Looking for green love
Written by Contributor
It turns out that a lot of environmental and socially minded people are looking for that perfect love match, and they’re browsing green-focused dating sites like Earth Wise Singles, created especially for “green-living and environmentally responsible adults” and GreenSingles.com which caters to green match making for friendship and romance.
Hopeful romantics on Earth Wise Singles describe their ideal partner in these sorts of terms: “Earth minded, easy going… Doesn’t mind dirt under their nails and playing in the rain”; “Honor our earth and respect self as well as all beings”; “…someone passionate about environment, peace, justice, but also with a funny streak.”
These sites don’t deliver the usual “likes movies, dancing and travel” kind of profile (although many of the people still love these things). There might be long romantic walks on the beach, but you could end up cleaning birds and sand after an oil spill.
As the environment becomes a more up-front concern in peoples’ lives, it starts to join other romantic deal-breakers such as religion, politics, and career choices. Environmental values are especially tricky because they’re as much about personal habits as they are about the views you express. Does he recycle? Does she bike to work? Does he compost?
A recent Maclean’s article discusses one green couple that’s facing relationship strain over how long to spend in the shower.
There is nothing to stop people from being upfront about their green habits on sites like eHarmony, LavaLife or Perfectmatch.com – who recently added profiling questions like, “A potential date and/or partner’s commitment to the environment is important to me,” to their questionnaire. However, a lot of eco types feel that they’ve been burned, or simply lost in the crowd by the mega dating sites, where users find out that what you see is not necessarily what you get.
“Some people give off the green symbols,” says one eco romantic who abandoned mainstream dating sites after her dream date turned out to be a litterbug. “But they are not totally green at heart.”
Environmentally-minded singles are turning, in growing numbers, to environmental dating sites like GreenSingles.com, Greenpassions.com, who also have an extensive gift section, so you can purchase bamboo jewellery or jute bedroom slippers for that special earth-minded someone you met online.
These specialized sites try to guarantee a community interested in the environment, vegetarianism, and social justice:
The LoveIsGreen website challenges the idea that “love is blind” because “[e]ven love can’t ignore certain facts like e.g. (sic) the treatment of (non-human) animals.”
The lean for most of these sites seems to be vegetarian in nature. The meatiest lifestyle category on LoveIsGreen is “Almost vegetarian.” There are a number of all-vegetarian, all-the-time sites such as VeggieLove.com, Veggiesingles4you.com, and Lovesorganic.com, “where vegetarian friends and singles feel at home.”
The important part is to find your level. Even when everyone on a site is environmental, people will have different ideas about being green.
Adria Vasil, author of the eco advice column Ecoholic, for the Toronto weekly, NOW
Magazine, offers solid advice on green dating. She recommends that in addition to online sites, volunteering for green organizations is another way to meet potential matches. Vasil also advises establishing “realistic expectations that are right for you. Maybe you don’t mind a guy who eats chicken as long as he recycles fervently and bikes to work.”
Similar to general online dating sites, peoples’ profiles may not be all they’re cracked up to be. However, you can rest assured that at least they’re paying more than lip service to environmental values.
Green and veggie dating sites:
* Green Friends
* Green-Passions
* Earth Wise Singles
* Green Singles
* Loves Organic
* VeggieConnection.com
* VeggieDate
* VeggieFishing.com
* Vegan Passions
* www.ecodater.com
