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We just love assigning and looking at photographs for the stories we run. So we’re celebrating the new year with this selection of some of our favorites. Click through to see them all, along with links to each of the stories where they appear — from farms on Martha’s Vineyard to birds on Nantucket, snow leopards in the Himalayas, and sheep ranchers in Santa Barbara (and a lot in between). In the rest of this newsletter, we feature some of our most-clicked on stories of the year. 

Happy New Year!

“Addressing the climate crisis is the work of our lifetimes. So I invite you to join me: Act as if you love the future. And be tenacious on behalf of life on Earth.”

– Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, recipient of the TIME Earth Award, December 2025

• A Colorado Coal Town Is Digging Geothermal

• Climate Quick Tip: A Sweet Gift Idea

• Our Favorite Photos of 2025

• A Conversation with Thomas Deininger

• Cozy Picks for a Peaceful Winter

• Climate Conversation: Mark Carney

• A Cinderella Story for Ugly Fruit 

• Recipe: The Mother Pomodoro Sauce

• Recipe: Italian White Bean and Greens Soup

• Ready to Rid Yourself of Excess Christmas Decor?

Make sustainable living simple with the Bluedot Living’s Green Home Deluxe Kit — a $170+ value collection of our editors’ favorite Earth-friendly products, free with your membership. You’ll also enjoy exclusive member savings, inspiring community connections, and more planet-positive perks.

FEATURED STORIES

BIG IDEAS AND LOCAL CHANGEMAKERS

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The Mother Pomodoro Sauce

Try our number one recipe of 2025: Italian White Bean and Greens Soup!
It’s nutritious and delicious.

On the Troll Trail at Rhode Island’s Ninigret Park

Bluedot staffer Alison Mead wrote this story about the giant troll sculptures that artist Thomas Dambo creates from recycled materials. Readers loved it (it was one of our most-clicked stories of the year). Did you know there are more than 130 Dambo trolls across North America, South America, Europe, Australia, South Korea, and China? Click through to find more pictures of these strangely touching trolls (and a link to a Troll Map).

Dear Dot: What Was Dot’s Most Sought-After Advice in 2025?

Illustration by Elissa Turnbull

Readers reach out to Dot with their most perplexing eco queries, from whether winter tires release microplastics (yep) to how to convince family and friends to climb aboard the climate bandwagon (joyfully). This past year, readers were particularly curious about how to effectively recycle cardboard boxes. A close second was a question from a reader wondering whether products made from wheat-straw were just … plastic. In third place was a perennial favorite, thanks no doubt in part to Dot’s menswear-loving source’s delightful humor and wealth of information about what’s really behind the low price of cashmere (and how to scout quality cashmere at good prices). The fourth most popular column was bittersweet — from a reader wondering if the particularly lovely sunsets she’d been noticing were, perhaps, affected by wildfire smoke. And finally, those ants continue to march into kitchens and readers are hungry for ways to thwart them … non-toxically. 

Did you have a favorite Dear Dot that didn’t make the top 5? Or do you have a question that Dot hasn’t yet answered? Let Dot know.

BUY LESS/BUY BETTER:
Cozy Picks for a Peaceful Winter

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

Buy-One-Give-One Blankets

Oregon-based Sackcloth + Ashes makes beautifully crafted blankets from recycled fibers. Available in contemporary and traditional patterns, these soft yet durable blankets are machine-washable and designed to be enjoyed for many years. For every blanket purchased, the company donates one to a homeless shelter in the area where the blanket will be shipped. ($140 and up) SHOP NOW

A Heavyweight Hoodie

If you wear the same sweatshirt all season long, consider treating yourself to the next sweatshirt you’ll be wearing all season long. Made in a Fair Trade Certified factory from Regenerative Organic Certified® cotton, Vottera’s heavyweight hoodie is soft yet substantial and will make you feel warm inside and out. ($69.99) SHOP NOW

