Dear Dot, I always wrestle with this fall question: Should I rake when I'm tired of the clutter on the lawn, or should I wait until all the leaves have fallen? Is there any benefit to...

Dear Dot, We buy and use compostable doggie bags for our pup’s poops. But we typically toss them in the garbage so is there any point to compostable bags? Are they still better than non-compostable or...

Dear Dot, How can I celebrate an event without balloons? –Cathy, Chilmark, Mass. Dear Cathy, One day in third grade, my teacher Mrs. Wright showed us a movie in which a young child encounters a balloon that seems to...

Dear Dot,I’m really impressed when I hear about universities divesting from big oil. I know that the biggest impact I could make would be to follow suit. Why is it I’m having such a hard...

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,  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,...

Dot discusses decks from her deck.

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,...