Dating an Environmentalist? 5 Tips For Avoiding the Pitfalls

This guide is a must-read for anyone dating a “green” person. If you want to keep them till next Valentine’s Day, read on.

The most recent Valentine’s Day may have reminded you that it’s a harsh dating world out there. Whether you’re lucky enough to meet someone through a chance encounter at the coffee shop, free dating sites, or even through unorthodox methods such as Chinese astrological sign alignment – once you’ve met someone special you probably want to do everything in your power to make it work.  Easier said than done, though.  This can be especially tough sometimes when your love interest is a hard core environmentalist and has some less-than-conventionally-romantic habits. You may love your baby for having those strong beliefs, but watch out before they become deal breakers.

As with all relationships, the name of the game is compromise.  For those of you that just starting dating an environmentalist (or “greenie”), watch out for these five potential deal breakers and figure out how to resolve them:

1) He/she shows up sweaty everywhere because of refusal to use a private transportation. Private vehicles are a big offender when it comes to carbon emissions, and even eco-friendly cars like the Prius still have an environmental impact. The most friendly forms of transportation are either public transportation (which is not always air conditioned enough), cycling, or walking – and all three may leave your date sweaty when showing up for… well, your date.

The solution?  Try avoiding places that require your date to travel far distances and opt for a closer-to-home alternative.  One option is having a romantic picnic in your living room.  Another option is getting your date a solar-powered, hand-held fan for traveling on the go.

2) He/she uses eco-friendly deodorant. Eco-friendly deodorants which we love avoid using certain anti-perspirant ingredients, such as aluminum ions and other chemicals. Not wanting your body or the environment to be subjected to such substances is noble, but may not do much for your romance if you’re getting up close and personal.  That may be a deal breaking combination.

Have no fear, this can be fixed too.  In addition to avoiding long, sweaty travel, you can suggest that your date carry a spritz bottle of water infused with natural essential oils.  Lavender is a great one, and strong enough to diffuse any unpleasant sweaty odors.

3) He/she thinks vegan desserts are delicious. Animal lover? Yes. Have a lower carbon footprint? Yes. These things can be said of vegan desserts. But delicious? Ummm…. not really. Call us old fashioned, but good desserts have butter and eggs and lots of them. Have you ever tried eating vegan chocolate mousse?

Try to compromise and get your date to agree to organic non-vegan desserts.  If all else fails, stick to seasonal fruits dipped in dark chocolate which are both delicious and a fun activity.

4) He/she has bed bugs in his/her second hand furniture. Second hand furniture has a far lower environmental impact than, say, hopping over to your local Big Box store, but it is not without its dangers. When you buy something new out of the box you know that no one else used it or got into it before you – with second hand furniture you often have no idea who or how many people used the item before you. This can be especially worrying with upholstered furniture, so before spending the night at your greenie’s place, do a quick little scan of the bed and couch to make sure that they are bed bug-free.

A fair compromise may be for your eco-love to buy second hand bed frames, but a new mattress to go with it.  Explain your concerns and hopefully he/she will compromise.  If you mention the green bedding options out there, you’re sure to score some points.

5) Your vacations may be limited to places within driving or railroad distance. If you’re fantasizing about whisking your beloved to Paris or Rome for the weekend, you may want to make sure that that’s even an option. Air travel is one of the worst environmental offenders out there, and some hard core environmentalists have sworn off air travel completely. They have restricted themselves to traveling to places within driving or railroad distance.

But for those dating within the Middle East, this may not be a problem since there are lots of beautiful places to visit within driving/railroad distance.  Check out the eco-tourism options available in Yemen, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Iran, and Syria.

Read more for some extra green dating advice:
5 Green Gifts When Dating an Environmentalist
5 Green Dating Ideas for the Middle Eastern Romantic
5 Green Valentine Ideas for Your Eco-Girlfriend

Image via: LeChon Wilson, Denis Dervisevic

Author: Karen Chernick

Much to the disappointment of her Moroccan grandmother, Karen became a vegetarian at the age of seven because of a heartfelt respect for other forms of life. She also began her journey to understand her surroundings and her impact on the environment. She even starting an elementary school Ecology Club and an environmental newsletter in the 3rd grade. (The proceeds of the newsletter went to non-profit environmental organizations, of course.) She now studies in New York. Karen can be reached at karen (at) greenprophet (dot) com.

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