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Dear Dot,
What has been your most popular advice of the past year?
Exhaustedly,
Dot
Dear Dot,
What a clever idea to revisit some of Dot’s greatest hits — as we all collectively drag ourselves through days, thanks in part to a head-spinning news cycle and daylight saving time, which renders many of us chronically weary and which 62% of Americans would like to abolish. We can’t seem to agree on, well, anything these days, including whether to settle permanently on standard time or daylight saving time. Result? See above: A head-spinning news cycle and chronic exhaustion. And a disoriented, tired Dot.
But Bluedot’s web wizard, Kelsey, has come to our rescue. Kelsey compiled a list of Dear Dot’s 10 most popular columns (based on web traffic). They run the gamut from investigating why cashmere, emblematic of luxury, has become so darn cheap, to determining whether wildfires give us great sunsets. We’ll break them into two columns of five, so stay tuned for Part Two. Let’s get started:
#1: Dear Dot: How Can I Tackle an Ant Problem Without Toxic Pest Control?
Dot offered up this ant-idote: “Dr. Death, an eco-friendly pest control company serving Las Vegas (with the industry’s greatest name), tells us that “The two specific ingredients [in Raid] that are not safe are cypermethrin and imiprothrin. … Essentially, what makes them so deadly to bugs can also make them poisonous to [us].”
So let’s consider methods that are less toxic (to humans and animals, not so much for ants).”
From baking soda to vinegar, Dot’s got thoughts (courtesy of some pest-control TikTokkers). Read on.
#2: Dear Dot: Must I Remove Packing Tape and Labels Before Recycling Amazon Boxes?
“The packaging industry is ripe for innovation, in Dot’s not-so-humble opinion,” I wrote. “Packaging that disappears upon delivery! Edible packaging! Amazon claimed it was offering tips via a QR code on its boxes for how to reuse them (a pretend rocket ship! A canine car! A kitty condo!). Seriously? I say to Amazon. Like people haven’t been doing this without instruction since the advent of cardboard boxes? I have yet to see such a QR code on any Amazon boxes I’ve received, but if you have, please let Dot know.
Increasingly, states are enacting legislation making producers responsible for the disposal/recycling of the packaging they produce — led by Maine, whose legislation takes effect in 2024, and Oregon, where laws will go into effect in 2025. In Canada, the province of Ontario is, beginning July 2023, overhauling its recycling program and directing the cost of operating it to the producers of recyclables.
But meanwhile, you’ve got some boxes you need to get rid of. What to do with the packing tape? Or the clear plastic windows on the front that often contain invoices or shipping information? What must you do in your area? Keep reading.
#3: Dear Dot: What’s Behind the (Low) Price of Cashmere?
Dot was curious too! “I took your cashmere query to Derek Guy, a fashion writer with Die, Workwear,” I wrote. Guy reminded me that everything we wear has an environmental cost. “You can take literally any garment in your closet and then just trace it back,” he says, “and you will find some crazy environmental story.” (Incidentally, Guy has since become something of a viral social media poster. Seek him out and get great advice on men’s fashion.)
Guy laid out the crazy environmental story around cashmere. It is basically this …
You won’t want to miss it. It’s not only super interesting, but also, Guy gives the inside scoop on how to score good second-hand cashmere.
#4: Dear Dot: Is Pollution the Reason for a Beautiful Sunset?
Dot responded: “We live in a timeline in which your question is both fascinating and heartbreaking. On the one hand, we all love a gorgeous sunset (just check out social media!) But on the other, it’s perfectly reasonable to wonder if air pollution is somehow altering, perhaps even enhancing, these sunsets. I received your query at a time when unprecedented wildfires were raging across Canada, and smoke (i.e., pollution) from those fires was traveling at least as far south as Florida and across the Atlantic Ocean to Europe. Is all that smoke changing our skies? It’s hard to imagine it’s not. But let’s hear from the experts.”
What did they say? Dot breaks down sunsets … and is schooled by Middle Dot Child’s astrophysics expertise.
#5: Dear Dot: How Do I Keep Pigeons Off My Balcony
Dot uncharacteristically cuts straight to the chase with her reply: “While bird spikes may look barbaric, they are usually blunt on the ends and won’t hurt the birds that land on them, according to the folks at Bird Barrier, a pest control product manufacturer — they simply let your feathered friends know that this won’t be a comfortable place for them to roost.” And there’s more, including less pointed options. Read on.
That concludes part one of “Dot’s tired.” Hope you enjoyed these five most popular Dear Dots. Stay tuned for the second installment of the top ten. And if you have your own questions, please keep ’em coming.
Wearily,
Dot
