See the new issue of Coco Eco Magazine online. This special anniversary issue features fantastic eco denim, a feature with Linda Loudermilk, green goddess tips, green drinks, intelligent and nutrient rich beauty finds as well as eco shopping guides. For instance check out the Coco Eco guide to New York on page 77.

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Our love lives can be physically, emotionally, and environmentally taxing. You’re on your own with the first two issues; I’m here to offer suggestions for the third…

Step One: Meet
You’ll save precious time if you know where to find an equally environmentally-conscious mate. Some suggestions–head to your local farmer’s market or Green Drinks chapter, you’ll likely find a same-age/same-beliefs lover there. Other suggestions include your local library, bookstore, or Whole Foods.

Step Two: Think
After a bit of courting thoughts may turn to the bedroom. Plan for this! Even if you leave your house thinking “there is no chance I am getting lucky tonight!” Plan for ‘it’ anyway. Bring protection! Children are wonderful, especially when two people who love one another bring one (or more) into the world. So unless this is your mate for life and you are both well prepared to love your child/children together forever–bring protection (more on this below).

Wondering why this is a green tip? Visit this site.

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Figure out what you love to do. Then just do it — under a green umbrella. By focusing on the process, rather than the product, Peter Nicholson serves as ecopreneuring inspiration, founding the premiere non-profit organization serving sustainable education in Chicago, Foresight Design Initiative, based around his passion for design.  Nicholson is among the Ecopreneur Profiles featured in our ECOpreneuring book.

“For me, design is manipulating variables for a desired outcome, which in this case is improving our urban quality of life without sacrificing the needs of future generations,” explains Peter. “The variables could be anything from words to graphics to economic influences. I’m fascinated with how we could use design to empower people, to improve human conditions holistically, and often dismayed by the abundant examples of how poor design hinders us.” Today, Peter serves as Executive and Creative Director of Foresight Design Initiative, providing him a palette for sustainable design expression.  Like many sustainable enterprises, they have plans to operate from a showplace green office building not unlike the Matson and Associates Eco-Building in State College, Pennsylvania.

Peter’s career roots back to a foundation in music, essaying initially to be a concert cellist. “When I realized I didn’t have the talent for professional music, I parlayed my music background into arts administration,” explains Peter. Blending music and entrepreneurship, his first venture included launching a classical orchestra in New York City. “I felt classical music was staid and stuck in the 19th century, losing a whole new potential audience. With this new group, we aimed to blow the lid off same old same old and designed fresh, hip graphics and style for every element.”

Enticed by design, Peter enrolled in a design graduate program but left after a year, realizing he had garnered the tools he needed, and took his education into his own hands. A residency in Europe led him to the o2 Challenge in the Netherlands in 1998, a life-changing, dynamic, hands-on working conference on sustainable design that planted the seeds for Foresight Design Initiative. “I realized that sustainability would not evolve without a broader application of design and found, in the challenge of this pursuit, barriers that were both worthwhile and fulfilling to engage,” explains Peter. “Sustainable design, however, was an emerging field; I knew I needed to create the conditions to practice this vocation.”

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Take Green Drinks, for example.  Green Drinks is a social networking group that brings folks who enjoy a good adult beverage while talking about saving the planet together for a happy hour of sorts, except, with a theme.  The evolution of Green Drinks, which now has chapters in over 40 countries, and almost a thousand cities, has brought it to the forefront of socializing and networking for the green community.  Local organizers have begun to solicit donations from the community in exchange for being a ’sponsor’ of the event, and the items are then raffled off, giving promotion to the companies who donate as well as proceeds to the event.  EcoTuesday, a growing social group that now has events in 7 cities, charges $10 if you RSVP, and $20 at the door if you don’t.  It offers a simple format,

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On the prowl for an eco-job? Looking to make sparks fly with an eligible green god or goddess? Recruiting for a conservation project in the community? Simply looking to connect and converse with like-minded folk? If you responded “yes” to any of the above queries, attending a green networking event may be the solution.

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First, keep in mind that the best way to find out about any job, including green ones, is through networking. Most job seekers find new opportunities through people they know - many positions never even make it to the job boards. So get out there and meet people! Keep in mind that the key to good networking isn’t finding people who can help you, it’s finding people that you can help. By providing the information and making the introductions they need, you’ll form relationships with people who want to help you in return.

I’ve found green networking events to be great for this. My favorite one here in LA is Green Business Networking, which I wrote about a while ago. I’ve met many a client there, and have made some friends, too. It’s pretty casual, but business focused - make sure to bring plenty of cards. It’s fine to let people know what sort of job you’re looking for (how else can they help you?) but avoid the mistake made by one attendee, who moved from person to person asking if anyone worked in solar, then moving on quickly if not. Manners, people!

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The Michigan Green Drinks combines with the o2 Network because the membership of the two groups has so much overlap. This month's Green Drinks had about 15 people atttending over the course of the evening. There is not a set program for the evening. Rather, it is just an opportunity to meet like-minded people.

Discussions (that I was part of or was able to overhear) included industrial ergonomics, supply chains and materials for the auto industry (there have been a number of current and former designers from the auto industry who have attended these events), and a like-minded local group called Junto that is modeled on an intellectual discussion group founded by Benjamin Franklin.

I had hoped to have some post-conference discussion with some of the team that helped organize Remodel Green, but they were apparently still recovering from theconference and the last Green Drinks, and weren't there.

o2Michigan also introduced a new T-shirt (printed on organic cotton tees) that announces the Green Drinks program. Shannon Brines (the local food advocate I've written about before) models the o2 Michigan Green Drinks tee (above).

Link: o2Michigan blog

Green Drinks is an international program for people from NGOs, academia, government and business. "These events are very simple and unstructured, but many people have found employment, made friends, developed new ideas, done deals and had moments of serendipity. It's a force for the good and we'd like to help it spread to other cities."

There are now almost 200 cities with Green Drinks programs available (and San Francisco and Seattle each have two). You can check the organization's website and see if there is one near you, or find out about starting a group in your area.

The o2 network is an "international network for sustainable design." While not as socially oriented as Green Drinks, it also seeks to bring together green designers and other green-oriented people to share ideas.

Both organizations are very loosely structured. There is no set agenda or formalized program for Green Drinks. It is a very local, ad-hoc kind of get together, so programs will vary widely, both from chapter to chapter, as well as from one meeting to another in the same chapter.

My own local Green Drinks group (which meets on the third Wednesday of the month) combines both Green Drinks and o2 meetings.