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A Bluedot Living Newsletter
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SIMPLE / SMART / SUSTAINABLE / STORIES
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SIMPLE / SMART / SUSTAINABLE / STORIES
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Bluedot senior web producer (and ace photojournalist) Alison Mead recently attended a bird banding demonstration in Pomfret, Conn. Here, Andy Rzeznikiewicz, the sanctuary Manager at the Connecticut Audubon Society Center prepares to release a male Scarlet Tanager after banding. See Ali’s photo essay and video here.
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DISPATCHES FROM ALL OVER · SUSTAINABLE LIVING ADVICE · ECO-FRIENDLY RECIPES
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DISPATCHES FROM ALL OVER SUSTAINABLE LIVING ADVICE ECO-FRIENDLY RECIPES
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“Distance changes utterly when you take the world on foot. A mile becomes a long way, two miles literally considerable, ten miles whopping, fifty miles at the very limits of conception. The world, you realize, is enormous in a way that only you and a small community of fellow hikers know. Planetary scale is your little secret.”
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–Bill Bryson, A Walk in the Woods. We hope you have some time over this long weekend to take an
extra-long walk through the woods (or along a shore, or all around whatever town you’re in) and listen to the birds (did you know you could identify them by their songs using Cornell Ornithology Lab’s Merlin app?). For more on the importance of walking, and paths, check out this book Julia Cooper (our Good Libations columnist) just picked up. In Praise of Paths, she says, is a philosophical/sociological exploration of how humans interact with nature on foot. “As he walks with shoes on and barefoot,” the book jacket says, “[the author] contemplates the early tracks made by ancient snails and traces the wanderings of Romantic poets, among other musings. If we understand ourselves in relation to the landscape … what will we gain from taking to paths once again?” Read more about reimagining the pavement that is so often beneath our feet.
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QUICK LINKS
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Skip scrolling! Here's what you'll find in this edition of the Bluedot Newsletter:
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THE BLUEDOT KITCHEN
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Prioritizing seasonal and local ingredients gives you sustainable eating at its very best. Your asparagus should be up now! Or at least, the asparagus of your local farmer. And you can always grow peashoots (along with
other microgreens) on your windowsill. These salads from Bluedot contributing editor Catherine Walthers might make for a nice Memorial Day picnic … fresh, green, and easy — Enjoy!
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“The California Gray Whale has the longest annual migration of any animal, traveling 12,000 miles along the Golden State’s coastline,” writes Good Libations columnist Julia Cooper. “All of the botanicals used in crafting Gray Whale Gin are sourced from along the California Gray Whale’s migration route.” The result is a crisp and truly clean gin that’ll blowhole your socks off (sorry).Â
Looking for more Good Libations?
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Dear Dot, I want to put a deck on my home to have a place to enjoy the views and wildlife.
I’ve read that composite decking is environmentally friendly because it is made from recycled materials and doesn’t require chopping down trees. However, I’m skeptical of any materials containing plastics or chemicals. Are composites really as eco-friendly as they seem? –Sam, Massachusetts
Dear Sam, Let’s start with the obvious choice for decking: wood. And within that obvious choice is a number of other choices: pressure treated, bamboo, mahogany, cedar, black locust … the list is long.Â
How do trees stack up as a sustainable building material? Trees remove carbon from the atmosphere and it remains sequestered until the tree is burned or biodegrades, at which point it is released. So although cutting down a tree renders that tree incapable of capturing more carbon, it nonetheless holds (for the most part) the carbon already captured. What’s more, you can choose reclaimed wood (which means no new trees are cut down to
facilitate your wildlife viewing) or you can purchase wood that is Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified, a widely respected third-party certification that operates with regard to environmental principles, worker rights, and Indigenous rights.
But, Sam, you specifically mention Trex, part of a family of what are called composites. While companies such as Trex and TimberTech proudly tout their eco bona fides, it’s not quite that simple. Nonetheless, there’s room for optimism …
What decking does Dot endorse? Read the rest of Dot’s answer here. Find plenty more Dear Dot here.Â
Coming in June: daily advice from Dear Dot. Sign up here!
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BUY LESS/BUY BETTER
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This week, we’re pleased to introduce you to our newest hire, Sustainable Paw-ducts Tester Finley the papillon. A working dog model and the companion of Bluedot’s Marketplace Editor, Finley enjoys nibbling on the corners of FSC-certified cardboard packaging and chasing pigeons in his free time.Â
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The Bluedot Marketplace includes affiliate links. We may earn a commission when you purchase products through our links.
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P.L.A.Y.
P.L.A.Y. uses recycled plastic to make all of their adorable toys and beds. Our faves are the flamingo and the snow pea. Save 15% with code BLUEDOT.
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Buy now or read our review.
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Awoo
Finley’s Awoo leash, collar, and harness account for about 14 single-use water bottles’ worth of recycled plastic. The woman-led company plants three trees per order.
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Buy now or read our review.
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The Social Hour
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Sunday is World Hunger Day. What are some ways you can help? Try cooking with #millet! With the goal of ending global hunger in mind, the United Nations declared 2023 the International Year of Millet. Millet is a grain that can withstand climate change, has the ability to grow without fertilizer, and can survive in storage for several years. More ways to #fightfoodwaste: try making recipes that use the entirety of ingredients, store food appropriately, #compost, use leftovers creatively, and buy "ugly" produce with a Bluedot favorite app Too Good To Go.
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What’s Behind the Name “Bluedot”?
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“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.Â
Enjoy the long 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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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.
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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.
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SIMPLE / SMART / SUSTAINABLE / STORIES
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SIMPLE / SMART / SUSTAINABLE / STORIES
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Read past issues of The Hub here.
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Bluedot Living® magazine and bluedotliving.com are published by Bluedot, Inc.
Find more simple, smart, sustainable stories at bluedotliving.com, our Martha's Vineyard
website, our Brooklyn website, our San Diego website and our Los Angeles website. Subscribe to this newsletter here.
Write us at editor@bluedotliving.com if you’d like to see a Bluedot newsletter or magazine in your community.
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Bluedot, Inc., 2945 Townsgate Road, Ste 200, Westlake Village, CA 91361, United States
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