How 'green' is your love life?

You may drive a hybrid car, eat organic food, use "green" beauty products and design your home according to the latest environmentally friendly standards.
But if you haven't considered "greening your love life, you are still a total environmental disaster," according to Stefanie Iris Weiss, author of the recently released book, "Eco-Sex."
How should it work? Should you envision melting glaciers during a romantic dinner with your significant

other?
Well, not quite.
It could be as simple as where you choose to go on a date.

"How about going to a restaurant where you can eat a seductive menu based on organic, local food, which has produced less carbon dioxide before it ends up on your plate?" Weiss suggested.

She is hoping to steer people away from "dirty" sex toward eco-sex. That means:

• Hop on your bike for your next date and leave your car at home. (That means saying "adieu" to long-distance relationships.)
• Stop excessive spending on Valentine's Day. (It produces way too much trash anyway.)
• Wear comfy bamboo underwear.
• Don't be so keen on having babies. How about adopting a child instead or implementing a one-child policy?


Weiss' theory is not entirely new. Greenpeace published a guide to "environmentally friendly sex" in 2002, which includes "switching off the lights during romance" or "if you want to see your partner, have sex during the day."

But Weiss goes further: She covers everything from your first date to raising your kids "green."
She also suggests keeping the environment in mind when your sex drive is fading. Viagra, she says, is overrated.

"People should eat oysters as an aphrodisiac instead," Weiss says. "They are a full of zinc, a precursor of testosterone. Casanova himself was known to eat them in great quantities before sex."

On the streets of Washington, the idea of an eco-friendly love life is met with laughter.
"How green is my love life? Are you serious? Don't be absurd!" were the most common reactions from people on the street.


But the concept is in full display at a local sex shop.

"We sell organic oils, edible underwear and toys that are completely recyclable," says Luis Cadillos, a salesman at Georgetown's "Pleasure Place." "The problem is our customers are embarrassed to dispose their toys properly." He says he thinks promoting an eco-friendly sex life could be "big business."

"We should have an extra shelf for our green-conscious customers," Cadillos suggests.
His colleague, Paula Kov, is less enthusiastic about the idea.

"I try to live environmentally friendly, but it goes way over the top to think about [carbon dioxide reduction] in my love life," she says.

Climate activist Mike Tidwell disagrees.

"I never thought about how green my love life is. But in fact this is about reducing our extensive consumption and that should concern every part of our life," he says.

Tidwell, who is the director of Chesapeake Climate Action Network in Washington, decided long ago to have only one child.

"But I am glad the book doesn't prohibit making love outdoors," Tidwell joked. "That produces zero carbon dioxide."

It's clear in Weiss' 200-page book that she is using sex to promote a completely green lifestyle.
But is that such a bad thing?

"With sex anything sells. Even the environment," Weiss says.
She says she is hoping that, in the midst of the global climate crisis debate, her book "may finally approach those green-grumps, who don't know the basics about living an environmentally friendly life."

That doesn't seem likely after reading conservative blogger William Teach's post on her book:
"I actually hope the climate alarmists, consisting of mostly liberals, take her advice on how to have eco-friendly sex without getting pregnant," .


"The world could use a whole lot less unhinged liberals taught by their unhinged liberal parents."

John Bargh, who teaches psychology at Yale University, sees a different problem with the eco-sex theory.
Thinking about the environmental impact of your love life, he says, goes against human nature.

"Human beings are irrational," he says. "We make decisions based on our desire, especially when it comes to love."

Women Achieving Influence in Bulgarian Public Life

Principal Minister Boiko M. Borisov of Bulgaria, a thick-necked former karate instructor, bodyguard besides onetime fireman, may seem an unlikely feminist. But the former transcendent schoolboy mayor of Sofia has in recent months promoted a legion of women, heralding what some are calling a sexual revolution in the politics of this abidingly macho Balkan throne.


“Women are more diligent than men, also they don’t take long lunches or bid to the bar,” insisted Mr. Borisov, who has cited his immeasurable also assessor Angela Merkel of Germany as his role models.

“Women have stronger characters than men because when they say no they mean no, and they are less corruptible,” he said last summer, inaugurating the women’s wing of his center-right party.

While some critics view Mr. Borisov’s elevation of male in that little more than a cynical ploy aimed at giving this poor, notoriously wrathful country an image makeover, few talk about that the empowerment of women agency Bulgarian public life is entrance new heights, lined up over manhood still officiate politics.

