SIMPLE / SMART / SUSTAINABLE / STORIES

Room for Change: The Porch

Last Light of Day by Heidi Lang, Courtesy of the Granary Gallery, West Tisbury, Mass.

And now porch season is upon us. We’re out on ours morning, noon, and night. If the birds, and trees, and everchanging sky were not so distracting (and … lulling), we’d probably work out there, too.

Porches and patios straddle the comfort of home and access to the outdoors, between sheltered and exposed, writes Leslie Garrett in this Room for Change piece from our archives. Wicker? Rattan? What’s your furniture favorite? Leslie takes us through the sustainable options, including some great choices for recycled plastic that your great grandkids will probably still be sitting in with their ice tea someday. 

Turn your garden into a welcoming haven for pollinators with a Curious Critters Garden Kit filled with plants that support bees, butterflies, and other beneficial creatures. Easy to grow and full of seasonal beauty, these kits help create healthier ecosystems right in your own backyard. It’s a simple, joyful way to make a positive impact this Pollinator Month. 

A caterpillar hatches out of the egg and begins to eat voraciously, growing so much it repeatedly splits its skin and emerges in a new skin — instar is the word for these molts. But change isn't just successive instars. Several instars along, the caterpillar forms a chrysalis and literally liquidates itself into a kind of goo from which a butterfly will be formed. I believe that we are a global society in a state of dissolution, and out of this messy fluidity new things both monstrous and magical are emerging. 

– Rebecca Solnit, author of The Beginning Comes After the End

• A Climate-Conscious Home Remodel

• Great Gifts for Dad

• Climate Quick Tip: Make Local Plants Your Focal Point

• A Guide to Electrifying Your Home

• Room For Change: Your Porch Furniture

• Recipe: Grilled Veggie Sandwich

• Building a Modular Net-Zero House

• Growing Tomatoes and Tradition

• Dear Dot: Should I Repair or Replace an Old Appliance?

• Podcast: Make These Grains Part of Your Repertoire

• Low-Impact Living with Remodelista

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Whitney with her Sun Gold Cherry Tomato plant from the pruning class.

Bluedotter Whitney Multari (she designs our magazines and oversees newsletter production!) grew up eating just-picked vegetables from her grandfather’s garden. Tomatoes, cucumbers, basil, figs, zucchini, beans — you name it, he planted it, and her grandmother cooked it. By season’s end, she and her family would can the tomatoes to preserve that bright summer flavor for the colder months. It was a family tradition. So when she moved away from home, she stayed connected to her roots with a garden of her own, including her own tomato plants. After making a few rookie mistakes and taking a pruning workshop, she cares for her plants with a new level of intention. Read the story.

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:
Should I Repair or Replace an Old Appliance?

Illustration by Elissa Turnbull

Dear Dot,

My father recently passed away, and we’re clearing out his house. There’s a chest freezer in the basement that’s old but still works. I’ve been wanting one, so should I move my dad’s to my house? Or is it better to buy a newer, more energy-efficient one?

– Cathy

Dear Cathy,

The fact that you addressed this question to Dot, Doyenne of Eco-Advice, tells me that your main concern is the environmental impact of old vs. new. While Dot typically hews toward re-use, that rule doesn’t necessarily hold when it comes to energy-hungry appliances or vehicles. Of course, there’s an environmental cost to disposing of items, especially large ones, but climate math isn’t always straightforward, and some issues (carbon emissions) trump others (items languishing in landfills). So let’s break this down, shall we, Cathy?

Keep reading!

See more Dot here. Got a question for her? Write her at deardot@bluedotliving.com

BUY LESS/BUY BETTER: Great Gifts for Dad

Father’s Day gifts do not need to be flashy to be appreciated. Whether he spends weekends birdwatching, hiking, or simply enjoying a well-earned afternoon nap, thoughtfully chosen essentials tend to get the most use. Explore sustainable Father’s Day gift ideas, including binoculars for outdoor adventures, sweat-wicking bandanas, ultra-comfortable tees, artisanal jerky, and other fun, practical finds.

Duds That Do Good

Vancouver-based Tentree makes comfy clothing, loungewear, and accessories that are great for lazing about. For every item purchased, Tentree plants 10 trees. As we also plant a tree for every order, that means that each Tentree purchase you make will result in 11 trees being planted. ($45+) 

Give Clothes That Give Back

Better Binoculars

A quality pair of binoculars makes a thoughtful gift for the dad who has exciting travel plans or regularly likes to birdwatch or stargaze. The affordably priced monoculars, binoculars, and scopes from Nocs Provisions all have a No-Matter-What lifetime warranty. Like Bluedot Living, Nocs is a 1% for the Planet Member. ($79.95+) 

Upgrade His Next Adventure

Scintillating Salt

Handcrafted in Iceland, Saltverk salts are made from local seawater that’s heated using the island’s legendary geothermal energy. The company’s salts make simple ingredients shine, making them perfect for grilling season. Home mixologists will love rimming drinks with the Black Lava Salt. ($13.99+) 

Elevate Grilling Season

Shop All Our Father’s Day Picks

Get more of Bluedot Living delivered directly to your inbox. From the Daily Dot advice column and The Weekly news hub to Bluedot Living Kitchen and the biweekly Buy Better Marketplace, and more, we offer a range of newsletters tailored to your interests and wherever you are on your sustainable living journey.

The Keep-This Handbook

Bea Copeland started her reno project from the ground up, which gave her ample opportunity to factor in energy efficiency. With hindsight (and some forward thinking), she shares what she’s learned in A Guide to Electrifying Your Home.

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.

If you’d like to support the work we do with a small monthly contribution, click here. (Thank you.) 

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

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

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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