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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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When my husband and I were newly married, we would sometimes make time for a quick hike through Will Rogers State Park before or after a visit with his family in Santa Monica. We’d trek to the lookout, enjoy the views, then head down toward the Will Rogers Ranch House and ramble around the grounds. So when I saw photos last Wednesday of that ranch house burned to the ground, a victim of the wildfires tearing through L.A., it felt like a gut punch. It also felt like a call to action. In the face of such devastation, what can we do? Plenty: We can stay informed. We can be prepared. We can help those who lost their homes and businesses. And we can recommit to doing everything possible to mitigate the climate change that drives these sort of extreme weather events. |
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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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From Bluedot Living’s President |
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–Shutterstock |
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I grew up in the Pacific Palisades. As a teen I routinely went to the “show” on Saturdays to see a double bill with my best friends, and happily wander the small shops in the Village. The Palisades was a small town in a sprawling city where everyone had a sense of community and neighborhood pride, a place people loved. My old friend Bill Bruns, once a top editor/reporter for Life Magazine, ran the Palisadian Post with the same dedication he gave to his award-winning national assignments. His wife, Pam, taught journalism five days a week as a volunteer at the local high school, my high school. She inspired hundreds of kids. Their house is gone. So are the homes of dozens of my friends, too many to mention, but among the thousands lost from the Palisades to Altadena on the other side of Los Angeles.
Today I set aside my optimism to shed tears for my friends, my old town, and the planet. These raging weather events are part of a much bigger picture that we need to grapple with. Maybe it’s time to truly embrace a post-fossil fuel future and remember, we’re all in this together.
Thank you for being a Bluedot reader.
– Victoria Riskin |
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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,
My wife and I are looking to buy a newly built home and are talking to builders. Here in my neighborhood, there is no discussion about environmentally sensitive building or efficient heating/cooling issues. We get blank stares when we mention these issues. Is there a handy checklist you can recommend for us to ask a builder to include in a home in this area? Or things we should look for?
– Joe Lorusso
Dear Joe,
So, whether you end up buying an existing home or opt for a new build, Dot wants to equip you with what you need to consider or seek out.
A perfunctory Google search did turn up this site: Earth911. Note also that there are several national certification programs that can be helpful in your search:
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The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) will point you to a Certified Green Professional (CGP)
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Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) has a list of Accredited Professionals
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Green Advantage (GA) provides a roster of Green Advantage Certified Practitioners (GACPs)
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Earth Advantage also certifies builders as environmentally friendly.
Dot also spoke with Izumi Tanaka, green realtor, home advisor, and host of the podcast Home Green Homes about the most important green features to make sure your home includes.
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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Increased energy, better sleep, and weight loss can all be benefits of participating in Dry January, an international campaign encouraging people to cut out alcohol for a month. Last year, 25% of American adults participated. These alcohol-free, planet-friendly beverages can help support you on your Dry (or damp) January journey. |
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Boisson offers alcohol-free beverages that feel decidedly adult. Great options include nonalcoholic beers like Athletic’s IPA; terrific dupes like the Phony Negroni; and a range of intriguing adaptogenic drinks, including Three Spirit Livener, which can help boost your mood, and De Soi Purple Lune apéritif, which is formulated to help you wind down. Shop today or read our review. |
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If you’re looking to refresh your morning cuppa, give Trade Coffee a go. The company curates tasty coffees from small roasters nationwide and offers well over 100 brews that have Organic, Fair Trade, and Rainforest Alliance certifications. From there, you can choose from 13 different flavor profiles. Shop today or read our review. |
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Our marketplace editor is a big fan of the Climate Neutral, Organic, Fair Trade tea company Numi. She got herself their Organic Tea by Mood gift set, and enjoyed sampling different teas to help invigorate, focus, sleep, and more. (Her favorites are the well-balanced Moroccan Mint and grounding but energizing Emperor’s Pu-erh black.) Shop on Amazon or read our review. |
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Find more tips for growing food in a waterwise garden and installing a rain barrel to save even more water.
Find more Climate Quick Tips on our Hub site. |
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–Shutterstock |
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Lingering smoke from the L.A. wildfires is going to affect air quality in Southern California for weeks, if not longer. You might hear newscasters talking about “outdoor days” and wonder what, exactly, that means. In essence, outdoor days are the days that are conducive to outdoor activities, when extreme weather events or extreme temperatures don’t make it impossible for people to get outside and enjoy themselves. Bluedot editorial director Leslie Garrett digs into the history of the term and how scientists are using it to help the rest of us better understand the effects of climate change on our daily lives. |
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The Fire Next Time |
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I live by the ocean, and I’ve always thought that insulated me from wildfires. I might have to deal with other effects of climate change, like sea-level rise, but I wouldn’t ever need to pack a “go bag” and be ready to evacuate at a moment’s notice. This week, as I watched homes and businesses burn along the ocean side of PCH, I was firmly set straight. Extreme weather events are happening everywhere, and we all need to be prepared. Ready L.A. County and the L.A. County Fire Department both offer a plethora of preparedness tips and resources. I’ll be reviewing their advice and revamping my emergency plans in the coming weeks.
Stay safe out there. 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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