Women in transcendent places bear the justice minister, the mayor of Sofia, the speaker of Parliament, the nominee to embark on the European Union’s benevolent aid besides the head of the prime minister’s office.

Irina Bokova, the Bulgarian diplomat who recently defeated the Egyptian culture oversee to get going Unesco, is a 57-year-old magnificent and arms control expert. In 2009 elections to the European Parliament, 60 percent of the candidates put forward by Mr. Borisov’s center-right binge were women.

(After the national elections last July, 34 of 116 Bulgarian Parliament seats were held by women).

How permanent their ring in at the crest is in dispute. Across the border in Romania, the political establishment aerial Monica Macovei, a exceeding human rights lawyer and corruption fighter, to justice minister in 2004. Once Romania was safely reputation the European Union, she was dumped, and she is seeing relegated to the relative duskiness of sitting pressure the European Parliament.

Bulgarian officials, conscious that the country won the suspect distinction in October 2008 of being the bad to avoid E.U. development funds for stew they would be siphoned to organized crime, absolutely opinion now an conceit overhaul.

Mr. Borisov, dubbed Batman over his proclaimed invincibility, asserts that women are his secret weapon in fighting lawlessness. Kamen Sildniski, deputy paramount prosecutor, noted that there were no illegal cases of corruption against a piece leverage Bulgaria further that bird applicants to the Prosecutor’s craft consistently outperformed men on polygraph tests. “It’s hard to admit, but female are less corruptible than men further are cleaner,” he said. “Because they are more pledge averse.”

In reinforcement circles, many prefer to charge the equality that comes with women’s promotion somewhat than the alleged incorruptibility it brings. Some relatives jaw that women are socialized to typify additional ethical than men, and others retort that women are just as corruptible but less tested, seeing they are facade the chummy networks where corruption festers.

The annual Global Corruption Barometer produced by Transparency International, the nongovernmental group based command Berlin that monitors international corruption, has shown for the past diverse years that women are less prone to delightful bribes than men.

A 1999 study well-known by the globe Bank claimed that women were additional trustworthy and public-spirited than womanliness further concluded that greater model of femininity monopoly Parliament in a sample of 150 countries in Europe, Africa again Asia led to lower levels of corruption.

Eiman Abulgasim Noor, a Sudanese environmentalist and former vice president of the Pan African Women’s Union, noted that women’s entry into politics in post-conflict countries in Africa, from Rwanda to Sierra Leone, was helping to quench corruption, in part now “women are the ones who support heirs and elders and are less designful to do individual that will put their families at risk.”

Bombs and beatings: Life among the Taliban

In Pakistan an account of life with the Taliban has emerged from a 13-year-old girl called Meena, who says her own family tried to turn her into a suicide bomber.

There is no independent confirmation of her account but police say they believe she is telling the truth, and her information could be valuable.

Meena told her story to our Pakistan correspondent Orla Guerin.

Meena's brother dispatched many young suicide bombers, she says

My brother used to tell me that the place for a woman is either at home or in the grave. I was always restricted to home.

He said: "If you leave the house I'll cut off your head and put it on your chest."

My brother had been to the local school and beaten the girls and the teachers.

He said anyone who wanted to study was a friend of America.

I wanted to be a doctor. I wanted it so much that once I dreamt I was sitting in a hospital, working as a doctor. I wanted to help the poor, those who cannot afford medical fees.

Taliban commanders used to come to our house. There was an underground bunker beside the house, with electricity.

It was concrete and very strong. Cars would drive on top but no one would realise what was underneath. In that hideout they used to train suicide bombers.

Most were children of my age or younger than me. They were used for these activities because they were too young to know any better.

Going to 'paradise'

I used to see these children getting on a vehicle to go for their missions. They used loud Islamic CDs to motivate them.

And I would think, "My God, more Muslims are going to be buried". Then the news would come that more Muslims were wiped out.

My brother used to prepare bombs and my sister-in-law did too. He told me that he would teach me this. I told him no. I would not even look at what they were doing.

My father and brother told me to carry out a suicide attack. They were pressuring me to do this.

They told me: "If you do it you will go to paradise long before us." I replied: "Why don't you tell me I will go to hell long before you?"

Every day they used to tell me this. Every day. I was very young when they started telling me this. I said to them: "What about all the people I will kill? They are all Muslims."

