For decades, Bret Stearns, the Director of Natural Resources for the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head, has been a dedicated steward of the Gay Head Cliffs. Not only does Bret work to protect Indigenous resource rights, but he and his team also monitor water and air quality, and utilize one of the most advanced fish tracking systems in the Northeast. We’re proud to feature Bret as our Local Hero in the upcoming spring issue of Bluedot Living, which will soon be available at local shops and markets. Read the full story here.

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Skip scrolling! Here's what you'll find in this edition of the Bluedot Newsletter:

• Nancy Aronie Travels

• Vegetable Roast With Tahini Yogurt Sauce

• Marketplace Special: Dishwashing and Discounts 

• Dear Dot: Is Vegan Leather an Ethical Alternative? 

• Climate Quick Tip: Toilet Paper That’s Not a Bummer!

• Bluedot’s Climate Leadership Program Lands on Martha’s Vineyard

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Joining the Majority on Climate Change

Wanting to prevent and clean up pollution in our air and water, seeking to preserve the health of our soil, conserving species and precious natural spaces shouldn’t be controversial. But we all know how politicized the issue of climate change has become. It’s not hard to see why. As Upton Sinclair famously said, “It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends on his not understanding it.” Put another way: Follow the money.

So those of us who want a healthy world (and therefore, a healthy us) can feel outnumbered, outgunned, outspent. Which is why a global poll conducted by the United Nations and Oxford University revealing that 80–89% of people want action on climate issues feels like a game-changer.

I mean … that’s close to all of us. We shouldn’t be surprised. Rare is the person who hasn’t been affected in some way by a changing climate — longer and hotter heat waves and droughts, more frequent and heavier flooding, sea level rise, more powerful storms causing greater damage. We are in this together.

Which is why Bluedot Living is joining media organizations from around the world in Covering Climate Now’s The 89% Project. The goal is to boost coverage of climate issues while creating alliances among those of us telling this most important story, and to share each other’s work. But there’s another more powerful objective, I believe: to make clear that we have the numbers on our side. To know that we are by far the majority is morale boosting. It makes us more likely to raise our voices at town halls, to ask our family, friends, and neighbors to join in. We might not agree on the specifics of some initiatives but when we know we share the same goal, we’re already a long way there. 

The 89% Project kicks off on April 21, Earth Week and runs for the year. You’ll notice the logo and stories from other alliance members in this newsletter and across the Bluedot universe. We hope you’ll feel as inspired as we do.

This magnolia (pictured above) inspires with its blooming glory (complete with a pollinating bee) on Main Street in Vineyard Haven on April 1. This is no joke — though it seems early, Polly Hill’s Tim Boland tells us that VH magnolias typically bloom four or five days ahead of the “central agrarian parts of the Vineyard.” On average, he continues, harbor towns are up to 10 days ahead of Aquinnah, thanks to the heat island effect. Buildings and concrete absorb more heat, which triggers early blooming. (Read Polly Hill’s advice on native planting here.)

Do you have your Earth Day plans in place? You’ve got a couple of weeks! And now you know that there are billions of others who share your desire for clean air, clean water, and a healthy planet. 

(And don’t forget to go to your town meeting this month and, if it’s on your town’s warrant, vote against the noisy, air-polluting leaf blowers. )

–Leslie Garrett (and Britt Bowker and Jamie Kageleiry)

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We also garnered awards for Overall Design and Presentation for our Nantucket Green Guide, Outstanding newsletter for our Boston Bluedot Living email newsletter, General Excellence for the MV Bluedot Living Magazine, and Britt Bowker’s story Raising Farmers on Nantucket. Kudos, too, to our photographers and illustrators who share in these awards: Elissa Turnbull for Dear Dot illustrations for Boston and MV,  and photographers Sheny Leon and Randi Baird for contributing to many of these prizewinning stories and publications. And we owe big thanks to our design/production team Tara Kenny, Whitney Multari, and Vesna Nepomuceno; associate editor Julia Cooper; web team (Alison Mead, Kelsey Perrett, and Grace Hughes); CEO Ray Pearce, and President and Founder, Victoria Riskin.

Using recycled toilet paper helps preserve a crucial forest system. Bluedot loves Who Gives a Crap?

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“Over the years,” Nancy Aronie writes in this essay about air travel in our upcoming Spring issue, “we have swum in the Aegean sea in Greece and we have climbed Masada in Israel and we have dunked in the Blue Lagoon in Iceland and, on a Bultaco motorcycle, we wove in and out of traffic on the Piazza Venezia. … We were surrounded and serenaded by a Mariachi band in Mexico City on my fortieth birthday.” But now, she writes, her husband has convinced her of the environmental damage of air travel and their journeys are looking very different. 

Find out how different here. 

Buy Better Marketplace: 

Dishwashing and Discounts 

If you purchase anything via one of our links, including from Amazon, we may earn a small commission.

