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On Nantucket, the Maria Mitchell Association honors the legacy and astronomical research of Maria Mitchell, the first female astronomer in the U.S. In addition to all things astronomical (see the story below about light pollution), they also work to preserve horseshoe crabs, which aren’t actually crabs, but have been roaming our oceans for 450 million years. Night skies, stars, ancient crabs (isn’t there a constellation for that?) — feels like to infinity and beyond. 

Trees Deserve Better

Over 51,000 trees are cut down every day for paper towels alone. Swapping to this washable cotton alternative saves resources, cuts waste, and keeps your kitchen running just as smoothly. Find this and more planet-friendly products for a low-impact kitchen in the Bluedot Living Collection.

“We are the local embodiment of a consciousness grown to self-awareness, … [we are] star stuff pondering the stars.” 

– Carl Sagan, “Cosmos”

– Rebecca Solnit, Meditations in an Emergency, “Death and Rebirth on the Road Home”

• Climate Quick Tip: Lights that Tell Insects Bug Off 

• Dear Dot: What Causes So Many Stars? 

• Sustainable Investing: How It Works and Why It Matters

• A Crazy Electric Car Trip from LA to Utah

• Creating a Firefly Atlas

• Buy a Cozy Camp Blanket, Get a Tree Planted

• Recipe: Campfire Foil Packets

• Preserving Natural Soundscapes at Anza-Borrego

• Podcast: This Clean Energy Could Replace Fossil Fuels Forever

• Protect Our Dark Skies

• Room for Change: Camping

• How (and Why) to Install a Bird Bath

FEATURED STORIES

BIG IDEAS AND LOCAL CHANGEMAKERS

Check out these Bluedot- and wildlife-approved outdoor lights. 

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Camping is a great way to really immerse yourself in nature. Done right, it leaves a far lighter footprint on our planet than staying in a cabin or short-term rental. But what are the specifics of “done right”? Lucky for you, Bluedot editor Leslie Garrett, although admittedly camping-averse, talked to her keen camping friends to get the answer. Read on for their tips on gear, food, and best practices.

For just $5/month, you can become a Bluedot Living member — investing in a healthier planet while unlocking real, everyday benefits for yourself. You'll enjoy 10% off every purchase from Bluedot Living Collection, our editor-curated marketplace of planet-friendly brands and products and you'll receive additional member-only store discounts each month. Many members recoup the cost of membership in just a handful of purchases from our store. From there, the savings continue — making sustainable living more accessible, affordable, and impactful.

Dear Dot: What Causes So Many Stars?

Illustration by Elissa Turnbull

Dear Dot,

I was on an island off the northeast coast of the U.S. in late October and, one night, I noticed that the night sky looked different. I don’t remember ever seeing so many stars, and I’m someone who tends to look skyward a lot. Are stars brighter at that time of year? Was there some celestial event? Did I imagine it? 

–Dorothy

Dear Dorothy,

Beyond its role kindling our technological advances, night skies remind us that we are simultaneously small and yet bound up in the world’s beauty and history and sweep of time. We are, ourselves, in the words of Carl Sagan, “the local embodiment of a consciousness grown to self-awareness, we are star stuff pondering the stars.” Poetic, yes, but what does Sagan mean, exactly? Put simply, all organic matter on Earth containing carbon was produced originally in stars. Stars create the elements that life is made from. We are the universe in human form, which means that each time we lift our eyes to a night sky, we are beholding ourselves. 

Phil Plait is a kindred star-loving spirit. Phil is an astronomer and science writer (you can find him at his Bad Astronomy newsletter, on Scientific American, and also on Bluesky). Phil wanted to know where you were when you noticed this spectacular night sky, Dorothy, and I shared your rough coordinates. He marvelled at your luck, noting that light pollution has become so ubiquitous that a truly dark sky comes as something of an unexpected delight. Factor in the likelihood, Phil explains, of “no moon, clear air, and low turbulence in the air, [and] you can see far fainter stars.” He’s lucky enough to experience similar conditions at his home in central Virginia, noting, “I’m amazed at how many stars I can see from my own yard. I’m not used to living in dark skies!” That, Dorothy, he proposes, is what you experienced, too. 

Where might the rest of us experience the majesty of a star-spattered night sky? Keep reading.

BUY LESS/BUY BETTER: Cozy Camp Blanket

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This season’s issue is all about cooking with intention, using what you have, and setting the tone for a more thoughtful spring. We’re sharing waste-not soup and a closer look at planet-conscious chocolate. You’ll also find guidance on raising backyard chickens, what to know about amla powder, and ideas to help you cook seasonally while we head into spring. Subscribe now to read the latest issue of Bluedot Living Kitchen and get a full year of low-waste recipes, sustainable kitchen tips, and mindful cooking inspiration for every season.

Make your yard a safe space for the birds! Install a bird bath to help support their well-being, and enjoy watching them take a dip and shake their feathers. To keep birds safe from collisions, draw patterns on your windows with a bar of soap or window paint. Or, hang ribbons on the outside of your windows about four inches apart.

The Keep-This Handbook

With our dark skies increasingly under threat (SpaceX is seeking permission to launch 1 million satellites alone into low Earth orbit), plenty of us are making pilgrimages to places where we can get a good look at constellations. It’s called Dark Sky Tourism — according to this Bluedot story. You can help protect our dark skies by signing a petition here. 

All the Stars We Can See

For a while when they were in elementary school, my kids and I lived in a beach city just south of Los Angeles during the school year, returning each summer to a little island off the coast of New England, where they had spent their early years. 

They loved the California beach life, the almost constant sunshine, and the fact that you could go out the door to meet your friends and your mother wouldn’t say “Put a jacket on.” 

But one of the first things they asked me was, “Mom, where are the stars?” In our other house, you could walk out to the front porch and stare up at a blanket of them. My son would proudly point out the Milky Way, and both kids learned to identify constellations and planets. In greater Los Angeles, however, there was so much light, they could see only the very brightest stars.

So one weekend, we headed to Death Valley. It was February, and the air was magic — soft on our skin, warm and dry. And when night fell, there they were. “We found the stars!” they said. It was the highlight of the weekend, waiting for darkness so we could just sit and stare at the sky. (Here’s a fun story about an electric car trip from L.A. to southern Utah, via Death Valley.)

Enjoy the weekend, and we’ll see you next week.

– Jamie Kageleiry (and Leslie Garrett, Emily Cain, and Robin Jones)

Editors

Write us at editor@bluedotliving.com

Leslie Garrett has been covering climate stories for close to two decades.  She makes her home in Canada, west of Toronto. She’s still figuring out her favorite spot but it’s definitely near the water.

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.

Robin Jones is a Southern California native who served as an editor at Westways magazine for more than a decade. She lives in Long Beach and teaches journalism at Cal State Long Beach.

Emily Cain is a recent graduate of Cal State Long Beach, where she wrote and edited for the university’s award-winning magazine, DIG.

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