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At Home On Earth

SIMPLE / SMART / SUSTAINABLE / STORIES

Friday, Sept 27, 2024

Sneezing? Don’t blame the goldenrod, that sunny banner of fall. Goldenrod is actually one of the good weeds, capable of hosting more than 100 species of native caterpillars that turn into moths and butterflies, and providing food for migrating birds. If you want to blame your sniffles and watery eyes on anything, here’s where to look. 

Systemic versus individual change is a false dichotomy. Both matter. No, individual behavior change is not going to solve this. But governments and businesses can’t fix it if people aren’t willing to make changes, either.

–Hannah Ritchie, editor of Our World in Data from Sustainability in Numbers.

Ritchie is the author of Not the End of the World: How We Can Be the First Generation to Build a Sustainable Planet (on Amazon). In it, she writes, “If we take several steps back, we can see something truly radical, game-changing and life-giving: humanity is in a truly unique position to build a sustainable world.” Bluedot San Diego Editor Jim Miller loved the book and says Ritchie, a data scientist, dispenses of the myth that we’re doomed, and prescribes the most effective actions we can take.

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FEATURED STORIES

BIG IDEAS AND LOCAL CHANGEMAKERS

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More questions about a virtuous cup of joe? Read What’s So Bad About Coffee?
For more Bluedot Climate Quick Tips, click here.

 The Bluedot Living Kitchen

Woke up the other day wanting warm breakfast instead of cold. Here are a couple recipes we Bluedotters love in cooler weather. (Want more recipes? Sign up for our Bluedot Living Kitchen newsletter.)

Good Libations: Yes, Wine in Boxes

Used to be, wine in boxes meant … more of a bargain sort of product. No more!

More and more, winemakers are factoring the impact of packaging into their production of high quality wines. These Fuoristrada Tetra Paks use 54% less energy and create 80% less greenhouse gasses to create. And they’re terrific! Good Libations columnist Julia Cooper has reviewed some of these boxed wins, and has a recomendation for a nice fall Sangiovese.

– Illustration by Elissa Turnbull

Dear Dot, 

I’ve been reading about the volume of microplastics in our oceans and waterways, and am concerned about what can be done to reduce my own. Do microplastics affect septic systems? Is there anything I can do to stem the tide of microplastics in the ocean?

–Wash-Ashore

Dear Washashore,

Microplastics are exactly as they sound: microscopic pieces of plastic. Which sounds benign, yes? Don’t be fooled. Microplastics get into our bodies of water when larger plastics break down, and according to UNESCO, proceed to kill roughly a million seabirds and 100,000 marine mammals annually. And don’t for a second think that we humans are spared this scourge. World Wildlife Fund tells us that we ingest the equivalent of a credit card in plastic each week. We can, of course, blame plastic bags, plastic toys, plastic containers. But, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, an estimated 35 percent of all primary microplastics in the oceans originate from our plastic clothes. Each wash cycle releases about 700,000 microfibres from acrylic and polyester, according to a report in The Guardian, and using the “delicate” cycle is actually worse than the standard cycle. Which means that those comfy yoga pants, made from synthetic fibers, that became your pandemic staple might make it easier for you to breathe, but are, sorry to say it, choking our oceans and those who make it their home. 

See the rest of Dot’s answer here.

BUY LESS/BUY BETTER: Yoga for Stress Relief

Bluedot Living's newsletter may contain affiliate links, including from Amazon, and may receive a commission when you buy a product from our links.

In order to take care of others, our communities, and the Earth, we have to take care of ourselves first. As the days grow shorter, see if you can make time for yoga, even if it’s just some simple stretches. Harvard Health Publishing writes that yoga can affect your mental health “by elevating levels of a brain chemical called gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), which is associated with better mood and decreased anxiety.” Sounds good, right?  

A Favorite Mat

Two Bluedotters, one of whom is a yoga teacher, recommend the Manduka Pro Yoga Mat 6mm. This joint-friendly mat is supportive, springy, and grippy. It’s pricey, too, but “outlasts every other mat by a decade.” 

Shop today or read our review.

Great Activewear

Prana, based in Carlsbad, has four decades of experience dressing people for movement of all kinds. Our L.A. editor swears by their sports bras, while another Bluedotter raves about their pants.

Shop today or read our review.

Multitasking Marvels

Yoga blocks can help you gain confidence and stability as you explore new postures. They can also help with day-to-day ergonomics by propping up your laptop or serving as under-desk footrests.

Shop today or read our review.

FOLLOW US

The Keep-This Handbook

Up here in coastal New England, where we churn out this newsletter, it’s been raining for the better part of two weeks now. So we’re thinking we no longer need the old garden hose we have been patching. Same with you? Here’s where to get rid of yours. And here’s where to get rid of (almost) anything else.

The Story behind Bluedot

“There is perhaps no better demonstration of the folly of human conceits than this distant image of our tiny world,” astronomer Carl Sagan wrote in 1994’s Pale Blue Dot. “To me, it underscores our responsibility to deal more kindly with one another, and to preserve and cherish the pale blue dot, the only home we’ve ever known.” Sagan’s humbling words inspire us to deliver stories to you that reflect his and so many others’ work to cherish this blue dot. Please consider forwarding this newsletter to your friends and family to share and inspire real-world eco-actions we can take at home and in our communities. 

Enjoy the weekend, and we’ll see you in two weeks.

–Jamie Kageleiry and Leslie Garrett

Editors

Write us at editor@bluedotliving.com

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