Gordon Fleming and Shelly Cobb are your typical green California couple. Gordon recycles, reuses, and bikes to work. Shelly raises chickens in their backyard and worries if her sushi is local. They might live in eco-harmony – except Fleming claims Cobb is in a high priestess phase and Cobb counters that Fleming’s hot showers are too long. According to an unrepentant Fleming, “I like to see the water pouring down.”

The New York Times recently reported that they are not alone. Therapists say they are seeing a rise in bickering between couples and family members over how much they should adjust their lives to accommodate environmental issues. Apparently, it is driving some couples eco-insane.

According to the Times, friends or family members who are not devoted to the environmental cause can become irritated by life choices they view as self-righteous or politically correct. The reason green issues can seem so contentious is that they are morally charged. Therefore, the green lines are going up in homes across the country as to who uses reusable bags, who buys organic eggs, and who calculates his or her carbon footprint.