At Home On Earth

SIMPLE / SMART / SUSTAINABLE / STORIES

In our annual Santa Barbara Green Guide (published a few weeks ago), Bluedot editor Jim Miller writes about the importance of celebrating conservation success stories. The island fox (pictured here) is found only on the Channel Islands off Santa Barbara and is an important link in the biodiverse ecosystem there. The fox population had dwindled from about 1,500 in 1994 to fewer than 100 by 2000. But the island foxes are back! Read about what a National Park Service biologist calls “one of the most successful, and quickest, recovering programs in the history of endangered species.” 

Has there been a recent public figure who has so adeptly spoken to a fractured world? Pope Francis has been called radical, which, perhaps he was, if by “radical,” we mean “characterized by independence of or departure from tradition.” He was the first to choose Francis for his papal name, in reference to the humble patron saint of animals and the environment. True to his namesake, he valued simplicity, opting to live in a two-room guesthouse. Months before the Paris Agreement was signed, writes author and creator of Third Act Bill McKibben, Pope Francis wrote the 2015 encyclical Laudato Si (“Praise Be”), “the most important document of his papacy and arguably the most important piece of writing so far this millennium.” The Ladauto Si was the Pope’s letter on care for our common home — urging all of us to return to a reverence for the planet and all its inhabitants, for all of us to see it as our home, not simply resources for exploitation, and making clear the lie of infinite economic growth. To those working on climate policy, recalls climate campaigner Paul Polman in a tribute “he said, ‘Don’t forget who suffers most from climate change.’ He asked us to go beyond the science and put people, especially the most vulnerable, at the centre of our work.” As McKibben put it, Pope Francis brought moral resolve to the climate movement. His message remains as resonant today as when he wrote it.  

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FEATURED STORIES

BIG IDEAS AND LOCAL CHANGEMAKERS

Quiz: Earth Month

Banishing the Bulldozer

What portion of a typical landfill consists of building material waste from demolitions?

1. 10%

2. 55%

3. 22%

See the entire Earth Month Quiz here!

Read about an effort in California to re-route building waste.

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 Bluedot Living Kitchen

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Favorite Watch: Grizzly 399, Queen of the Tetons

Bluedot contributor Chris Lysik recommends we all watch Grizzly 399: Queen of the Tetons, from PBS’s Nature series. It tells the story of mama bear Grizzly 399, as she raises a litter of four cubs at the age of 24 — an unheard of accomplishment in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.

As her popularity grows, leading to greater tourism, Grizzly 399 realized that humans could play a helpful role in protecting her cubs, Chris writes, noting that “by becoming habituated to humans and rearing her young alongside busy roads that adult male grizzlies avoid, Grizzly 399 became exceptionally successful at raising them to adulthood.”

But her proximity to humans and traffic also raises issues. No spoilers. Just watch.

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Dear Dot: What Are Some Earth-Friendly Gifts?

Dear Dot,

Each year I send my daughters a gift for Earth Day. I've given them reusable grocery bags, reusable produce bags, biodegradable dog poop bags, tree-free toilet paper, dish soap bars, etc. I'm always looking for new ideas as well as changes I can make in my household. I would appreciate any suggestions, including product recommendations you can make.

– Shari

Dear Shari,

Thank you for inviting Dot to share in your delightful Earth Day practice! I am reminded of Robin Wall Kimmerer’s The Serviceberry, which calls us to reject the scarcity model that underlies our economy, in favor of a ‘Serviceberry Economy’ — one that promotes reciprocity, gratitude, and abundance, based on the natural lessons of the plant world. Shari, I see that sentiment in your celebration of Earth Day by sharing a gift that speaks to your own care for the planet. 

What does Dot (and friends!) suggest? Read on!

BUY LESS/BUY BETTER:

Sustainable Swaps for Earth Month

If you make a purchase through our links, including from Amazon, we may earn a small commission.

• Bottled haircare products for effective shampoo and conditioner bars.

• Wasteful razors and blades for plastic-free shaving solutions.

• Plastic bottles and tubs for these elegant, waterless body lotion “stones.”

• Drugstore deodorant for these plastic-free deodorants.* 

• T.P. made from old-growth trees for bamboo or recycled toilet paper.

• Disposables for fast-charging, long-lasting, rechargeable batteries.

• Paper towels made from trees for these reusable cotton paper towels.*

• Sponges for Swedish dish cloths and dish brushes.*

• Disposable baggies for silicone zip-top bags.

• Plastic wrap and foil for Bee’s Wrap. (on Amazon)  

• Single-use paper for silicone baking mats. (on Amazon)

• Endless cans for your own personal source of fizzy water.

• Big jugs of pods or liquids for this super-concentrated laundry detergent.*

• Dryer sheets for adorable wool dryer balls.*

*Save with code BLUEDOT

Fresh off the (digital) press:

Bluedot Living Kitchen’s latest issue is here!

Inside each issue of Bluedot Living Kitchen, you’ll find fresh cooking inspiration for planet-friendly eating, waste-saving tips for a more sustainable kitchen, and inspiring stories of the people who grow and make your food. In the latest issue, you’ll find tips for growing hearty herbs you’ll actually use, dozens of seasonal recipes, low-waste tips for campfire cooking, and the story of the third-generation farmers behind the regenerative Happy Hens Farm.

Claim your free issue now! No payment information required.

The Keep-This Handbook: Bluedot’s Guide to Citizen Action

With Pope Francis’ plea reminding us to care for each other, let’s revisit Bluedot’s Guide to Citizen Action, offering guidance for civic engagement at all levels. How will you get involved?

The 89% Project

Parting Thoughts on Community

My (Leslie’s) 20s were a nomadic decade with an average of one move each year. I would call my unfailingly good-natured friends and announce that I needed their help to move. Again. They would arrive with their vehicles and their muscles then lug beds and tables, futons and dishes down flights of stairs and then up flights of stairs. Job completed, we would celebrate with a case of beer and some pizza. It was a rite of passage. They knew that, when the time came, I would be on their doorstep to help. 

With time, most of us move less and rely on professionals more. But our desire for community doesn’t disappear. We find it in community gardens. In community transit. In community kitchens. I find it in beach cleanups and climate marches, at dog parks and book clubs. 

I (Jamie) moved a lot, too, and still do to avoid New England winters. But since my early 20s, I have lived for some part of each year on the island of Martha’s Vineyard. Though we are deluged with visitors and seasonal residents for the summer months, most of us there year-round (or for a good part of the off-season) find our community in shared suppers, the aisles of farm markets, and in our collective desire and efforts to protect our abundant wild places (and wildlife). You can see the observations and discoveries our legion of citizen scientists have noted via the MV Atlas of Life, hosted by the local organization BiodiversityWorks. 

Enjoy the weekend, and we’ll see you in two weeks.

–Jamie Kageleiry and Leslie Garrett

Editors

Write us at editor@bluedotliving.com

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.

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.

Sent to: _t.e.s.t_@example.com

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