Welcome to Bluedot San Diego! Every other Sunday, we share stories about local changemakers, sustainable homes and yards, and the nature all around us, along with planet-friendly recipes and advice from Dear
Dot. Together, we can make a difference for the blue dot we call home.
– Nicki and Jim Miller
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SIMPLE / SMART / SUSTAINABLE / STORIES
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SIMPLE / SMART / SUSTAINABLE / STORIES
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May is Bike Month, and if you’re thinking about getting out on two wheels this Memorial Day weekend, our editor Jim, a cycling expert, has plenty of advice for you. Cycling is cheap, it’s healthy, it’s fun, and it’s safe (especially if you follow the rules). And e-bikes make it accessible to even the most sweat-averse. So read up, and then get out there! If you want more inspiration (or perhaps a cautionary tale), read about what it’s like to pedal up a 10,000-foot volcano in rain … and snow!
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Quick Links |
Skip scrolling! Here's what you'll find in today's Bluedot San Diego Newsletter:
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Times have changed in 70 years, and litter has, too. While attitudes about littering have become more responsible, we still have a lot of garbage on the ground. I Love a Clean San Diego was founded in 1954 as the San Diego War Against Litter Committee and has been fighting the good fight for seven decades, hosting cleanups and educational programs designed to get us to zero-waste. “If we can build a connection between nature and our youth, they almost certainly will want to protect it and share it with others,” says Executive Director Steve Morris. Another amazing nonprofit is Support + Feed, founded by Maggie Baird, the mother of pop icons Billie Eilish and FINNEAS. They work to end “food apartheid” in cities around the world by feeding plant-based foods to the disadvantaged. Bluedot Living founder Victoria Riskin sat down with Maggie to talk about getting healthy, delicious food to those in need. Bonus: Check out Maggie’s recipe for Roasted Jackfruit Tacos.
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– Illustration by Elissa Turnbull
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Dear Dot,
I can’t afford a new electric vehicle. Is there a way to make my internal combustion engine more energy-efficient? Does it matter what grade fuel I use?
– Poppy
Dear Poppy,
For too long, the notion of being environmentally responsible has been tangled up with the purchase of new eco-friendly things. Electric vehicles, for instance. But using what we have as responsibly as we can is often more virtuous, so your question is a good one.
I took your query to Dan Becker, director of the Safe Climate Transport Campaign at the Center for Biological Diversity. Becker worked hard to get achievable fuel-efficiency standards passed in 2012 by the Obama administration, only to watch them be gutted in 2017 under Trump. But Becker is a man who does not accept defeat, nor should we. At the top of Becker’s list of how to reduce our fuel emissions is a simple one: Drive less. “Every gallon burned emits 25 pounds of carbon dioxide, whether in a Hummer or a hybrid,” he says, which is why efficiency and electric vehicles are so important. …
Read the rest of Dot’s answer.
Got a question for Dot? Write her at deardot@bluedotliving.com.
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Paid Advertisement
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If you make a purchase through our links, including from Amazon, we may earn a small commission.
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Summer may not technically arrive until June 20, but our longing has. Here, three warm-weather favorites to help you get ready.
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We love these hip, lightweight, affordable, and responsibly made coolers from Out of the Woods. Order now to get 15% off your order with code BLUEDOT.
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Buy now or
read our review.
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It turns out that Tommy Bahama has a rigorous sustainability and water-use-reduction program, which makes us like their great beach chairs and breezy clothes even more.
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Buy now or
read our review.
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Nomadix has diverted nearly 17 million water bottles from landfills, reclaiming the plastic to use in their cheerful picnic blankets and quick-drying towels.
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Buy now or
read our review.
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Like forensic scientists in a TV drama, wildlife scientists are digging through musty museum collections to gather historical DNA samples from long-dead specimens of endangered species. They use the DNA
information to help figure out how to help the animals today, since the samples can tell them how the animals have changed over time and can help determine what populations may be in danger of inbreeding. “Looking into the past, we can see how much diversity there used to be, and from that we can measure what has changed to the present day. We will be able to see just what has been lost, making what remains even more important to protect,” says Evelyn Jensen of Newcastle University in the UK, who looked for four years to find a sample of a particular type of Galapagos tortoise.
Do you have a special San Diego nature photo or story to share? Email sdeditor@bluedotliving.com.
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Best-selling cookbook author Erin Gleeson started the vegetarian lifestyle brand The Forest Feast after moving from New York to a cabin in the California woods and becoming inspired by local produce. We feature two great bowl recipes from her. The first recipe features halloumi, a thick, hearty cheese you can fry without making a mess. And we love the second with lentils, edamame, tofu, and sweet potato: It’s like vegetarian greatest hits in one bowl.
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Cycling is an inexpensive mode of transportation, but it’s not free. Luckily, San Diego has Bikes del Pueblo, a nonprofit that helps people keep their two-wheeled steeds working on
the cheap. Every Sunday in a vacant lot on El Cajon Boulevard, volunteers teach bike repair and help keep old bikes out of the landfill. The cycling community is known for being inclusive and supportive, and Bikes del Pueblo proves it.
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If you’re not excited about Bike Month, the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) or North County Transit District can get you started planning your trip around town by bus, trolley, or train!
For more Bluedot Climate Quick Tips, click here.
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Bike Month, aka “CycleMAYnia” |
San Diego has beautiful weather year-round, and an environmentally friendly vibe. But like many cities, especially in Southern California, San Diego grew up during the age of the automobile, meaning planners in the second half of the last century failed to understand the damage that focusing solely on car transportation would do to our downtowns (struggling), our countryside (sprawl), our health (obesity, air pollution), our communities (isolation, traffic), and our planet (all of the above). Cities around the country and around the world are taking steps to undo the folly of car-centric planning, and bring balance and choice back to local
transportation. And it’s working! From 2019 to 2022, according to transportation data firm Streetlight, cycling in San Diego grew more than any other city in the country except New York, and rose to fifth nationally in bike trips per capita! So, if you can, take a bike ride! Or take a walk, or take a bus. And if you can’t, you can always support organizations and politicians who do. Read about some of the myths of transportation and planning, and remember to Share the Road!
Happy Bike Month! We’ll see you in two weeks.
– Nicki and Jim Miller
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We live in San Diego and love the opportunity to be on the water and in the mountains in one day. Nicki, a writer and editor, and Jim, a writer and environmental economist, are excited
to combine skills as the editors of Bluedot Living San Diego. Since we’re avid cyclists, you may see us riding along the Silver Strand or hitting the trails in Cuyamaca (probably not on the same day). Thank you for joining us on this Bluedot ride!
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