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, How green is my electricity and is that why it's so expensive?  –Roberto, San Diego Dear Roberto, The forces that keep our lights on can often seem shrouded in mystery. But it’s actually not mysterious at all....

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, While Amazon and other online stores are using more recyclable packaging, they all come covered with packing tape and labels. Can cardboard boxes be recycled when covered with all of that, or does that...

Dear Dot, What’s the deal with compostable and biodegradable plastics? Are they really compostable? Can I toss these plastics in my recycle bin? Or is there another way I should be disposing of them? Also, why...

Dear Dot, I would love to find great, gentle, and good-smelling cleaning and beauty products that are also high-concentration and low-volume, but I’m totally overwhelmed by the vast amount of marketing from many different companies telling...

Dear Dot, What’s the deal with “phantom” power? Does turning off my coffee maker each night really make any difference?  Or should I focus on the big things, like buying an EV? –Leonard Dear Leonard, The Short Answer: Phantom...

Dear Dot, I’ve planted clumping bamboo in my yard. It’s not invasive but is it a problem because it’s not native?  —Dave The Short Answer: Though non-native plants aren’t as harmful to an ecosystem as invasives, they don’t...

Dear Dot, What happens when solar panels do not gather enough energy to power the home? Does solar gather power during cloudy/rainy/snowy days or only during sunny days? I wonder how effective solar is on the...