I acknowledge that there are many individuals in the world that are concerned with the well-being of the environment. However, many eco-concerned individuals have not yet learned how to apply an environmentally-conscious approach to their day-to-day lifestyle in a tangible way. The purpose of this post is to provide possible steps to take when planning an eco-conscious date.
Many Environmentalists are excited about dating. Hopefully my post can inspire Environmentalists to approach their "date-planning" in a way in which the earth will not be harmed. Firstly, dates pose the problem of transportation. Will you drive your car, ride a bus, ride the subway, bike, skateboard or walk to pick up your date? Well, picking up your date in a gasoline-driven automobile is most certainly a mistake on ideological grounds-cars pollute the air for everyone. So, driving for a date, in a sense, ruins the air for everyone in society, including the "loved one" you are picking up. Driving for a date, is then directly counter-productive to your love for the earth as well as for your partner. Driving for a date-score 20%. The Electric Car is a good alternative to the gasoline-engine automobile because it has 0 emissions and since no gas is required, the electric car does not bolster profits for the wicked oil companies, such as Exxon. However, an incredible amount of energy goes into the production of an Electric Car, and its production drives Capitalistic profit so it is not really ideal. Electric Car-score 60%. Consequently, riding a bus or a subway is a better option than driving a private automobile. Buses and Subways are very efficient means of transportation in cities and should be utilized whenever possible. Taking public transportation for a date-score 80%. However, bicycling to pick up your date is probably the most ideal option(be sure to wear deodorant ). In this case, the air is preserved, the individual riding receives physical exercise which can relieve pre-date anxiety, and within an urban context, the bicycle is highly efficient. It is at times, faster to travel between point A and point B via bicycle than by car because so many alternative routes are opened up- bicycles are small, can be used on sidewalks, and can easily navigate small-spaces. Skateboarding and walking are also intelligent options because neither activity contributes to air-pollution. The downside to those activities is that it may take a long time to reach your destination, in either case and you may perspire heavily on the way. Bicycling, skateboarding, and walking to a date-score 100%.
Second, is the problem of food. Will you eat out at a chain, a local restaurant, or a food-cooperative? Or, will you prepare food yourself at your home? Or, will you forage for food with your date?(this is a viable possibility that is commonly overlooked) The worst option here is to eat at a chain restaurant. Chains are generally not socially-conscious (with the exception of Starbucks which provides free health-care for many of its employees.) When this path is taken, 1)The Corporate-greed is served[you are adding to the profits of major conglomerates], 2) A further perpetuation of the homogenization of your community occurs, 3) You are (in many cases) provided with food that has been genetically engineered, 4) You are consuming food that is generally far-from wholesome, and 5) You are provided with portions that are enormously huge, which may serve to make you fat, and 6)Chains use disposable plates, bags, and cups which is an inefficient use of resources. Chains-score 20%. The next best option is a local restaurant that has Vegetarian or Vegan food that is imported from local sources and uses silverware, real-plates, and glasses. Patronizing local restaurants keeps money in your community and provides tax-revenue for your local school districts. The downside is many restaurants do not recycle or compost. Local restaurants-score 60%. The next best option is to go to a food-cooperative with organic vegetables that are imported from local sources(no more than 20 miles) If there it is locally-owned that is preferable but Whole Foods is permissible. Food-cooperative-score 70%. A cut above the food-cooperative is to attend a local Farmer's market. This way, you reward farmer's directly for their hard-work. If the farmer's have outsourced to a middle-man, and sell at a farmer's market, you at least get fresher food than you would at your local grocery store. Farmer's market-score 75%. The absolute creme de le creme of food-sources for dates is to forage together. If you can visit a neighbor's backyard and pick their apples, cherries, or blue-berries, that is the ideal food situation because 1) no money is spent, 2) the fruit is extremely fresh, 3) pesticides and chemicals are usually not used on trees and bushes in people's backyards. Finding berries in the woods while hiking is also ideal. If none of your neighbors have apple trees, and you cannot find wild-food to eat while hiking, a visit to a local orchard(preferably by bike but by electric car is also preferable) is also a promising alternative. Neighbors yard-score 100%, foraging while hiking-score 100%, visiting a local orchard, 80%(because you may have had to drive there, and there is a high likelihood that chemicals have been used on the plants.
A breakdown:
Transportation:
Driving-20%
Electric Car-60%
Public Transportation-80%
Bicyling-100%
Skateboarding-100%
Walking 100%
Food:
Chain: 20%
Local Restaurant:60%
Food-Cooperative: 70%
Farmer's Market: 75%
Local Orchard: 80%
Neighbor's Yard:100%
Foraging While Hiking: 100%(assuming you eat no poisonous food)
