Your dating carbon footprint is a measurement of carbon dioxide and methane emissions you are contributing to the planet. Dating can increase your carbon footprint by driving to far away places and eating out, going to the theater and buying stuff to impress. If you feel your carbon dating footprint is too big and not good for the environment, there are a few simple solutions to offset your carbon contribution.

– Date Locally

When you date people in your area, you are helping save your love life and the planet! Why have your date fly across the country to meet for coffee when there are hundreds if not thousands of locals near you? Where are they? They’re in coffee shops, the post office and grocery stores near you. You can also check out planetsingles.com, greenpassions.com, and ecodater.com. These are a few of the green-friendly dating websites. If you’re paired up with someone else who is conscious, you can be a carbon footprint force to be reckoned with.

– Line ‘Em Up

If you’re already going to the coffee shop to meet one of the cuties from online, or someone you met at the health food store or the local market, you might as well chat up a few more and meet 2, 3 or 4 of them. Make a couple of dates at the same place or at least in the same neighborhood. Space them out at least an hour apart. You can sit on your tush while they come to you, and you’ll also save your personal time while shrinking your gas consumption.

– Make Dinner

Food miles are a small percentage of the carbon footprint chart, but it does have an impact. The way food is produced has an even larger effect on the planet. When you’re cooking up some dinner, and hopefully some lovin’, you can take in to account what you make and where it comes from. Using less red meat and more veggies is a great start. When you get your produce from a local farmers market or your own garden, you will be changing your impact even more. Eating locally along with dating locally is an Earth Day double whammy.

– Have a Staring Contest

Looking into each other’s eyes, instead of at your phone, television or computer screen, will save our earth mother by reducing the use of these energy sucking devices. Do you really want to be texting someone else while you’re on a date? I certainly hope not. If you’ve gotta tell your best friend about your awesome date, at least be sly and send it while you’re in the bathroom. Spare you and your date the use of any electronic devices and I promise, you won’t be sorry. A nice kiss can be much more entertaining than old sitcom re-runs on YouTube.

– Set the Mood

Get some candles. If they’re made from local beeswax, that’s even better. Get out the matches and turn off the overhead lights, please! You’ll not only allow your date to take off their sunglasses, but you’ll be saving on that draining, 1970’s 4-bulb energy light fixture on your cracked ceiling.

– Carpooling

After you’ve gone on your first date and you feel comfortable, let your date pick you up. You can look at the sunset and listen to their funny stories while you’re sharing mileage on the way to your favorite local restaurant. Less gas equals less carbon footprint.

– Save Water

If you’re date is going really well, you can save energy by expending your energy together in the sack. After a good romp you’ll both be nice and hot, so you can take a cold shower together. Using this method will your lower your hot water consumption, thus downsizing your energy costs among other things, if the water is really really cold, that is.

Dina Z Colada is a dating coach. If you have any questions send them to dinazcolada@gmail.com.