Over the last two newsletters, we’ve shared some of our favorite laundry and cleaning products with you. Now it’s time to talk dishes. If you’re still buying big plastic bottles of dish detergent, plastic sponges, or plastic-wrapped pods, we’ve got great news for you: It’s easy to make Earth-friendly swaps that will keep your dishes sparkling.

For the Dishwasher

Bluedot’s marketplace editor has relied on Dirty Labs Bio Enzyme Dishwasher Detergent for over a year and loves it. During a recent visit, her mother-in-law asked her how she kept her stemless wine and water glasses so clear. Cleaning praise from one’s MIL?! It doesn’t get better than that. Save 15% on your first purchase with code BLUEDOT.

Shop today or read our review.

For Handwashing

Zero Waste Store curates an excellent assortment of sustainable goods for home and body. We love the long-lasting No Tox Life Dish Washing Block, which is a bar of soap for your dishes and lathers quickly. Put it to work with ZWS Essentials sturdy, plastic-free dish brushes and sponges, and greasy dishes won’t stand a chance. Save 20% with code BLUEDOT. Shop today or read our review.

For Drying

Dry the dishes you’ve just washed (as well as your windows, mirrors, and cabinets) with UNpaper Towels from Marley’s Monsters for a perfect, streak-free shine. These absorbent, machine-washable cotton flannel squares do almost any job and come in tons of fun prints and color mixes. Save 15% with code BLUEDOT.  Shop today or read our review.

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DEAR DOT: Is Vegan Leather a More Ethical Fashion Choice?

– Illustration by Elissa Turnbull

Dear Dot,

I’m seeing a lot more references to vegan leather. Is leather bad because it’s an animal product? Is vegan leather a more ethical alternative? 

– Kylie

Dear Kylie,

When I was pregnant with Eldest Dot Child, I bought myself a pair of black “pleather” maternity pants and snakeskin boots, chasing a Blondie-circa-1978 aesthetic. Problem was, those pants were hot … and not in the way Blondie circa 1978 was hot. As both the outdoor temperatures and the numbers on my scale soared, those pants — among the only items in my closet that still fit me — became like a waist-down sauna. If you are unfamiliar with women who are 8 ½ months pregnant, Kylie and Sofia, let me assure you that we are not known for being easy-going. All of which is to say, Dot and vegan leather have a somewhat troubled history. 

Back then, however, vegan leather — or “pleather” — was pretty much restricted to a version of plastic, usually either polyurethane (PU) or polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Making my plastic pants took water, chemicals, and energy. PVC is particularly toxic, from creation to long past disposal — the “worst of the worst,” according to Judith Enck, a policy expert with Beyond Plastics, a nonprofit based at Bennington College in Vermont. “Scientists have established that its precursor chemical is carcinogenic; that some of the additives used to make it flexible can muck with hormones; and that it can spew noxious compounds, especially when burned,” reported Yale Environment 360. 

So if the vegan leather you’re considering is nothing more than fossil-fuel-based plastic, it is neither an environmentally or ethically sound choice. (Not to mention being a terrible choice for maternity wear.)

Companies are responding by offering up vegan versions created from cork, apple peels, pineapple leaves, and more. But even vegan leathers aren’t necessarily as virtuous as we might believe. Are they better? Keep reading!

See more Dot here. Got a question for her? Write her at deardot@bluedotliving.com 

Vegetable Roast With Tahini Yogurt Sauce

We’re celebrating the publication of Bluedot Living’s Santa Barbara Green Guide by sharing this recipe by Santa Barbara teacher and cookbook author, Pascale Beale. (See Cathy Walthers’ great conversation with her here.)

From the Bluedot Institute

Did you know that Bluedot Living has a nonprofit arm, the Bluedot Institute, dedicated to fostering climate leadership among high school students across the country? This summer, Bluedot’s Climate Leadership Program will be coming to Martha’s Vineyard! “We’re going to build a program about what’s really wonderful to experience on the Island,” says Victoria Riskin, Bluedot’s Founder and President. Read more about our first climate leadership summit at MIT last summer. (And for information on how to apply for the program, email leighanne@bluedotinstitute.org)

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 seasonal, planet-friendly eating, tools and tips for creating a more sustainable kitchen, and inspiring stories of the people behind your food. Don’t miss the groundbreaking education and regenerative farming work of Vermont’s Shelburne Farms, our tribute to maple syrup, Easter, and more! 

Claim a free sample of this issue now! No payment information required. 

The Keep-This Handbook

Dot’s neighbor is a volunteer at the Community Greenhouse and can report that everyone is hard at work readying plants for your garden. Check out how to get your hands on some! And for more Island eco-resources, consult our Ultimate Simple, Smart, Sustainable Handbook to Martha’s Vineyard.

Britt Bowker has been writing and editing for newspapers and magazines across New England, spending a lot of her time on MV.

Leslie Garrett has been covering climate stories for 20 years. Anywhere near the water is her favorite place to be.

Jamie Kageleiry is a longtime magazine and newspaper editor from Oak Bluffs. Her favorite spot on earth is being in a kayak, anywhere on MV.

SIMPLE / SMART / SUSTAINABLE / STORIES

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