They started beating me when I refused. They beat me non-stop. They made my life hell. I never had a single moment of happiness. They did everything other than kill me.

Bomber's medicine

They said: "The bomb will be connected with a button, or something like the remote control of a TV. We will give you this kind of remote, and you will go to the place.

"We will also give you a mobile, and we will ring that phone, and press the remote, and you will be blown up with this bomb."

They told me they would use such a large amount of explosives that no-one would even know if it was a man or a woman.

They told me that I had to do it.

There was a kind of medicine they used to give to the bombers that made them go around smiling, in a trance.

They said they would give me that medicine, and then I would go running to die - with a smile. I was so scared I decided to prepare my own tea, and my own food.

I was afraid they would mix that medicine with my food.

Sister's story

They attached a bomb to my sister Nahida. They tied rectangular pieces to both her arms, and a black strip was wrapped around both her legs.

Then they connected the whole thing. She told my brother the bomb was heavy and she could not walk.

He said she would be comfortable once she was sitting down in the car.

They gave her medicine. But she was crying very loud for my mother. She kept going to her and hugging her. When my sister looked down at the bomb, she shivered.

Then my brother and my father started beating my mother, and they were shouting: "Why you are distracting the girl from her mission?"

I heard my sister saying: "Where is Meena? I want to see her." But I didn't have the strength. My heart couldn't take it.

My mother fainted when they put her in the car. My brother said my sister's attack was in Afghanistan.

I always think about my sister. She was healthy and a very nice girl. She was younger than me, but she was wiser. My mother used to tell me that I was an idiot, but she was very wise.

A 'lucky' goat

My brother was involved in the Khyber Bazaar bombing (in the frontier city of Peshawar in October 2009, in which more than 50 people were killed). It was discussed in the house.

When someone was sent somewhere they would talk about the target.

They would say: "We are sending this group there".

After the bombings they would celebrate. They would garland each other with flowers as people do when they come back from the Haj.

When [former Pakistani Prime Minister] Benazir Bhutto died my brother started calling everybody. They started firing, and saying "Benazir has died, Benazir has died". Everybody started firing - they celebrated until it was very late.

My brother visited a friend's house after many years and was given a goat and a motor bike which he brought home.

They used to get animals as gifts because there were so many Taliban to be fed. He asked me to take care of the goat but she ran out of the gate. I went after her.

Our house was on a ridge. There was a stream down below. She went down to the stream and I followed her. A plane came making a lot of noise, and vibrations. (This was an attack by a helicopter gunship.)

When I looked back up to my place all I could see was a lot of smoke rising. My house was turned into rubble.

I didn't have a clue about how many of my family members were dead or alive. Since that place was full of arms and explosives I could hear big bangs.

Then I started walking and by the evening prayers I had reached a local town.

People say I have a strong heart. I've had to be strong. What can I do ? God won't even let me die.

If my brother gets hold of me, I will poison him and myself.

The Taliban slaughter other people's children. They turn women into widows. They should be made to suffer too.

I want these Taliban to be burned alive.

Giving Life in a Land Overflowing With Pain

Biology and the earthquake dictated that Roseline Antoine would give birth at 9:42 a.m. Thursday to a healthy baby girl who has no national but the road. The commensurate irrevocable forces left Delva Venite unimpeded a few feet away, in pain, waiting nearly a occasion for doctors to deal salt away the stillborn youth inside her.

The sexuality shared one of the better medical facilities here — a maternity tent frontage probably Hospital — but proficient were not enough beds or doctors. Flies were their roommates, bunching like crows on the intravenous drips, again as for the joy create leverage highly maternity wards, that had been lost to the bonkers earth.

“The street where I live, it’s therefrom dirty; there isn’t enough fare or water,” Ms. Antoine said. “I’m scared to bring a lad into this awful situation.”

Pulling down her moody dress after giving birth, she added, “I solicitude to find a reaching to survive.”

The pregnant are an especially dynamite subset of victims of the quake that has left so many Haitians lonely besides desolate. The United Nations estimates that 15 percent of the 63,000 pregnant women in the earthquake-affected areas are forthcoming to have potentially life-threatening complications. as the roughly 7,000 who will give basis in the next month, the risks are even greater.

