Every other week, Bluedot Living Martha's Vineyard will share stories about local changemakers, Islanders’ sustainable homes and yards, planet-healthy recipes and tips, along with advice from Dear Dot. Did
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SIMPLE / SMART / SUSTAINABLE / STORIES
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“I cannot offer you a dictionary definition of psychogeology,” Leslie Garrett wrote for the fall/winter “In A Word” column, “because the word is not in the dictionary … The author who coined the term, Kim Stanley Robinson, wanted a word to define how we are shaped by the places where we live or have spent time.” We thought about how to illustrate the piece, and designer Sophie Petkus suggested this work, “The Walk Home,” by
Island-grown artist Jack Yuen. Thanks, Sophie (and Jack! And Leslie!).
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Quick Links
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Skip scrolling! Here's what you'll find in this edition of the Bluedot Newsletter:
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Con-Fusion?
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First: some housekeeping. If you would like to keep receiving this newsletter, you’ll need to confirm your email address here. Bit of a hassle, we know, but we promise to make it worth it. (Thank you.)
We just launched a Bluedot website and newsletter in Brooklyn! People in Brooklyn are building a sustainable community in interesting ways — cleaning up creeks, keeping track of Gotham’s superhero bats (for real), creating victory gardens, and making old buildings green. They even forage for food around the city!
Did you hear the nuclear fusion news? It was hard to miss. We won’t try to explain nuclear fusion here (though the U.S. Department of Energy does a pretty good job), but the
Washington Post described it as a “holy grail,” a “major milestone in the decades-long, multibillion-dollar quest to develop a technology that provides unlimited, cheap, clean power.”
We’ve been tracking the promise of nuclear power in Bluedot for some time. Read this story Leslie Garrett did last year (that gorgeous painting is by Island Artist Jeanne Staples) and don’t miss this follow up discussion with Jacopo Buongiorno, a nuclear engineer at MIT.
In the New Yorker, Bill McKibben wrote that the technology would provide what he likened to “a second sun.” An Island-raised physicist we know (well, he’s Jamie's son, Ian) says that when nuclear fusion becomes commercially viable, “having abundant power too cheap to meter will … raise the human standard of living tremendously,” around the globe. “Living in the future is awesome,” he added.
For now, we'll keep watching and enjoying the sun we do have, even as our days get shorter. We'll leave you with this poem from one of our favorite Martha's Vineyard poets, Rose Styron. Happy Holidays from all of us at Bluedot.
December 24th
The world tonight is clear,
if only for an hour
Orion’s belt encircling us,
the far indigo ocean
thundering near
and I remember
rain the alley
no shortcut home
–Jamie Kageleiry (and Leslie Garrett)
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Right at Home: Two Sisters Build Green
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Two sisters wanted to live near each other, part time on the Vineyard. They decided to each build green homes — one a top-to-bottom renovation of a historic Chilmark homestead, the other a brand new modular in West Tisbury. “I am not saying that having a green home will solve the world’s problems,” the Chilmark sister tells writer Mollie Doyle, “but not using fossil fuels at least doesn’t add to them.” The West Tisbury sister agreed: “It is also healthier. I am currently being treated for cancer and, as a result, have become so aware of chemicals — particularly in furniture and home construction.”
Read the bittersweet story with Jeremy Driesen’s gorgeous photos.
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CLIMATE QUICK TIP
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Want to cut plastic out of your life ... including the items you give as gifts? On our Hub website, contributor Anne Mazar offers up her comprehensive, hand-picked, plastic-free gift guide (including stocking stuffers such as citrus sun bar shampoo).
And here’s a bonus: Remember Jessica Mason? Who created a program to reduce takeout waste by providing reusable silver bowls? She’s got an idea for you: Buy someone you love their own Island Eats MV membership. No more takeout trash. Easy-peasy.
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Season's Seasonings: MV Sea Salt
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“When life gives you unworkable soil, try farming salt,” Gwyn McAllister writes in this story from the “Buy Better” archives. We use these cheerily packaged salts from Curtis and Heidi Feldman (which come in nine blends) for stocking stuffers, host gifts, and on … just about anything we make. Try the lemon verbena and dill on your bagel and cream cheese.
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Dear Dot: Where do batteries go when they die?
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Dear Dot,
I seem to have a lot of battery-operated gadgets in my home. Should I switch over entirely to rechargeables?
–Laura, Vineyard Haven
Dear Laura,
The short answer to your question is — yes, switch out those disposable batteries for rechargeable ones, so long as you actually recharge them! Like many other waste-reducing innovations, whether or not they achieve their potential is a matter of human behavior. I called up Dr. Yinghe He, Professor at James Cook University in Queensland, Australia. His advice to you — buy those rechargeable batteries. If you throw them out after only a couple of uses, however, it defeats the purpose …
Buying lots of battery-powered toys for your kids' holiday gifts? Read the rest of Dot’s response.
Got a question for Dot? Write her at deardot@bluedotliving.com.
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THE BLUEDOT KITCHEN |
Spatchcocked Chicken
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While we think having “backbone” is generally a good thing, we prefer our chickens without them, then flattened (“spatchcocked”). More surface area = more crispiness. Vanessa Seder says she loves serving this with crusty bread to sop up the yummy drippings. Find it on our Hub site, along with lots of other yummy Bluedot recipes.
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GOOD LIBATIONS |
California Winemaking
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Bluedot intern and Islander Julia Cooper just finished her master's degree at Emerson College, and she has graduated to Bluedot's staff editor/producer. Check out her “Good Libations” column over on our Hub website, where you can learn to buy better beverages. This week, she’s suggesting “Forlorn Hope.” Which might be the most intriguingly named wine we’ve ever heard. Cheers!
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