Love the Environment? Break Up With Your Long-Distance Boyfriend, Says Slate

Relationships are hard work, but when you add distance between the two of you it can become even more complicated. Long distance relationships are quite common these days as the Internet brings people together from all over the world. Other people have to endure long distance relationships because of job obligations that take them away for extended periods of time. Many people won't even attempt to pull off a long distance relationship while others are totally committed to making it work. Some of us know that we just aren't built for this type of relationship while there are others of us that believe that love can endure.

Jenna Stevenson of KY 6:09PM January 31, 2009

This argument is correct, however it assumes that you can always find the partner of your dream can be found locally instead of far away - this is all a very straight forward theory but not very realistic in my opinion. I have met my girlfriend in Australia when I was living in Spain, and we had to be in a LDR for 1 year and I flew there once and she did too. I am sorry for the environment but I can guarantee you that I don't regret that choice! And when you read stories of other couples in LDRs I am sure that they would not agree with your argument. So I would say - it is important to keep this in mind but should not necessarily means no LDR at all. And I am sure that you actually save petrol by not driving to each other's place, work, etc everyday...

Ben 4:53AM October 29, 2008

There's nothing green about poverty. The cheapest food is non-organic, factory-farmed, packaged in plastic and not heathy for humans (aka mamals.) Poor people have to live in buildings with peeling lead-based paint and drink water from aged, unsafe pipes. Poor people live where there is crime, they can't grow a garden because the food will be stolen.

We need to be building a prosperous and green economy. Just getting poor doesn't make you greener!

Sam of CA 6:23PM October 25, 2008

No amount of "re-education" will turn reality on its head. Have you ever been to Italy? The experience is nothing at all like learning Italian from a textbook and then watching shows about Italy on the food network or taking a "foreign studies" class. Thinking about it differently won't make it any nearer to the actual experience of seeing the green countrysides or the rocky coast with your own eyes.

Chickens are very unlike cats or dogs. They aren't cuddly, they aren't as loyal, you sure don't want to let them in your living room, etc; it's just not the same, and that's the reality of it.

As for your last statement, I didn't have an HDTV this year, and I bought a 32" plasma. Very quickly I realized the incredible difference between the old tvs and hdtv. Thinking about it really hard and trying to conjure up some fuzzy feelings inside won't change the fact that on my older tvs the picture IS fuzzy.

None of the things you mention are decent compromises. I agree with Judkis here. Some things, no matter how you think about them, just aren't the same.

mydodger of AR 9:31AM October 24, 2008