At Home On Earth

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According to research from the EPA, temperatures in urban areas with good tree coverage are, on average, nearly 3 degrees lower than those in neighborhoods with few trees. When there’s no shade, pavement and buildings absorb and retain heat, making hot days even hotter. Fortunately, there’s a simple solution: Plant more trees! TreePeople in Los Angeles has been doing just that since 1973. The organization put a million trees in the ground in the run-up to the 1984 L.A. Olympics and plans to do it again before the 2028 Games, with the goal of providing more canopy coverage in underserved areas. As Alex Miller, TreePeople’s director of marketing and communications, said in a story we published about them last year: “Shade is crucial, and trees are the only piece of infrastructure that gain value over time.”

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Veterinarians nationwide reported that corporate managers pushed clinics to focus on profit, with vets often paid based on revenue. This encouraged them to see more pets, order more tests, and upsell services, creating a growing burden for uninsured pet owners. Pet insurance could help you offset some of these rising costs, with some providing up to 90% reimbursement. View Money’s top pet insurance picks to see plans starting at only $10/month.

“Be of service, not knowing whether you’re a hospice worker or a midwife.”

—Joanna Macy

As we write this, Joanna Macy, Buddhist, meditation teacher, and renowned and longtime environmental activist, has, at the age of 96, entered hospice care, giving this quote particular poignancy. Macy’s work has always urged us to acknowledge our connection to the Earth, including her recent podcast in which she shared what she called We Are the Great Turning. Always, always she invites us to find joy in being alive and to keep working to create a better world. Whether we take on the fight as hospice worker to our planet, or as midwife to a rebirth, is up to us. 

• What Makes Downtown Toronto So Cool?

• India Opens Its First Heat Stroke Unit

• Four Ways Your Community Can Save Lives During this Summer’s Heat Waves

• One Organization’s Drive to Plant a Million Trees

• Greens and Rice Soup With Ginger and Miso

• Anti-Ant? Send Them Packing

• How Three U.S. Cities Are Tackling Urban Heat Islands

• Dear Dot: Is Fake Grass Better Than the Real Thing?

• Buy Better: Garden Helpers

FEATURED STORIES

BIG IDEAS AND LOCAL CHANGEMAKERS

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 Bluedot Living Kitchen

Paved streets and walkways can be a good thing, as they make roads more accessible and easier to maintain. But too much pavement can lead to a bad thing: the Urban Heat Island effect, or hotter temperatures caused by the heat held within pavement. Urban planners in cities across the U.S. are working on solutions to the problem, and some are even advocating “depaving” certain spots, like unused parking lots, and turning them into green spaces. 

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Dear Dot: Is Fake Grass Better Than the Real Thing?

Dear Dot,

I’ve heard about artificial grass as a water-saving alternative to real grass, but if it's plastic, is the fake stuff really eco-friendly? 

– Randi, San Diego

Dear Randi, 

At first glance, artificial turf sure seems like a good alternative to thirsty grass lawns. Besides saving water, you’re avoiding the use of fertilizers and pesticides, and avoiding pollution from lawn mowers. (Another plus is that you free up your weekends from lawn maintenance.) But you’re right to wonder if this is all too good to be true. Unfortunately, there’s growing evidence that a fake green lawn isn’t so green at all. 

What’s the issue? Dot examines blade by blade. 

BUY LESS/BUY BETTER: Helpers for the Garden

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

Establish

If you’d like to do more planting or set up raised beds of bulbs, you’ve still got plenty of time. Eartheasy, a family-run company, sells raised beds, sheds, composters, and all kinds of supplies that can help your garden flourish. Shop today or read our review.

Water

These beautiful clay ollas from wind-powered ceramics studio One Wintry Night offer an old-world solution to modern garden care. Tuck them into the soil, fill with water, and let plants draw moisture as needed — no daily watering required. Shop today or read our review.

Pollinate

Encourage your garden to thrive with a bee hotel from Crown Bees. Designed for gentle, hard-working solitary bees, these compact, easy-to-set-up shelters support native pollinators with no hives and little fuss. Shop today or read our review.

What You Can Do

The CDC tells us that extreme heat kills more Americans each year than hurricanes, lightning, tornadoes, and floods combined. We’re all vulnerable when temps top 90°F, but older people are particularly affected. When the mercury skyrockets, help by checking in on those in your life who might be suffering. If necessary, transport people to local cooling centers. And take care of yourself, too, by hydrating and taking simple steps in your home, such as not using the stove, and closing blinds and drapes. And call on your local rep to protect outdoor workers and unhoused people.

The Keep-This Handbook

Heating Up

I distinctly remember the heat dome that suffocated Los Angeles last year. I live near the coast, where ocean breezes did the job of air conditioning until about 10 years ago, and my 110-year-old house had no AC. I would wait until late afternoon to take my dog on the shortest possible walk, after which we’d both lie flat on my bed under a ceiling fan blowing at full strength. 

As a native Californian, I’d never experienced an extended period of heat like that. I honestly thought I never would. But now, I know better. Though the weather in L.A. has been moderate so far this summer, I fully expect we’ll see a heat wave in August or September, when temperatures tend to spike. When it happens, I know I’ll be more grateful than ever for my city’s neighborhood pools and air-conditioned libraries (and a standing invitation to a friend’s house that has all three: a pool, AC, and a wall of great books).

I hope you’re able to find your own respite from the heat this summer. Enjoy the weekend, and we’ll see you in two weeks.

–Robin Jones (and Emily Cain, Leslie Garrett, and Jamie Kageleiry)

Editors

Write us at editor@bluedotliving.com

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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