| We all know we should be doing our bit for the | | | | Act the part. At the risk of sounding preachy, lots of |
| environment, but if low energy light bulbs and recycling | | | | eco-friendly activities take surprisingly little effort and |
| have always seemed a bit boring to you, here's a | | | | some even give you a little glow of pride. Consider |
| great reason to sit up and listen: hippy chicks. | | | | trying the following: |
| Eco-girls may be ahead of the crowd when it comes | | | | * Don't get caught carrying plastic bags. Reusable |
| to waste awareness, but their approach to dating is | | | | cotton bags fold up really small, so stuff one in your |
| often straight out of the sixties - they're laidback, open | | | | jacket pocket next time you go to the store. |
| minded and lack that materialistic streak which makes | | | | * Invest in a quality travel mug and some Tupperware, |
| so many women covet extravagant gifts. Sounds | | | | and take coffee and sandwiches to work. This results |
| great, right? | | | | in less waste and saves you a fortune, too. |
| But if you spend all day every day in high-tech offices | | | | * Lots of smart brands now stock organic clothes, so, |
| and fancy wine bars, how are you going to meet one? | | | | given the choice, take the ethical option. |
| Let me be your guide. | | | | * Use public transport or get on your bike. |
| Start by heading to the places where hippy chicks | | | | If you can't or won't go green for real, you're going to |
| hang out. We're talking Fair Trade coffee shops and | | | | need to pretend. Avoid wearing shiny leather shoes on |
| progressive book stores here. Ditch the supermarket in | | | | your first date, and don't even consider picking her up |
| favor of farmers' markets and organic food stores. | | | | in a gas-guzzling SUV. |
| Yoga may sound silly, but it's great for getting rid of | | | | When making a date, think carefully about the |
| aches and pains and day to day stresses, so consider | | | | destination. She may be vegetarian, so a steak house |
| joining a class. | | | | is out of the question. Consider independent coffee |
| Get yourself up to date with the main issues. There | | | | shops and small, quirky restaurants with menus full of |
| are plenty of books and websites offering the latest | | | | organic ingredients. Hippy chicks love to get back to |
| information, so read up on everything from recycling to | | | | nature, so walks in the woods or strolls along the |
| animal testing, alternative energies to over population. | | | | beach will also be a hit. |
| If you can't keep track of all those issues, don't worry. | | | | Scoring with an eco-babe may take a bit more |
| Admitting you know very little about nuclear waste | | | | research than your average girl, but they're worth the |
| can actually be a good thing. Hippy chicks love to | | | | work - and don't forget that all those ethical new habits |
| share their wisdom, so asking for more information can | | | | you've picked up will more than offset any less than |
| be a great way of getting her to talk to you. Make | | | | virtuous intentions you may have for the end of your |
| sure you show that you're willing to learn and she'll be | | | | date. |
| more than happy to help you. | | | | |