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Welcome to The Weekly, a Bluedot Living newsletter that gathers good news, good food, and good tips for living every day more sustainably. |
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Welcome to The Weekly, a Bluedot Living newsletter that gathers good news, good food, and good tips for living every day more sustainably. |
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SIMPLE / SMART / SUSTAINABLE / STORIES |
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Dr. Adam Aron (pictured above on the far right) was a cognitive neuroscientist at the University of California, San Diego for many years. In 2021, he pivoted, returned a large research grant, and turned his focus to studying how to galvanize people to address climate change and motivate action. He now teaches courses like “Psychology of the Climate Crisis.” One of his key findings is that commitment to a group identity keeps activists engaged, writes Darcy Rhyno in this story about Dr. Aron. Forging social bonds and developing a shared sense of responsibility to that group leads to more effective activism. “You feel bound by this sense of responsibility or commitment to each other,” Dr. Aron told Darcy.
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DISPATCHES FROM ALL OVER
SUSTAINABLE LIVING ADVICE
ECO-FRIENDLY RECIPES |
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DISPATCHES FROM ALL OVER · SUSTAINABLE LIVING ADVICE · ECO-FRIENDLY RECIPES |
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“All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity.”
– Martin Luther King, Jr. |
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Join a community creating real change, one everyday action at a time. Bluedot Living equips readers with practical resources, inspiring stories, and solutions that work — 98% say we have helped them make planet-positive changes. Become a member for as little as $5/month to support hopeful climate journalism and enjoy exclusive member benefits.
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QUICK LINKS |
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Skip scrolling! Here's what you'll find in this edition of the Bluedot newsletter: |
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FEATURED STORIES |
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BIG IDEAS AND LOCAL CHANGEMAKERS |
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Saving the planet is a big job, and there’s always work to do. Ahead of Labor Day weekend, we’re celebrating the people doing the work for their communities and our planet, whether as a career or a passion project.
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Fresh berries, dried hibiscus flowers, and sparkling water combine with cherry juice in this tart, slightly sweet cooler. This drink is a brew of ingredients that are rich in vitamin C and antioxidants, making it a revitalizing treat after time in the sun. Make a pitcher for the long, sunny weekend!
Get the recipe.
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John McPhee’s timeless nonfiction book Encounters With the Archdruid (1971) follows David Brower, the prominent mountaineer and former Sierra Club executive director, as he camps with three of his “natural enemies.” Bluedotter Jim Miller describes the premise: “McPhee, in a stroke of genius and courage, enlisted three adversaries for Brower and took them each separately on a trip into nature with Brower. Brower debated with a mining expert while backpacking in the Cascade wilderness, with a real estate developer at a Cumberland Island campsite, and with the federal government’s chief dam builder while rafting down the Colorado River.” The result is a classic that explores the environment and humanity’s place in it: what we should take, and what nature should get to keep.
Read the full review.
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Paid Advertisement with CashApp |
Help your kid build smart money habits early
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If you have a kid between 6 and 12, you can start teaching them smart money habits right now with Cash App. Kids between 6 and 12 can now have a Cash balance, order a Cash App Card, and start saving, but they don’t get access to the app.* There are no subscription fees, and you control it all through your app and account.
Manage money together
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Safe money transfers: You can choose up to 5 people who can send them money. They can't send money or buy stocks or bitcoin.
Parent-controlled account: They can't log in on their own, and they don't need a phone. You control their account and see their activity. |
| Create Your Cash App Account Today |
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Cash App is a financial services platform, not a bank. Banking services provided by Cash App's bank partner(s). Prepaid debit cards issued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC. Cash App Visa Debit Flex Cards issued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC, and The Bancorp Bank, N.A., pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc. See terms and conditions for the Sutton prepaid card, Sutton debit flex card, and Bancorp debit flex card. Savings provided by Cash App, a Block Inc. brand.
*Parents and legal guardians can open a managed account for kids 6-12. To view the eligibility requirements for sponsoring a teen or child, please visit the Sponsored Accounts section of the Cash App Terms of Service.
**Cash App will pass through a portion of the interest paid on your savings balance held in an account for the benefit of Cash App customers at Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., Member FDIC. To earn interest on your Cash App savings balance, you need to have sponsor approval. Exceptions may apply. Savings yield rate is subject to change. |
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Illustration by Elissa Turnbull |
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Dear Dot,
Is it safe to reuse cooking oil?
