In New York, there’s a new dating methodology in town and its philosophy is simple: meet like-minded people – as long as by like-minded, you mean someone who will love you almost as much as they love the planet.
Dating has been political through time immemorial. Europe’s Kings and Queens were certainly savvy about partnering for political power with someone who would help make their lineage sustainable. But now a different kind of sustainability is on the dating menu.
Eco-dating encounters, where the planet-conscious can share values and hopefully more, are popping up in New York. The brainchild of climate activist and influencer Kristy Drutman, the “Love and Climate” branded matchmaking events bring together singles with green-tracked minds.
Do opposites attract?
It’s often been said that opposites attract, but dating profiles these days frequently contain caveats and preferences about political views. Even Tinder, whose very name plays on the idea that dates should have an element of combustibility or “spark”, has found in a survey that 75% of singles are actually looking for someone who shares their own views on social issues, someone whom they can get passionate with about the important values in their life.
Meanwhile, an X account known as “The Secret Tory” has suggested Conservatives must hide their true values if they want a successful sex life, while The Metro and Vice have carried articles entitled, “Why I’ll Never Date a Tory Again” and “The Problem with Right-wing Men on Dating Apps”.
So by providing a self-screening process for political views has Drutman hit upon a formula for dating (and business) magic?
Turn climate doom into humour
In fact, she has been playing eco-Cupid since 2021’s Cop26 conference in Glasgow, where she had a revelation about how to make climate activism more engaging. “I was at the UN climate negotiations a few years ago, and it was such a boring, stifled space,” she told The Guardian, adding “I like that people come to make friends,” Drutman said.
It’s another type of community space where people can connect through their activism.
Kristy Drutman, Climate Activist and Influencer
What’s more, dating is not the only arrow to this Cupid’s bow. Her website, known as ‘Browngirl Green’, explains how she “operates at the intersections between media, culture, storytelling, and environmental advocacy.”
Eco-activism is sometimes seen as dry, unsexy, terribly earnest or downright depressing. But according to a 2022 study of 10,000 young people aged 16-25, we are now in a world where 67% of them are “sad and afraid” about climate change. By getting everyone talking about the climate crisis in the context of dating and romance, Drutman aims to “turn climate doom into humour, healing chats and educational tools for action.”
