Welcome to Bluedot San Diego! Every other Sunday, we share stories about local changemakers, sustainable homes and yards, and the nature all around us, along with planet-friendly recipes and advice from Dear
Dot. Together, we can make a difference for the blue dot we call home.
– Nicki and Jim Miller
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If you purchase anything via one of our links, including from Amazon, we may earn a small commission.
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SIMPLE / SMART / SUSTAINABLE / STORIES
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SIMPLE / SMART / SUSTAINABLE / STORIES
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A trip to a National Park can be a logistical challenge, with crowds to dodge, reservations to wrangle. Redwood National Park is not like that. Amazing trees, rugged coastline, and plenty of space for outdoor fun. And Humboldt County offers way more than just trees: hiking, biking, rafting, paddling, camping. It’s all there, in a place that is trying to shift from short-sightedly exploiting nature to showing it off. And yes, the trees are awe-inspiring,
too.
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Quick Links |
Skip scrolling! Here's what you'll find in today's Bluedot San Diego Newsletter:
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Paid Advertisement from Masterworks
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This painting sold for 8 million and everyday investors profited
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When the painting by master Claude Monet (you may have heard of him) was bought for $6.8 million and sold for a cool $8 million just 631 days later, investors in shares of the offering received their share of the net proceeds.
All thanks to Masterworks, the award-winning platform for investing in blue-chip art. To date, every one of Masterworks’ 16 sales out of its portfolio has returned a profit to investors. With 3 recent sales, investors realized net annualized returns of 17.6%, 21.5% and 35%.
How does it work? Simple, Masterworks files each offering with the SEC so that nearly anyone can invest in highly coveted artworks for just a fraction of the price of the entire piece. Shares of every
offering are limited, but Bluedot Living readers can skip the waitlist with this exclusive link.
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Skip The Waitlist
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– Illustration by Elissa Turnbull
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Dear Dot,
Is plastic made from wheat straw (and what does that even mean, anyway?) really eco-friendly? Just looking at it/feeling it, it appears to be regular old plastic.
– Paul
Dear Paul,
Though wheat straw might feel like conventional petroleum-based plastic to you, my skeptical friend, rest assured it is a bioplastic made from the waste products of wheat harvesting — biodegradable and entirely plant-based.
Dot’s dogged researcher Emily reports that “wheat straw is made with broken-down lignin, a complex organic polymer that forms the structure of plants and stabilizes their shape. Once the lignin is broken down by a bacteria found in soil called Rhodococcus jostii, it is mixed with sugar to produce the plastic-like material.” This “plastic-like material” is then used to make dishes, storage containers, cutlery, and more.
And there’s more good news, Paul. Not only is the product itself biodegradable and plant-based, but the production of it “takes significantly less energy,” Emily reports. When you’re done with it? Toss it in your at-home compost bin where it will break down in less than a half-year, or give it up to a municipal system where it will transform into compost in one to two months. …
Read the rest of Dot’s answer.
Got a question for Dot? Write her at deardot@bluedotliving.com.
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Paid Advertisement
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If you make a purchase through our links, including from Amazon, we may earn a small commission.
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One of the most sustainable fabrics on the planet, linen is ideal for summer. It’s airy and light, keeps you cool, and looks chic whether you decide to
iron it or embrace the natural crinkle.
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Linen for Life
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We’ll always love Eileen Fisher, who has made sustainability part of her brand’s identity since its founding. Her breezy linen separates top our list of summer wardrobe staples.
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Buy now or
read our review.
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Everything in Linen
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Made Trade, a site that curates a lovely selection of ethically made goods, offers linen bedding, pillows, table linens, apparel, and more. Save 10% with code Bluedot10.
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Buy now or
read our review.
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A trip to Humboldt County is a balm for the soul (see the story at the top of this email!), and if you really want to connect with nature, we recommend connecting with Justin Legge. A naturalist who directs the dune restoration project at the Humboldt Coastal Nature Center, Justin also provides guide services for trips into the forest. “After an hour speaking with him, you realize that Justin lives in this inspiring virtuous circle, helping people heal nature and allowing nature to heal people.”
Do you have a special nature photo or story to share? Email sdeditor@bluedotliving.com.
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Shrimp fishing and farming is … not good. Not for the planet, and not good for those who live on it. Steve Sutton, a biologist working for the federal government on fishing
regulations, was so horrified by the practices he saw he decided to take matters into his own hands. He founded TransparentSea, an indoor shrimp farm intended to make an unsustainable food easy on the Earth. It’s a small business now, but Steve has big plans: “In the next five years, we want to start to become more of a household name in at least seafood, in Southern California,” he says. “I think we owe it to the planet to try.”
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When you try this tip, Bluedot Marketplace recommends Dr. Bronner’s castile soap.
For more Bluedot Climate Quick Tips, click here.
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Hello Summer! Hello Heat! |
Summer’s here, and the time is right for … being careful in the heat. Summers are hotter than they used to be, it’s undeniable. And extreme heat can have a variety of negative health effects. So be careful out there. But there are also environmentally friendly ways to keep cool, like taking advantage of nature’s AC, and hyper-efficient heat pumps if things get a little too steamy. And here’s something to ponder on a hot day: We once read an environmental advice column that chastised people for moving to the desert and then using AC. But what this badly mistaken writer failed to realize is that household energy and greenhouse gas intensity is higher in cold climates than in warm ones, primarily because heating houses in the cold is harder than cooling in the heat (and most cold states also get pretty hot in summer, too). So live where you like,
but try to be as efficient as possible wherever you are. Even here in San Diego, which, now that we think about it, is pretty nice all year round.
We’ll see you in two weeks.
– Nicki and Jim Miller
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We live in San Diego and love the opportunity to be on the water and in the mountains in one day. Nicki, a writer and editor, and Jim, a writer and environmental economist, are excited
to combine skills as the editors of Bluedot Living San Diego. Since we’re avid cyclists, you may see us riding along the Silver Strand or hitting the trails in Cuyamaca (probably not on the same day). Thank you for joining us on this Bluedot ride!
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