“The fire season started later and, throughout most of the state, ended early. That provided us some reprieve from that intensity to our workforce, but also some tremendous opportunity this year to get out there and do more treatment on the landscape.”
–Angeles National Forest fire chief Robert Garcia, explaining to the Los Angeles Times that this year’s relatively mild fire season allowed him and his crews to do work – prescribed burns, as well as wood chipping and removal of trees, branches, and other material from the forest – that could help mitigate next year’s wildfires. Forestry fuels technician David Gabaldon told the Times that he hopes their example will encourage homeowners to clear brush and create a defensible space around their own houses, supporting the work of wildland firefighters.
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Welcome to Bluedot Los Angeles! Every other Sunday, we share stories about local changemakers, sustainable homes and yards, the nature all around us along with planet-friendly recipes, and advice from Dear Dot. Please email us with story ideas at laeditor@bluedotliving.com. Together, we can make a difference for the blue dot we call home.
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SIMPLE / SMART / SUSTAINABLE / STORIES
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David Allen Burns and Austin Young were taking a walk one day when they noticed how many trees on public property in their neighborhood were heavy with unpicked fruit. Inspired, the Silverlake-based artists drew a map of more than 100 fruit trees in the area, with the hope that they could provide locals with free fresh fruit and reduce food waste at the same time. The project took their art in a new direction: As the interdisciplinary collaborative Fallen Fruit, the duo now creates edible landscaping as living art in cities around the world. Burns and Young spoke to Bluedot writer Emily Cain about their process, the need for persistence, and their future plans.
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Quick Links
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Skip scrolling! Here’s what you’ll find in today’s Bluedot Los Angeles Newsletter:
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Our state has lofty goals for the transition to zero-emissions vehicles, and to reach those goals, the California Air Resources Board has determined, 35 percent of all passenger vehicles sold in the state must be
all-electric by 2026. If you think that sounds like an unreachable target, think again: Gov. Gavin Newsom announced last week that 25 percent of cars and trucks sold in the
state in the second quarter of 2023 were EVs. L.A.-based eco-artist Maru Garcia’s day job as a research scientist at the Natural History Museum informs her art: Her
multimedia and performance pieces often incorporate elements of chemistry and biotechnology. That’s certainly true of her latest project, “Prospering Backyards,” which draws attention to areas of L.A. where battery recycling contaminated the soil with lead and aims to develop a way to mitigate the effects of the contamination.
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Dear Dot: Must I Remove Packing Tape and Labels Before Recycling Amazon Boxes?
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–Illustration by Elissa Turnbull
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Dear Dot,
While Amazon and other online stores are using more recyclable packaging, they all come covered with packing tape and labels. Can cardboard boxes be recycled when covered with all of that, or does that need to be removed before recycling (which almost no one does or is willing to do)?
–Emily
Dear Emily,
Covid acquainted Dot with Amazon boxes. And more Amazon boxes. And yet more Amazon boxes. I suspect many of us became extremely familiar with Amazon boxes. And bags. And paper mailers.
What we might be less familiar with is what to do with all those boxes and bags (paging Dr. Seuss), beyond collapsing them, tossing them curbside, and hoping they are reincarnated into another form to deliver another package. (Dot’s cat, Bob, would like to note that, while he loves little more than a good box, he really only needs one to chew into a bed. Or maybe two.)
Read the rest of Dot’s answer.
Got a question for Dot? Write her at deardot@bluedotliving.com.
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BUY LESS/BUY BETTER:
Bluedot’s Sustainable Gift Guides
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The Bluedot Marketplace includes affiliate links. If you purchase a product through one of our links, we may earn a commission, essentially a small digital finder’s fee. These commissions help us fund the valuable journalism that you see on Bluedot. Thank you for supporting us!
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If you’re still looking for a few small holiday presents for friends and family, Bluedot’s Sustainable Gift Guides are here to help. We’ve got some great ideas for small gifts and gifts for hosts. Here’s a sampling of the items our readers purchased most this year:
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Did you know that more than 360 million glasses of sparkling wine are consumed in the U.S. on New Year’s Eve? If
you plan to open a few bottles of bubbly as the clock strikes midnight on December 31, make them grower Champagne: wine that is made and bottled by the person who grew the grapes. Good Libations columnist Julia Cooper explains why it’s the most eco-friendly – and delicious – way to ring in the new year.
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Bluedot Kitchen: Gifts from the Kitchen
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Tasty homemade treats make great gifts for neighbors and coworkers, especially when they’re packaged in reusable containers. We plan to make this recipe for sweet, spicy roasted nuts and this gluten-, dairy- and egg-free cranberry oat bread for our friends this season.
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Norman Lear, who produced many beloved television series, including “All in the Family,” died last week at 101. This past spring, Bluedot Living had the great good luck of visiting with Mr. Lear and his wife, film producer Lyn Lear, at their home in Beverly Hills. The Lears had been environmentalists for decades, encouraging their Hollywood colleagues and studio heads to use their platforms to speak out
about environmental issues and to include climate change storylines in shows. With another industry couple, they founded the Environmental Media Association in 1989, with the goal of using media to alert people to the perils of harmful environmental practices. Here’s to you, Norman Lear.
Thanks for reading, and we’ll be back in two weeks!
–Robin Jones
Do you have a special Los Angeles photo or story to share?
Email laeditor@bluedotliving.com.
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Robin Jones is a Southern California native who served as an editor at Westways magazine for more than a decade. She currently lives in Long Beach and teaches journalism at Cal State Long
Beach, where she advises the award-winning student magazine, DIG MAG. She loves road-tripping across California, especially when the itinerary includes stops in Arcata and Trinidad.
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