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
Dear Dot: Is Grass or Grain-Fed Beef Better for Emissions?
Dear Dot -
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
Dear Dot: Where Can I Find Earth-Friendly Sheets?
Dear Dot -
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
Dear Dot: How Do I Dispose of Leftover Paint?
Dear Dot -
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
Dear Dot: Does Being Vegan or Vegetarian Help the Environment?
Dear Dot -
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
Dear Dot: How Can I Compost in The Winter?
Dear Dot -
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
Dear Dot: How Can I Avoid Plastic Food Packaging?
Dear Dot -
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
Dear Dot: How Do I Dispose of Cooking Oils?
Dear Dot -
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
Dear Dot: How Do I Find Sustainable Coffee?
Dear Dot -
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...