Farmers in Italy’s famous Tuscany area are struggling to save grape and olive crops influenced by a heatwave and dry conditions. A lack of (缺乏) rainfall since spring has even influenced plants that traditionally grow well in hot and dry weather.

In San Casciano in Val di Pesa, near Florence, olive trees line the hillsides. But farmers say the dry soil is preventing the trees from producing the usual production of fruit.

Tuscany is famous around the world for its olive oil and wine from grapes. But growers in the area say dry, hot weather always has a great influence on the crops and harms (损害) production. But this year’s heat and lack of water happened during an important time, when the flowers were changing to fruit. Without water, many flowers fall to the ground before they can produce fruit. This year’s oil production could be cut by up to 60 percent.

Olive growers have decided to change some of their farming methods. They have used a new watering method to make up for the lack of rainfall and hot temperatures. The method works with a pipe placed under the trees to drop water little by little.

The influences of weather change have harmed production and plants, but they have also created new areas in Italy where crops can be grown. A few years ago, olive farms were mainly found in hot and dry areas such as Sicily. Now, areas such as Val d’Aosta in the far north of Italy — which is famous for its snow sport holiday places and mountains — can produce their own oil.

Climate change is also influencing wine crops in Tuscany. In Chianti, for example, September is normally the month for the yearly grape harvest (收获). But with continued high temperatures, many grapes are ripening(成熟) earlier than expected. Apart from the drop in grapes caused by the current heatwave, wine growers also have to deal with other serious weather events. An ice storm recently harmed 40 percent of grapes in the area.

As a society we might want to rethink the time and money spent on education, so that these resources can benefit a greater percentage of the population. Ideally, both high schools and colleges can prepare individuals for the ever-changing roles that are likely to be expected of them.

High school degrees offer far less in the way of preparation for work than they might, or than many other nations currently offer, creating a growing skills gap in our economy. We encourage students to go on to college whether they are prepared or not, or have a clear sense of purpose or interest, and now have the highest college dropout rate in the world.

We might look to other countries for models of how high schools can offer better training, as well as the development of a work ethic(美德)and the intellectual skills needed for continued learning and development. I recommend Harvard’s 2011 “Pathways to Prosperity” report for more attention to the “forgotten half”(those who do not go on to college)and ideas about how to address this issue.

Simultaneously, the liberal arts become more important than ever. In a knowledge economy where professional roles change rapidly and many college students are preparing for positions that may not even exist yet, the skill set needed is one that prepares them for change and continued learning.

Learning to express ideas well in both writing and speech, knowing how to find information, and knowing how to do research are all-solid background skills for a wide variety of roles, and such training is more important than any particular major in a liberal arts college. We need to continue to value broad preparation in thinking skills that will serve for a lifetime.

Students also need to learn to work independently and to make responsible decisions. The lengthening path to adulthood appears exacerbated(恶化)by parental involvement in the college years. Given the rising investment in college education, parental concern is not surprising, but learning where and when to intervene will help students take more ownership of the outcomes of these increasingly costly educations.

Search “toxic parents”, and you’ll find more than 38,000 posts, largely urging young adults to cut ties with their families. The idea is to safeguard one’s mental health from abusive parents (虐待型父母). However, as a psychoanalyst (精神分析学家), I’ve seen that trend in recent years become a way to manage conflicts in the family, and the severe impacts estrangement (疏远) has on both sides of the divide. This is a self-help trend that creates much harm.

Today’s social justice values respond to this reality, calling on us to criticize oppressive (高压的) and harmful figures and to gain power for those who have been powerless. But when adult children use the most effective tool they have - themselves - to gain a sense of security and ban their parents from their lives, the roles are simply switched, and the pain only deepens.

Often, what I see in my practice are cases of family conflict mismanaged. I see the terrible effect of that trend: situations with no winners, only isolated (孤立的;孤独的) humans who long to be known and feel safe in the presence of the other.

The catch is that after estrangement, adult children feel abandoned and betrayed. They carry the ghosts of their childhood, tackling the emotional reality that those who raised us can never truly be left behind, no matter how hard we try.

What I have found is that most of these families need repair, not permanent break-up. How can one learn how to negotiate (谈判;协商) needs, to create boundaries and to trust? How can we love others, and ourselves, if not through accepting the limitations that come with being human? Good relationships are the result not of a perfect level of harmony but rather of successful adjustments.

To pursue (追求) dialogue instead of estrangement will be hard and painful work. It can’t be a single project of “self-help”, because at the end of the day, real intimacy (亲密关系) is achieved by working through the injuries of the past together. In most cases of family conflict, repair is possible and preferable to estrangement - and it’s worth the work.