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.
Dear Dot,
My husband is harping about the toilet paper I purchase, the super-soft kind that’s easy on my delicate nether region. He says I’m a tree killer and that it’s bad for our septic. But...
Dear Dot,
The other day we were talking about how much oxygen a tree can produce from CO2 and we got to wondering — do trees remove particulate matter from the air too?
–Will, Seattle
Dear Will,
Trees sprout,...
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,...
Dear Dot,
I read in Bluedot Living (Cruising with Currier, Spring 2022) that Tesla plans to open its charging stations to electric vehicles that aren’t Teslas. I drive a Volvo plug-in hybrid and have discovered on...
Dear Dot,
Why can’t you compost cheese, yogurt, or meat?
—Nina Maruca, via email
Can You Compost Cheese?
The question "can you compost cheese?" comes up frequently for home composters looking to reduce food waste. While cheese and other...
Dear Dot,We used to be able to take plastic bags to Stop and Shop . Is there any other option locally? Stop and Shop stopped taking them.—Jana Bertkau
Dear Jana,The eldest of my Young Dots recently...
Dear Dot,
My longtime partner and I are planning to get married. I don’t usually go for a lot of the conventional stuff but we have decided to give each other rings. I’ve heard some nasty...
In this episode, Janet Kraus sits down with Marianna Sachse to learn more about Jackalo and their new collection built entirely from reclaimed denim. Along the way, Marianna shares her four-question framework for smarter buying and tips for making your clothes last.
Garden suites, backyard bungalows, granny flats — whatever you call them, these additions gently boost urban density and cut carbon emissions. Here’s how to maximize their eco-friendly potential.