– Donna
Dear Donna,
Mother Dot always kept a jar in the fridge into which she poured bacon grease from Father Dot’s weekend breakfasts — a jar she would discard appropriately once it was full. (You never ever want to put cooking oil down the drain, Donna. Fatbergs are monstrous, expensive things for municipalities.) When I became a Teen Dot, largely fending for myself at mealtimes, I would routinely scoop some of the congealed bacon grease into a pan and use it to fry sliced potatoes to a delicious, crispy brown. Then I would return that grease to the jar, where it would wait for me to do it all again.
Was this wise? Healthy? Safe? My doctor has been muttering lately about cholesterol and blood pressure, but, for the purposes of answering your question, Donna, let’s put those admonishments aside and focus on whether we can reuse cooking oil without making ourselves ill.
Dot sought out no less an authority than the King, as in King Arthur, monarch of bakers and home chefs. And the King, via owner-employee Rossi Anastopoulo, issued a royal “yes!” She pointed out on the company’s site that “frying oil has a longer lifespan than people realize — it can be used several times before you need to dispose of it. Reusing oil is the best way to reduce the waste (and cost) of frying.”
There’s more to know, so keep reading!
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Forget plastic skeletons and fake spiderwebs: This Halloween decor is festive, fun, and sturdy enough to bring out every October. Made in Wisconsin, Northern Forge’s hand-forged steel decorations include yard stakes and glowing solar luminaries with skeletons, jack-o’-lanterns, and elegant fall foliage. ($35+)
Make Your Yard Boo-tiful
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There’s been an uptick in the number of labels and certifications available for products in recent years. In theory, these words and symbols guide consumers. In practice, their meaning isn’t always clear. Let Bluedot help.
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In the latest issue of Bluedot Living Kitchen, discover smart ways to freeze summer’s bounty along with essential tools for canning and fermenting. You’ll also find low-waste, meatless recipes, make-ahead meals, and a planet-friendly guide to protein to help you cook well while making thoughtful choices for the planet.
Subscribe today to receive future issues of Bluedot Living Kitchen and enjoy seasonal recipes and inspiring stories that help you eat well and live more sustainably all year long. |
| Subscribe Now |
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The Keep-This Handbook |
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Screen doors are the silent superheroes of summer, letting in a cool breeze while keeping out mosquitoes and flies. A tiny hole or tear can be their kryptonite. Luckily, Mr. Fix-It can teach you how to repair a damaged screen door (or window screen), so you don’t have to abandon your ol’ hardworking fixtures.
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Buying Better |
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One of the things we aim to do in our Bluedot store is find the companies that produce items made sustainably. With this being Labor Day weekend, we thought we’d share how we find companies with ethical labor practices. Elizabeth Weinstein, who edits our BuyBetter Marketplace newsletter, wrote this about how to find products and vet brands:
“At Bluedot Living, we spend a great deal of time thinking about what it actually means to ‘buy better.’ The answer is rarely simple. Few products are perfect, and sustainability itself can be surprisingly nuanced. … That complexity shapes how we evaluate the brands and products featured in the Bluedot Living Collection. Rather than relying on a single checklist, we look at the bigger picture: materials, manufacturing, durability, transparency, labor practices, packaging, certifications, and whether a product offers a meaningful improvement over conventional alternatives. …
“How a product is made matters just as much as what it is made from. We look for brands that are transparent about where their products are manufactured, who makes them, and what standards govern those facilities.
“Certifications such as Responsible Living Wage Standard, Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production, Fair Trade, and Fair for Life provide us with some confidence about labor practices. But supply chains are often sprawling and opaque, and labor practices remain one of the most difficult areas to assess. …
“We do our best to assess the information available to us, but we also recognize the limits of what we can realistically verify from the outside. For that reason, we place significant weight on transparency, specificity, and whether a company appears genuinely engaged in improving its practices over time. We also tend to favor smaller, mission-driven companies and brands with more localized supply chains, especially American companies that make their products and source materials in the U.S.”
You can find a list of companies we love here (along with great products they make).
Enjoy the long weekend, and we’ll see you next week.
– Jamie Kageleiry, Leslie Garrett, Emily Cain, and Robin Jones
Editors
Write us at editor@bluedotliving.com |
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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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