The Cutest Coasters

Friendsheep, whose dryer balls you may know and love, also makes fabulous home goods, including these coasters and trivets. Each cruelty-free wool piece is handmade in Nepal for fair wages. The absorbent, plastic-free coasters will help set the mood for any cozy day spent reading and enjoying a mug of tea or cocoa, and they come in lots of colorways, ranging from sophisticated to exuberant. ($18 and up) SHOP NOW

In Santa Barbara and Santa Ynez, environmental preservation meets rich cultural heritage. Designed and led by Bluedot Living founder Victoria Riskin, this California escape offers private tours of Lotusland and Bellosguardo, whale watching, and wine tasting. You’ll experience luxury, purpose, and beauty at every turn, and come back inspired to protect the planet you just explored. 

What You Can Do: Think Global, Act Local

It’s easy to think that we need to make bold, sweeping changes to address our climate crisis, but plenty of the powerful changes we need occur at the local level — the rewilding initiatives, the pedestrian-centered infrastructure, the wildlife protection. Find a group in your community focused on the work that matters to you, whether preserving a pond, protecting a species, or planting for pollinators. Then resolve to get involved. 

The Keep-This Handbook

More ho-ho-ho than you need-need-need? Then you might be looking for a way to rid yourself of the excess. Look no further than Bluedot’s Guide to Getting Rid of (Almost) Anything.

Dear Bluedot Readers,

As I sat down to write this year-end message, I wasn’t quite sure where to begin — so I’ll start with the most important thing: Thank you!

All of us at Bluedot Living are deeply grateful that you carve out time from your busy days to read our stories and consider our thoughts about how, together, we can care for our fragile planet and our homes and communities. Your engagement, encouragement, and suggestions inspire us to do better and dig deeper. We’ve loved hearing from you. 

This past year has not been an easy one — for our country or for the planet. My old friend Nora Ephron (the writer; we went to summer camp together) used to say, “No matter how cynical I get, I can’t keep up.” Some days those words meet my feelings. She also said, “Everything is copy.” No matter how challenging a situation, write about it. That’s what we do.  

Even through the challenges and setbacks, we’ve seen progress. From our interviews with innovators developing fusion energy to ranchers restoring ecosystems, to chefs championing farm-to-table food, to communities composting together, we’ve met people doing work with remarkable dedication. These quiet revolutionaries don’t often make headlines, but they are transforming our world for the better.

In my own home, I’ve been continuing my sustainability journey in fits and starts. I finally have a kitchen composter that’s made a real difference in our food waste (check out the Mill, and our discount on it) and I’ve cut down on plastic by using plant-based trash bags and baggies instead. I bought an electric car. The loss of federal rebates is unfortunate, but several states still have nice incentives. Imagine the impact if we all made changes, whether big or small. It all matters.

So as we look ahead to the new year, I invite you to join me in making one simple, joyful resolution. Swap plastic sponges for bamboo ones. Replace paper towels with washable cloths. Eat a little less beef and look for qualities like Regenerative Organic Certified. Every small step adds up to something big. And we’ve opened an online store, the Bluedot Living Collection, with items from companies doing a good job. 

And there is good news — real progress is happening all over the world — thanks to visionaries in science, industry, and local communities everywhere. The planet has warmed about 1.2°C above pre-industrial levels — leading to more heat waves and droughts — but that’s also proof that action matters: Just a decade ago, we were on track for 4°C or more of warming by the end of the century. Thanks to the progress we’ve made, that level of warming is no longer expected. What that tells us is that action works, and we must keep at it.

Finally, I’m so excited to share that in 2026 we’ll be launching a new Bluedot Living podcast, Imagine If, which I’ll be co-hosting with three great partners. Together, we’ll spotlight people with brilliant ideas and big hearts — the people helping to build a better future for all of us. 

One of our guests, Eric Garcetti, the former mayor of Los Angeles, said his “Imagine if” is if people were kinder to each other. We could use a little more kindness everywhere.

Thank you again for being part of this journey. Your curiosity and commitment fuel everything we do. Wishing you peace, joy, and renewal as we step into 2026 — together.

With gratitude,
Victoria Riskin

Founder, Bluedot Living

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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