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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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UCLA’s Bruin Bus fleet has long been a leader in clean transportation: The five buses and one passenger vehicle that shuttle student, faculty, staff, and visitors from the Westwood campus to various spots around the Westside are all-electric. Now, thanks to a $20 million grant from the California State Transportation Agency’s Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program, those buses will charge up on California’s first wireless charging road. And that’s not the only way UCLA is taking its commitment to EVs to another level. Bluedot editor Emily Cain fills us in on the university’s electrifying projects.
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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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This week, we were inspired by two stories about artists using their work to advocate for change. Earlier this weekend at USC, student filmmakers hosted the fourth annual Eco Film and Media Arts Festival, where they showed 15 short films about everything from the Jurupa Oak, a 13,000-year-old tree being threatened by urban sprawl, to the benefits of kelp. “My mission is to give first-time environmental filmmakers the support they need and recognition they deserve to keep making awesome social-impact films and not lose their spark for telling these kinds of stories,” says festival coordinator Arian Tomar. And artist Benjamin Von Wong was working as a commercial photographer when he found himself searching for work with more meaning. Now he creates arresting photographs and installations that bring the impact of waste to life as art. How much e-waste will you generate in a lifetime? How much clothing waste? How many plastic bottles or straws? Benjamin has visualized the answers with photos and installations that force us to consider how we consume, and what we could do better. |
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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. |
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–Illustration by Elissa Turnbull |
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Dear Dot,
How can I save money on groceries?
– Janice
Dear Janice,
Dot has long believed that most environmentalists act a lot like someone who lived through the Depression. You know, that whole “use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without” ethos. And while grocery prices remain high (with threats of higher prices still, due to migrant workers not showing up for fear of deportation, the California wildfires, tariffs, and avian flu), let’s remember that living lighter on the Earth is often lighter on the wallet, too. But let’s dig into what specifically you can do, Janice. …
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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It’s a funny time of year. Spring is on the horizon, yet the weather hardly encourages spending evenings (and sometimes, days) outside. At this point in the winter, you may feel like you’ve exhausted your indoor amusements. If you could use a boost, consider one of these great items. |
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What’s a cozy day at home without a good book? You can find almost any volume at a great price on ThriftBooks. The site lists books by condition, with many in perfect shape, and offers a number of rare books and first editions that can be fun to browse.
Shop today or read our review. |
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Puzzlers be warned: British-made Wentworth puzzles may become your next obsession. Fortunately, your family will be able to enjoy these puzzles for generations. There’s just nothing else like the feel of putting together the laser-cut wooden pieces, including the themed “whimsy” pieces that really add to the fun. Shop today or read our review. |
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Oregon-based Mountain Rose Herbs prioritizes sustainability and ethical sourcing in the selection of its wonderful teas and tea blends. The brand offers loose-leaf and bagged teas as well as quality tea-making tools, including steeping implements and a handy tea bag squeezer (no more burned fingertips or ripped tea bags!). Shop today or read our review. |
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There’s a lot of reason to be upset right now, but the wise move is to channel those emotions into action. Bluedot is here to help, with a guide to getting involved. Here in Los Angeles, the L.A. chapter of the Climate Reality Project offers a long list of SoCal volunteer opportunities (and does other cool stuff, too). Finding a community is a way of finding hope! |
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Bluedot Marketplace also has some great ideas to green up your laundry game.
For more Bluedot Climate Quick Tips, click here.
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Caribbean coral reefs are in tough shape, and there seems to be little we can do to help. But one scientist has a radical idea to save the reefs. Dr. Misha Matz, a professor of marine biology at the University of Texas at Austin, is suggesting “coral migration” or “rewilding.” This involves transporting foreign species of corals from other oceans around the world and planting them in the Caribbean. Foreign species, like those native to the Persian Gulf that have evolved in an environment prone to turbulent temperatures, are far more resilient to temperature spikes and would spread quickly and widely, Matz explains, while also being more resistant to damage caused by bleaching, hurricanes, boat traffic, and trash. |
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Enter our reader sweepstakes for a chance to win a curated collection of sustainable living products from brands that prioritize wellness, eco-conscious design, and intentional living. Three winners, three incredible prize packs – one grand prize pack worth over $2,500 and two secondary prize packs worth over $1,000 each!
The giveaway kicks off on February 10 at 9 a.m. EST
and closes on February 28 at 11:59 p.m. EST.
No purchase necessary to enter or win. Open to U.S. and Canada residents aged 13 and older. See Official Rules for more details. |
| Enter Now |
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Rebirth and Renewal |
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It’s been more than a month since wildfires swept through Los Angeles, and as a community, we’re now facing the aftermath and considering the best way forward. How do we rebuild, and replant our gardens, to make them more fire-resistant, but also friendlier to the land they’re built on? How do we mitigate the environmental impact of debris removal? How do we best build on the legacy of community care that roared into action in the days and weeks after the fires? We’ll be looking at those questions — and telling the stories of organizations that merged their environmental goals with fire-relief efforts — in the upcoming weeks and months.
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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