Art of Loving unveils planet-friendly sex toy

Not long after I became editor of the Georgia Straight, I asked freelancer Daniel Wood to write a feature on John Ince.

He and his partner Vera Zyla are co-owners of the Art of Loving store near the corner of West 5th Avenue and Burrard Street in Vancouver.

Ince is a fascinating character because he's constantly challenging society's fear of sex—whether it's in his role as leader of the Sex Party, in his past battles as a lawyer,  as a writer, or in spreading good cheer through the store.

People sometimes laud Marc Emery for challenging society's taboos about marijuana. I believe that what Ince is doing is more revolutionary because society has a lot more hangups about sex than it does about pot.

But until today (July 2),  I never knew that Ince also has an environmental bent.  (In fact, I've learned from Ince that  his environmentalist roots predate  his professional interest in sex;   he wrote a book on environmental law in B.C. in 1977 and started one of BC’s first eco travel businesses Trekspeditions in 79.  He also  wrote the BC Sea Kayaking Guide in 1982.)

Zyla has just announced that the Art of Loving is promoting  green orgasms with the world's first 100-percent recyclable vibrator.

"The Earth Angel has arrived to save the planet and stroke our libidos," the company news  release declares.  "No more batteries, no more cords, just wind it up and this vibrator purrs. It's the perfect erotic toy for campers, travelers, power-savers and eco-snobs."

A  wind-up mechanism located at the base will power the device. Five minutes of elbow grease creates a half hour of vibrations at multiple speeds.

You've got to hand it to Ince and Zyla. If they can wean people off electricity with  an ecofriendly  vibrator, peak oil  could turn out to  be a much more pleasant experience for millions of women in this country.