Trump gets back in, expect a rollback on green policies faster than you can say “greenwashing.” If Biden wins, he’ll likely keep steering his administration toward greener policies and away from fossil fuels.

Love them or loathe them, just don’t get too attached. They aren’t getting any younger.

Talking of attachment, in today’s Meltdown, we’ll discuss how a theory about romantic relationships could save the planet and how other countries are successfully using renewable energy to escape the tar-covered chains of fossil fuels.

Before you read on, please feel free to follow me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. And share this newsletter with your friends if you think they’ll enjoy it.

Drizzle

Months ago in The Meltdown, we very lightly mentioned how attachment theory — which is about how our childhood bonds with parents inform our romantic relationships in adulthood — could actually be a way to help the world deal with our rapidly changing climate.

“For the sake of simplicity, people who are secure, low anxiety or [low] avoidant, are the ones who are more likely to engage in pro-social behavior and be more altruistic – like caring about climate change,” Prof. Omri Gillath, professor of psychology at the University of Kansas, told Reckon. “Whereas people who are insecure in relationships, high anxiety or avoidant, are less likely to engage in that process or will do it for the wrong reasons — to deal with their anxieties, get close to other people and feel appreciated.”

One study from 2022 echoes Gillath’s thoughts, noting that people with insecure attachment styles most likely don’t care about climate change or the environment.

“Insecure attachment predisposes us, as a species, to neglect, denigrate, and commodify the natural world, which, in turn, is giving rise to climate change,” noted the study, Mother Nature: An Initial Exploration of New Potential for Attachment theory.

Touch Grass

Everyone has an attachment style. Around 50% of people are secure, while the rest are split evenly as anxious or avoidant. Secure individuals are comfortable with intimacy and trust easily, while anxious people fear rejection and seek validation, and avoidant types shun closeness, fearing loss of independence. These traits can change as we get older and encounter different partners – for better or worse.

For some, being anxious or avoidant can be perplexing and sad. Relationships can fall apart quickly, and many people don’t know why. But there are ways to change your style.

Prof. Gillath suggests being more mindful about how you interact with others.

Here are five ways you can get started.

Cultivate self-awareness: Begin by understanding your current attachment style. Reflect on your reactions and feelings in relationships. Awareness is the first step towards change.

Practice tolerance: Work on being more tolerant of others’ flaws and differences. Understand that imperfections are a part of human nature, and practice accepting them in both yourself and others.

Embrace forgiveness: Learn to forgive past hurts in yourself and others. Holding onto grudges can reinforce negative patterns in relationships.

Be kind and compassionate: Practice kindness, both towards yourself and others. This can help in building more positive and secure relationships.

Foster gratitude: Focus on the positive aspects of your relationships. Practice gratitude by acknowledging and appreciating the good in others and your interactions with them. Consider keeping a gratitude journal.

Compost Dump

Sometimes, when looking for climate change solutions and evidence, it can be helpful to look away from the U.S. to places where the path forward has been agreed, regardless of political affiliation. Renewables are revolutionizing energy in lots of countries. We should take note.

Here are five countries that are addressing climate change differently.

Iceland: Geothermal and Hydroelectric Power.

Almost 100% of its electricity and heating comes from renewable sources. Geothermal energy provides about 66% of primary energy, the highest share of any nation.

Norway: Hydropower.

Over 98% of the electricity production in Norway comes from hydropower plants. Norway plans to become carbon neutral by 2030 and invests heavily in electric vehicle infrastructure.

Costa Rica: A mix of Hydropower, Wind, Geothermal, and Solar Energy.

Costa Rica has run entirely on renewable energy for more than 250 consecutive days. In 2019, 99.62% of Costa Rica’s electricity came from renewable sources, and the country aims to be carbon-neutral in this decade.

Germany: Wind, Solar, Biomass, and Hydropower.

In 2022, renewable energy sources accounted for more than 46% of Germany’s electricity consumption. Germany’s Energiewende (energy transition) policy aims to generate at least 80% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2050.

Denmark: Wind Power.

Denmark often produces enough wind energy to meet all its electricity needs and even exports power to neighboring countries. In 2022, wind power provided about 50% of Denmark’s electricity consumption, and the country aims to be free of fossil fuels by 2050.

Thanks for reading The Meltdown. Please sign up, share, and be kind. Send tips to: [email protected]

See you next week.