Dear Dot ™

Dear Dot is here to answer all your sustainable living questions from her perch on the porch. Got a question for Dot? Send her a note for a chance to be featured in an upcoming post.

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Dear Dot: Is Grass or Grain-Fed Beef Better for Emissions?

Dear Dot, I recently read that grass-fed beef is not better than grain-fed for greenhouse gas emissions and, in fact, may be worse. What does Dot know about that? –Robert, Chilmark Dear Robert, What Dot knows is that, many...

Dear Dot: Where Can I Find Earth-Friendly Sheets?

Dear Dot, I’m looking for bed sheets that are both happy to sleep on, and aren’t bad news for our environment. What should I look for? —Dawn My dear Dawn, Are you the same Dawn who wanted to deter...

Dear Dot: How Do I Dispose of Leftover Paint?

Dear Dot, Thanks for telling me about what to look for in eco-friendly paint, but how can I responsibly dispose of any leftover paint when I’m done?  —Frances The Short Answer: The best use for leftover paint is...

Dear Dot: Does Being Vegan or Vegetarian Help the Environment?

Dear Dot, How much does being a vegan or vegetarian help the environment?  –Jessica The Short Answer: Put simply, Jessica, veganism and vegetarianism offer a clear environmental advantage over meat consumption.  Dear Jessica,  Dot’s eldest daughter once had a friend...

Dear Dot: How Can I Compost in The Winter?

Dear Dot, I started a compost pile in my backyard and it’s been doing its thing. But it’s now cold where I live and I noticed that the food waste I’m putting in is just sorta...

Dear Dot: How Can I Avoid Plastic Food Packaging?

Dear Dot, Has anyone noticed the slow creep of plastic packaged produce in the vegetable and produce aisles in our grocery stores? Many items pre-sliced (mushrooms, spiralized squashes, and so on) or pre-cooked (beets, lentils, etc)....

Dear Dot: How Do I Dispose of Cooking Oils?

Dear Dot,  I recently read an article about “fatbergs” in our sewers and I’m afraid I might have been part of the problem. I’m wondering what is the best way to dispose of cooking oil? —Concerned Cook,...

Dear Dot: I Need a Deck Discussion

Dot discusses decks from her deck.

Dear Dot: How Do I Find Sustainable Coffee?

Dear Dot,Coffee, how do I choose? It says locally brewed but does that mean it’s better for the environment? What do all those labels mean? What should I look for?–Curious Coffee Connoisseur Dear Triple C, I, too,...

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RECIPE: Grilled Oysters with Sweet Butter and Classic French Mignonette 

Vineyard Haven oyster farmer, Noah Mayrand, shared this delicious recipe for buttery grilled oysters with Bluedot Living team.

A Letter from the Editor of Bluedot Living

Dear Readers, “The scent of wild blueberries, sweet and mingled with a humusy musk from the dirt that sustains them, wafting through the woods on...

Dear Dot: Is Grass or Grain-Fed Beef Better for Emissions?

Dear Dot, I recently read that grass-fed beef is not better than grain-fed for greenhouse gas emissions and, in fact, may be worse. What does...

Noah Mayrand: He’s Farming Oysters to Feed an Island

I step out onto the beach, and the familiar southwest winds running down the length of Lagoon Pond welcome me. Though I have spent...

Saving Chilmark Pond

One steamy afternoon in July 2020, my 2 ½-year-old granddaughter and her baby brother flung themselves into the shallow waters of Chilmark Pond, squealing...