Running out of date ideas? Are you tired of the usual dinner and movie night outs? Why not impress your special someone by having an eco-friendly date? Aside from having a fabulous time together, a green inspired activity is a great way to minimize damage to the environment.

Here are some clean and green date activities to help you pull off a fun and earth-friendly date:

Forget the car – A little sacrifice goes a long way. While driving is convenient, it creates air pollution. Try walking tours instead and save on fuel consumption while partaking the beauty of your local architecture. Plus, you can lose some calories, too. If walking is such a pain, then opt for public transportation, such as buses and trains. Or better yet, take the bike, which is the most eco-friendly way to get around.

Dine at a local restaurant – Green your dining options, too! Browse your local events guide and check for restaurants in your area that practices green hospitality and cook meals using lesser energy consumption. You can also look for a dining establishment that supports local agriculture or serves organic cuisine.

Visit the farmers market – As going to the farm is rather inconvenient, instead, meet your date on a Saturday morning at a local farmers market and shop for some homegrown produce. Try an organic wine, bread or cheese if you please. A lot of farmers markets are popping up in communities, and visiting one is a wonderful way to support the local agriculture. You will be even surprised to know that these farmers markets not only offer a wide selection of the freshest and luscious fruits, vegetables, meats, seafood, but they also have delectable recipes to share!

Have an earth-friendly picnic at the park – With all those locally grown products you bought, you should consider planning a green picnic at the park. Stay away from plastic utensils and other disposables. Bring your favorite china, silverware, wine glasses, and cloth napkins instead. Whip up some fresh salads, sandwiches, a bottle of wine; pack them neatly in stainless steel food containers, and you’re all set for a hearty meal. Spread the tablecloth or blanket; get cozy and enjoy the fresh air.

Give back to the community – Pledge your date time to a local non-profit organization. You and your significant other can either support a cause by donating or volunteering. For instance, you can serve meals at a soup kitchen or help out a retirement facility. Most big cities also have green projects that you can be part of. Just find something you both enjoy, and beneficial for the community.

Check out the outdoors – What is green dating without heading outdoors? The best earth-friendly date is involving Mother Nature! And your options are simply infinite-hiking, swimming, rafting, skiing, kayaking, sailing, surfing are all fantastic green date ideas that allow you to enjoy nature’s beauty, and each other!

If you are into green living, arrange a perfect date that minimizes carbon footprint and contributes to earth preservation. Just refer to the green dating ideas above, and surely, your date will appreciate you even more. And he or she might be inspired, too, to start a green lifestyle!

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Cotton and Cashmere are two well-known clothing fabrics. Cotton is the most popular fabric with positive attributes such as soft, breathable, and affordable price. Cashmere is known as diamond fiber for its super softness, comfort, and pricy. Both are natural fibers which are clearly seen as being more environmentally friendly. How green are they? The following facts and incredible numbers make you feel what is behind the scene.

Cotton
The traditional cotton consumes approximately 25% of the world’s insecticides and 10% of the pesticides. Cotton production uses more chemicals per unit area than any other crop. In addition to those applied chemicals, much water is necessary for the irrigation and these chemicals are easily infiltrated the soil and water. Even more, seven of the top 15 pesticides used on US cotton crops are listed by the EPA as potential or known human carcinogens. When you have an irritated skin, have you ever thought about the chemicals on your skin?

Cashmere
Most of people know a lot of super features in cashmere, such as supreme soft and warm. Few people have an idea on the serious environment effect from cashmere production.
Before further discussion, cashmere production primer is summarized with courtesy of U.N. Environment Program from Asian Development Bank. Cashmere is combed each spring from the beneath the coarse outer hair of the goat. It takes 2 – 3 animals to produce a sweater, twice that for a sport coat. About 70% of cashmere is produced a year in China. The main production area is in Alashan Plateau near Mongolian border. The number of goats soared from 2.4 million in 1949 to 25.8 million in 2004 which turn China’s grasslands, the world’s third-largest, into desserts. The desert expanded by an area larger than Netherland within 5 years from 1994-99. A 1998 sand storm that began in China and Mongolia caused air pollution warnings in Washington, Idaho, Oregon, and British Columbia. With the US high demand, the over-herding not only changed a pricy Cashmere look into an affordable Wal-Mart sweater but also turned the grassland into the desert. Now China realizes the environment effect from the cashmere manufacture so the relevant agricultural policies are set up to regulate the production. Another factor for the environment damage is the goats themselves. Unlike common grass or plant eaters, they are expert forager. They graze down to the lower level and pull up the root to eat. It also happens to the seedlings that the goats nibble at the bark which transports nutrients to the trees. So once the bark is damaged, the trees will die.

Clothing is not just for wearing when you have some worthy knowledge. The other eco-friendly fabric is worth of being paid more attention, such as silk, organic cotton.

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