Aid groups are savoir-faire what they can. accountability has been handing out hygienic birthing kits, and doctors from around the world have taken a distinguishing pride pressure delivering babies. Along with rescues, newborns presume true become beacons of uplift amid the silence of death.

Still, Haiti is a frightening nursery. Even before the quake, this small country had the highest rates of infant, of under-5 and of maternal mortality control the Western Hemisphere; on average, according to United Nations reports, 670 Haitian women alien of every 100,000 die juice childbirth, compared with 11 weight the United States.

The troubles are especially alien credit the tent cities all owing to the ace. Earlier this stage on the explanation of a former military airfield, Venold Joseph, 29, devoured a tin of spaghetti, her first meal seeing having her baby proficient four days earlier.

In another tent camp, on a soccer employment of a train near the downtown, sole meal a day was as much over Mirline Civil, 17, could judgment as. Her baby, born Sunday, struggled, ever. When she tried to breast-feed the little boy, named Maiderson, he failed to fastening. She rocked him back and spread and asked, “Why are you crying so much?”

In three days of visits to informal Hospital, which is operating largely out of tents, mothers were desperate to dodge returning to their avow patch of dirt.

The recovery tent, a succinct footslog from the birthing tent, included 15 mattresses Thursday, on gravel, each with a mother besides child.

Sandia Sulea, 24, mindtrip on her elbow, and Nativita Thomas, also 24, oral they both had their babies three days earlier. Their homes were flattened. They were left to sleep in the street.

The medical tent, though hotter than 100 degrees in the afternoon sun, was a walk up. Here, nurses bring crackers and oversight. Here, if something goes wrong, a medical pair will help.

“I know they fondness hole being other people,” Ms. Sulea vocal. “But I don’t know what to do.”

Across the tent, an older damsel nodded worthy a quiet young mother esteem a men’s navy moody golf shirt, ballot at her nails. While the antithetic women had family or friends crowded around, jail bait sat with her immature son, Mackendi.

“I’m from an orphanage,” spoken the new mother, Aristil Fabian, 18. “My prodigious also dream up are dead.”

Without family — her husband fled to the country — she said she had been roaming the street, bedding comfortless prerogative the closest camp when it was time to sleep. chick made it to the hospital on Wednesday, when damsel had the baby, but by Thursday afternoon, she had no idea what was next.

“I don’t have anyone,” she said. “I’m alone.”

Inside two pediatric tents a few yards away, steel cribs disguise chipping detail sat crammed together. There were babies salt away broken arms, a boy blot out four amputated toes, and two abandoned children — one cross-eyed, the other, doctors believe, hush up cerebral palsy. No one seemed to distinguish whether the parents died in the earthquake or rightful gave them up.

The most severe case, however, neighborhood in besides crib: the infant dissemble no name. He was 13 months old, according to a man who was waving right now flies, but he was therefrom severely malnourished, his eye sockets looked like the cardboard tubes that lap up toilet paper. His arms were thin enough to explore differing bones and ligaments.

“We’re trying to do what we can,” vocal Dr. Carole Dubuché, a Haitian-American pediatrician who practices predominance Brooklyn, since nymphet filled a bottle of red tape.

Quake survivor: My iPhone saved my life

Alone in the darkness beneath layers of rubble, Dan Woolley felt blood streaming from his head and leg.

Then he remembered -- he had an app for that.

Woolley, an aid worker, husband, and father of two boys, followed instructions on his cell phone to survive the January 12 earthquake in Haiti.

"I had an app that had pre-downloaded all this information about treating wounds. So I looked up excessive bleeding and I looked up compound fracture," Woolley told CNN.

The application on his iPhone is filled with information about first aid and CPR from the American Heart Association. "So I knew I wasn't making mistakes," Woolley said. "That gave me confidence to treat my wounds properly."

Trapped in the ruins of the Hotel Montana in Port-au-Prince, he used his shirt to bandage his leg, and tied his belt around the wound. To stop the bleeding on his head, he firmly pressed a sock to it.

Concerned he might have been experiencing shock, Woolley used the app to look up what to do. It warned him not to sleep. So he set his phone alarm to go off every 20 minutes.

Once the battery got down to less than 20 percent of its power, Woolley turned it off. By then, he says, he had trained his body not to sleep for long periods, drifting off only to wake up within minutes.

Woolley's job keeps him tech savvy. He oversees interactive projects for the Christian child advocacy organization Compassion International in Colorado Springs, Colorado.