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A Bluedot Living Newsletter

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Friday, January 19, 2024

First Steps Under Watchful Eyes

In her photo column “At Home on Earth,” Yasmin Namini writes about photographing mothers and baby animals in the wild: “On an early morning safari in Kenya, we stumbled upon a sight rarely seen — a jackal mother with her litter of pups cautiously venturing out from their den. With a watchful gaze that seems to count each little adventurer, mom keeps a close tally, making sure her little gang’s all here for the day’s adventures. Fun fact: Jackal pups open their eyes after ten days and start to play outside their den at around three weeks. Mothers will move dens every two weeks or so to protect her pups from predators.”

“Join with the Earth and each other, to bring new life to the land, to restore the waters, to refresh the air, to renew the forests, to care for the plants, to protect the creatures, to celebrate the seas, to rejoice in the sunlight, to sing the song of the stars, to recall our destiny, to renew our spirits, to reinvigorate our bodies, to recreate the human community, to promote justice and peace, to love our children and love one another, to join together as many and diverse expressions of one loving mystery, for the healing of the Earth and the renewal of all life.”

—Martin Luther King, Jr.

Leave it to Martin Luther King, Jr. to remind us of the joy of living on this Earth. When engaged in climate activism and reporting, it’s easy (and lazy) to get mired in the challenges. And yet … what is the point of any of this if we forget to celebrate, to rejoice, to sing, to reinvigorate, to recreate …? And, of course, as King reminds us, “to promote justice and peace” and “to love one another.” 

Those most deeply engaged in the transformative and difficult work of social and environmental justice — those who experience the injustice most acutely — are often the ones who lead all of us toward something better.

• Ed Begley’s Very Cool, Very Green House

• A DIY Plant Watering System

• Quiz: Were Medieval Kings Vegetarian?

• Sleep Sweet in These Coyuchi Sheets and Cariloha Jammies

• Cleo’s Clean Cooking Serves Up Raw Energy Bites 

• Junior Jackals and Other Babies in the Wild

• Dear Dot Heads Into the (Road) Salt Mines

• Sable Island: Wildlife Preserve in the North Atlantic

• New Life for Your Battered Yoga Mats

• Meat-Free Eating: Millet Burgers, Mushroom Stir Fry, and Tempeh Tacos

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BIG IDEAS AND LOCAL CHANGEMAKERS

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Planning a winter getaway? Keep your thirsty plants quenched by repurposing a plastic bottle as a DIY watering system:

Want to propagate your house plants and swap with friends? Bluedot’s gardening columnist tells you how. For more Bluedot Climate Quick Tips, click here.

THE BLUEDOT KITCHEN

Prioritizing seasonal and local ingredients gives you sustainable eating at its very best. Did you know that (according to this New York Times story) if everyone in the U.S. reduced their consumption of beef, pork, and poultry by a quarter (and substituted plant proteins), we’d save about 82 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions a year? Turns out that on top of Dry January, this month also celebrates “Veganuary.” Which is exactly what you might guess it is: a time to focus on eating a plant-based diet. If giving up meat seems punitive on top of not drinking, we’ve got that covered: We’ll be sharing delicious meat-free meals this month, such as these Tempeh Tacos and this Mushroom and Vegetable Stir Fry. And read more about tempeh here.

Dear Dot: But What About Road Salt?

– Illustration by Elissa Turnbull

Quiz: Medieval Vegetarians?

BUY LESS/BUY BETTER: Sleeping In

Few things feel more wonderful than slipping into a cozy bed on a chilly evening. 

Make the most of the longest nights of the year with wonderful sheets, blankets, and more.

With winter in full swing, we're always interested to see how people report on climate change and cold weather. Why are there still brutal cold snaps with the planet warming? Learn how to winterize your home to help cut down on utility costs and help save energy! Are electric vehicles reliable in freezing temperatures?

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The Keep-This-Handbook

We recently pulled out our yoga mats for some sun salutations (we can dream, right?) only to discover that our mats have hosted their last downward dog. But that doesn’t mean they’re useless. Bluedot’s Guide to Getting Rid of (Almost) Anything has some solutions for those battered yoga mats, along with just about anything else you want to (responsibly) discard.

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; stay warm! We’ll see you in two weeks. 

–Jamie Kageleiry and Leslie Garrett

Editors

Write us at editor@bluedotliving.com

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