Friday, Mar 27

Welcome to Your Daily Dot where Dot will share tips, advice, and stories on how we can make our world better.

Dear Reader,

Today is World Water Day, so let’s take a dive into some Feel-Good stories, starting with the delightful news that it’s that “visdeurbel” time of year again, wherein we get to open a door to migrating Dutch fish. Every spring, thousands of fish swim through the Oudegracht in Utrecht, searching for a place upstream to lay their eggs. But wait! Sometimes the Weerdsluis, a manually operated lock, is closed, preventing the fish from continuing their journeys. This is where we come in. By logging on, we can alert a lock operator when there’s a fish at the door by pressing the “fish doorbell.” It’s a fun way to get a look at some piscine species — and be a good neighbor. 

Now, let’s head to Sweden, where no-longer-useful wind turbine blades are being repurposed as building materials. The innovation reminds Dot of this Bluedot story about an Ohio company transforming turbine blades into functional public art, including park benches around the city of Avon. 

A mountain mural painted on wind turbine blades by artist Caitlen Cameron displays among Canvus furniture inside their gallery in Avon, Ohio. – Photo courtesy of Canvus

And finally, lots of us feel helpless at the amount of trash that our take-out culture produces — mountains of cardboard, plastic, and compostable (but only theoretically!) containers. But a city in Germany is showing us that reducing take-out trash is possible with some determination and ingenuity — and a willingness to listen to a few people grumble. Tubingen, a town in Germany that sees two million tourists a year, began charging a packaging tax for take-out containers. Businesses could absorb the cost or pass it on, but either way, the goal was for it to be a deterrent. And it’s worked! The use of reusable containers in the city has quadrupled, and three quarters of eateries have reduced their single-use packaging. Best of all, the city is cleaner. Just goes to show that many of our problems are not as intractable as they sometimes seem. 

Positively,

Dot

This season’s issue is all about cooking with intention, using what you have, and setting the tone for a more thoughtful spring. We’re sharing waste-not soup and a closer look at planet-conscious chocolate. You’ll also find guidance on raising backyard chickens, what to know about amla powder, and ideas to help you cook seasonally while we head into spring. Subscribe now to read the latest issue of Bluedot Living Kitchen and get a full year of low-waste recipes, sustainable kitchen tips, and mindful cooking inspiration for every season.