At Home On Earth

SIMPLE / SMART / SUSTAINABLE / STORIES

In honor of the Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC), which starts today (and runs through the 17th), we’re sharing Yasmin Namini’s trio of White-Necked Jacobins on a Torch Ginger plant in Costa Rica. During last year’s GBBC (run by the Cornell Ornithology Lab), more than a half-million people in hundreds of countries spotted close to 8,000 species. Why is counting birds important? “Over four days, we invite people to spend time in their favorite places watching and counting as many birds as they can find, and reporting them to us,” the bird count site tells us. “These observations help scientists better understand global bird populations before one of their annual migrations.” Their e-bird data bank is the world’s largest biodiversity-related citizen science project in the world. Figuring out how bird populations have changed helps us figure out how best to protect them. Find out more here.

“Do you know what science shows is the top reason people care about climate change? LOVE — especially for the next generation.”

– Katharine Hayhoe, Climate Scientist who appeared in Science Moms Superbowl Ad

Dr. Hayhoe’s words aren’t surprising to those of us already engaged in work to clean up our waterways and our air, to ensure healthy, local food in our communities, who plant pollinator patches, and rewild our lawns. Of course, we’re motivated by love. Love for the lakes and the mountains and the polar bears, the trees and the whales and the reefs. 

Reframing the work we all do as an act of love changes how we approach it. We aren’t fighting against something as much as we’re fighting for something: A better, healthier world. Happy Valentine’s Day. ❤️

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• Dear Dot: With Climate Action Under Threat, What Next?

• Reef Madness: A Radical Plan to Save Coral Reefs

• Love Us Some Chocolate Balsamic Cake

• Building Sustainable Homes for the Unhoused

• From Our Instagram: Julia Louis Dreyfus Loved Our Story

• A Bluedot Guide to Citizen Action

FEATURED STORIES

BIG IDEAS AND LOCAL CHANGEMAKERS

We know that the solutions exist to deal with the impacts of climate change. Some, like introducing non-native corals to besieged reefs, are radical. Others, like showing up at your community fair with cards to inspire climate conversations or building sustainable housing for the homeless might seem straightforward — but can inspire some radical action. Read on.

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Create a DIY eco-friendly cleaner using vinegar. Or give Dr. Bronner’s a try.

 Bluedot Living Kitchen

Chocolate Balsamic Cake

It’s a day for eating chocolate, right? Let’s do it right then. Watch Cleo Carney make homemade dark chocolate. On the coast of Maine, the folks at Ragged Coast are producing gorgeous, righteous chocolates. And Caroline  Saunders shares a recipe for Chocolate Balsamic Cake.

A Bluedot Guide to Citizen Action

Bluedot Living was created, in large part, to provide a wide variety of answers to the question, “What can I do?” But while saving endangered species and building neighborhood gardens is all well and good, sometimes (like, uh, now perhaps?), we’re called to raise our voices and create community to push back against policies that are harmful and dangerous. Ready? Check out Bluedot’s Guide to Citizen Action.

Dear Dot: With Climate Action Under Threat, What Next?

– Illustration by Elissa Turnbull

Dear Dot,

What next?

– Kat

Dear Kat,

“What next?” when those we depend on for guidance are throwing out their maps, when the progress we thought we were making seems destined to be erased?

Christiana Figueres, the former Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and founder of Global Optimism, urges us to “take a deep breath and, with no distractions, think carefully and intentionally about what you will do to take care of yourself and those you love. And then start to extend that bubble of love and caring on a daily basis until you are able to contribute fully to the extraordinary changes we need to make in the world precisely under the circumstances we face.”

My advice to myself and to you is to start thinking small, by which I mean … community. Maybe it’s seed saving. Or rewilding a space. Or a community fridge. Indeed, Bluedot Living was founded to highlight the many, many climate solutions that are grassroots, implemented by ordinary people in communities around the world. We believe that we learn from each other, and what works in a neighborhood in Los Angeles can, with some tweaking, work in Boston. And yes, countries can shift climate fortunes with the stroke of a pen (or the tearing up of a global agreement) but so can towns and cities and states and provinces. 

