More dumb ways to cut down on carbon emissions

I feel a new series of posts coming up. First there was this lady’s decision to deprive her kids of organized sports (because the icecaps are totally going to melt if you drive those thirty minutes to and from practice). Now there’s this piece up at Slate suggesting you “date local.” Like “eating local,” “dating local” is meant to cut down on unnecessary carbon emissions caused by travel, or some such. Like “eating local” to save the planet, it’s also annoyingly smug and (oftentimes) totally impractical. (Hey, the heart wants what it wants. Can’t I be a neocon warmonger AND a hopeless romantic?)

The best part about that Slate piece, by the by, is this comment thread over at Feministing. They’re so cute when they get riled up over something.