A Bluedot Living Newsletter

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–Lizzy Fallows, resident of Montecito, California, who spoke in the New York Times about driving her young daughters around town after one of the area’s recent “atmospheric river” storms. One of the storms arrived on the fifth anniversary of a massive “debris flow” that had plowed down dozens of homes and killed 23 people. That event made neighbors pause: Should they rebuild on their land? In a place so clearly at risk? They worked together to find a solution, and in the end, worked together (and with engineers and government officials) to create a debris basin that would catch such a flow. This week, that basin worked.

• Artists shine a light on Brooklyn’s environmental restoration.

• Does the news about gas stoves have you cooking up a new plan?

• Give your hard-working fridge some love. Mr. Fix-it shows how.

• Dry January? Quench your thirst with this buzz-free gin(ger) fizz.

• Get cozy in some hygge-inspired, earth-friendly attire.

DISPATCHES FROM ALL OVER

BIG IDEAS AND LOCAL CHANGEMAKERS

POLL: Gas Range Plans

A: I have a gas range and plan to keep it for as long as it lasts
B: I have a gas range and plan to switch it for electric/induction in the next year or two
C: I have a gas range but it is fairly new, so I am struggling with how and when to switch it (and whether it makes sense to dispose of a new appliance)
D: I already use electric/induction
E: I have a gas range and will give it up when I die and only then

Mr. Fix-it: How to Vacuum Your Fridge Coils

THE BLUEDOT KITCHEN

Dear Dot: How can I compost in the winter?

BUY LESS/BUY BETTER

We love learning how to #reducefoodwaste, whether it's learning how South Korea recycles

food waste, using restaurant scraps to feed the local pigs, or finding recipes with zero food waste! 

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Bluedot's Guide to Getting Rid of Anything

A Bluedotter received a Nespresso coffee machine over the holidays and balked at using the disposable pods until she discovered she could order a kit that would enable her to reuse them — the GEESTA Reusable Aluminum Foil Seals Kit, for you curious coffee drinkers. It got us thinking about pod recycling and, consequently, we added the info to Bluedot’s Guide to Getting Rid of (Almost) Anything. In short, while the greenest coffee pod is the reusable one, there are recycling options, such as this one by Nespresso. Keurig’s K-Cups and Tassimo’s T-Discs are recyclable in your municipal stream but you must peel off the foil top and empty out any coffee grounds before putting them in the bin. And you can theoretically recycle Nestle’s pods but it’s a bit complicated so you might instead rely on the company’s partnership with TerraCycle.