Dot has plenty more to say. Read her whole answer. 

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BUY LESS/BUY BETTER:

One Bird, Two Bird, Red Bird, Blue Bird

If you purchase anything via one of our links, including from Amazon, we may earn a small commission.

Guess what, readers? The time has come once again for one of our favorite annual events: The Great Backyard Bird Count, which runs from Feb. 14 – 17. Citizen scientists (that’s you!) power this amazing global project by providing data that reveals important information about bird habits, habitats, and populations. To participate, you simply need to settle into a favorite spot for 15 minutes (or more), watch birds, and submit information about what you see to one of two free apps. Beginners should use Merlin Bird ID, which helps to identify species, and more experienced birders should use eBird. If you’d like to count birds and maybe even make some new friends while you’re at it, check out this map of GBBC events around the world. 

This week, our marketplace editor shares three of her favorite bird-related products. Click for even more items and to learn about updated birdfeeder safety information in the time of avian flu.

For Backyard Birders

Etsy sellers offer a delightful assortment of birdhouses, birdfeeders, and birdbaths that will help you invite birds into your home. Georgian, Victorian, Craftsman, mid-mod, hobbit … whatever your dream (bird)house is, you’ll find it on Etsy.

Shop today or read our review.

For Getting a Closer Look

Climate Neutral Certified, 1% for the Planet member company Nocs sells comfortable, quality binoculars that come with a “no-matter-what” lifetime warranty. You can even add on a rig that connects the lenses to your phone for close-up photos. Shop today or read our review.

For the Young and Young at Heart

Created by sustainability-focused toymaker Wild Republic in collaboration with Audubon and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, these charming stuffed toys make authentic bird calls provided by Cornell’s library of audio recordings. Shop today or read our review.

The Keep-This Handbook

Baffled by makeup ingredients? Confused about third-party certifications? Perplexed about greenwashing? So were we! Which is why we investigated the beauty industry to figure out what we could trust, what to avoid, and how to look good without causing harm — it’s all in Bluedot’s Guide to Clean Beauty.

What We’re Reading/Watching/Listening To

With Leslie enjoying (seriously!) a traditional Canadian winter — by which we mean, she hasn’t seen a blade of grass since mid-December — she’s been curling up with her cat and some great novels, including “That Strange Paradise.” It’s by Omar El Akkad, who was born in Egypt, moved to Canada, and now lives in the U.S., and who delivers something of a fable about refugees and our responsibility to each other. 

We’ve also been exploring the incredible independent media that’s springing up to fill the void by some legacy media. Leslie’s favorites include: The Golden Hour, Fix the News, and the Outrage and Optimism podcast. 

We get a lot of newsletters about protecting our environment and highlighting interesting solutions and innovations. From WGBH, a television station in Boston, we read about companies focusing on capturing carbon, including a company called Travertine, which is able to pull CO2 out of the air and store it permanently by injecting it directly into minerals. The Nature Conservancy writes about how the Inflation Reduction Act has been giving young workers in Montana a leg up on conservation careers. And from the EcoRI (Rhode Island) newsletter, we read about a Providence program that connects urban farmers to neighbors looking for wholesome food. Check them out!

As we move into Valentine’s Day weekend (that’s a thing, right?), let’s consider the words of Carl Sagan, who inspired the name of our company. “Look again at that dot,” Sagan wrote. “That’s here. That’s home. That’s us. On it everyone you love…” 

Love to all of our readers and we’ll see you in two weeks.

–Jamie Kageleiry and Leslie Garrett

Editors

Write us at editor@bluedotliving.com

Jamie Kageleiry, a longtime magazine and newspaper editor from Martha’s Vineyard, says her favorite spot on earth is out on a kayak there, looking at birds.

Leslie Garrett has been covering climate stories for close to two decades.  She divides her time between London, Ontario, and Massachusetts. She’s still figuring out her favorite spot but it’s definitely near the water.

Sent to: _t.e.s.t_@example.com

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