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Welcome to Bluedot Living Los Angeles, a newsletter that gathers local good news, good food, and good tips for living every day more sustainably. |
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Welcome to Bluedot Living Los Angeles, a newsletter that gathers local good news, good food, and good tips for living every day more sustainably. |
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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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Like many Angelenos, Samata Pattinson leapt into action when the Palisades and Eaton fires destroyed nearly 13,000 homes in Los Angeles in January. Using her deep connections in the fashion world, she worked with the Collidescope Foundation (organizers of this week’s L.A. Climate Week) to help fire victims rebuild their wardrobes with deadstock and excess inventory donated by fashion brands. Samata, the CEO of BLACK PEARL, an organization devoted to promoting sustainability in the entertainment world, was inspired by the response to her group’s efforts: All the brands she reached out to, she says, were enthusiastic about joining the effort and were willing to share resources and relationships. “It was all very ego aside, eco first, and we need more of that,” she says.
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Quick Links |
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Skip scrolling! Here’s what you’ll find in today’s Bluedot Los Angeles newsletter: |
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A couple artsy stories for the birds: First, globetrotting photographer Yasmin Namini stops by Lake Kerkini in northern Greece and catches some awesome images of pelicans (Dalmation and Great White). Then writer Lily Olsen talks with artist Thomas Deininger about his mesmerizing bird sculptures. Made from plastic trash, they’re amazingly lifelike from one angle, but reveal wild scenes as you move around them. He says: “What I'm doing is not a practical solution. It's absurdist sculpture. Maybe it raises awareness. But really, it's almost metaphorical. Shifting our perspective is really what's most important about solving bigger problems.” |
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Paid Advertisement with Money |
Don’t let a broken heater break the bank |
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Home repair costs have surged in recent years due to inflation and supply chain issues, making unexpected breakdowns a financial burden for homeowners. Fortunately, a home warranty could help cover the repair and replacement of your home appliances and systems for a reasonable monthly fee. Check out Money’s list of the Best Home Warranties and start protecting your essential appliances. |
| VIEW LIST |
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–Illustration by Elissa Turnbull |
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Dear Dot,
What has been your most popular advice of the past year?
– Dot
Dear Dot,
Bluedot’s web wizard, Kelsey, compiled a list of Dear Dot’s most-popular columns. They run the gamut from poison-free pest control to investigating why cashmere, emblematic of luxury, has become so darn cheap, to determining whether wildfires give us great sunsets. Let’s get started.…
Read the rest of Dot’s answer.
Got a question for Dot? Write her at deardot@bluedotliving.com. |
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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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Over the past two newsletters, we’ve shared some of our favorite laundry and cleaning products with you. Now it’s time to talk dishes. If you’re still buying big plastic bottles of dish detergent, plastic sponges, or plastic-wrapped pods, we’ve got great news for you: It’s easy to make Earth-friendly swaps that will keep your dishes sparkling. |
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Bluedot’s marketplace editor has relied on Dirty Labs Bio Enzyme Dishwasher Detergent for over a year and loves it. During a recent visit, her mother-in-law asked her how she kept her stemless wine and water glasses so clear. Cleaning praise from one’s MIL?! It doesn’t get better than that. Save 15% on your first purchase with code BLUEDOT.
Shop today or read our review. |
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Zero Waste Store curates an excellent assortment of sustainable goods for home and body. We love the long-lasting No Tox Life Dish Washing Block, which is a bar of soap for your dishes and lathers quickly. Put it to work with ZWS Essentials sturdy, plastic-free dish brushes and sponges, and greasy dishes won’t stand a chance. Save 20% with code BLUEDOT. Shop today or read our review. |
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Dry the dishes you’ve just washed (as well as your windows, mirrors, and cabinets) with UNpaper Towels from Marley’s Monsters for a perfect, streak-free shine. These absorbent, machine-washable cotton flannel squares do almost any job and come in tons of fun prints and color mixes. Save 15% with code BLUEDOT. Shop today or read our review. |
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| Start living healthier today. |
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Mulch may be the magic that your garden needs, says columnist Lizzy Fallows, who tells us all about how she turned a mountain of wood chips into healthier trees and landscaping. Her kids love it, too — especially when the big pile of wood chips “smokes,” emitting steam generated by microorganisms that break down the wood and produce heat as a byproduct. “This delights children,” she says, “and sometimes unsettles adults.” The grown-ups come around quickly, though, when they see how much water they can save by using mulch, Lizzy says. Even better: Many tree trimming companies give away mulch for free. |
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For more tap tips, check out Bluedot’s Room for Change: The Bathroom.
For more Bluedot Climate Quick Tips, click here.
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Climate Connections |
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Los Angeles Climate Week kicks off today with a full slate of events, from a film screening to an eco-friendly flea market to a compost party. Throughout the week, hundreds of events across the city will reflect on the event’s theme, “Future Proofing and Resilience,” with a focus on community wellness, sustainable infrastructure, environmental restoration, and building resilience in the wake of the L.A. wildfires. Whether you’re looking to volunteer, brainstorm about climate solutions, or just find support among like-minded folks, there’s an opportunity for you.
Just reading through the L.A. Climate Week calendar of events is inspiring. Yes, the environmental challenges we are facing are huge, but the people working to solve them are brilliant and tireless. We love sharing their stories, and we hope you’ll help us by contributing to our journalism, subscribing to our newsletters, and forwarding this email to your like-minded friends.
See you in two weeks!
–Robin Jones
Do you have a special Los Angeles photo or story to share?
Email laeditor@bluedotliving.com. |
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Robin Jones is a Southern California native who served as an editor at Westways magazine for more than a decade. She currently lives in Long Beach and teaches journalism at Cal State Long Beach, where she advises the award-winning student magazine, DIG MAG. She loves road-tripping across California, especially when the itinerary includes stops in Arcata and Trinidad. |
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