“Green Sex” from Eco Living (1995)

Sex rates high on any list of sustainable pleasures. It doesn’t waste resources or create pollution and it’s a free, natural, low-tech form of recreation. But it’s also the only area in which an ecological viewpoint pits us against a natural process: making babies. There are more than six billion people on the planet now and over-population will be a major 21st-century problem. So contraception is an essential part of eco living, in spite of concerns about the health effects of both spermicides and the Pill, and about environmental issues including condom disposal and battery-operated sex aids.

Humans have tried to prevent unwanted pregnancy for thousands of years. There are many proponents of natural family planning (NFP), or the ‘rhythm method’, both for religious and health reasons. Modern NFP is done with a thermometer and charts and attentiveness to the woman’s physical changes during ovulation. Too many people have found, however, that NFP produces a large natural family! The health risks associated with modern forms of contraception are so low, and their benefits so substantial, that I suggest you choose a system that makes sense in the context of your life, not on the basis of being ‘natural’.

No contraceptive is foolproof, but new low-dose birth control pills are highly effective and seemingly protect against certain forms of cancer, too. Traditional reusable diaphragms are in general a good environmental choice, but many people find the necessary spermicides unpleasant to smell and taste and also a health worry.

Condoms are important because they protect against sexually transmitted diseases and tend to be widely available. They were originally made from biodegradable animal insides, but they are now made from almost indestructible latex and their new packaging rivals that of compact discs for eco unfriendliness. Flushed condoms pollute beaches and harm wildlife (birds think they’re edible), so make sure you put them in the rubbish, not down the toilet.

The best eco alternative I’ve heard of is a cap similar to a diaphragm that is stored in a jar of clear honey. The honey is said to dehydrate sperm on contact and because it is antiseptic, the honey cap can stay in longer than a regular cap. The honey cap has to be fitted by a doctor and is said to have a 4 per cent failure rate, about the same as a diaphragm.

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