Is there such a thing as clean burning natural gas? –Val The Short Answer: No. Dear Val, Your letter catches me on a beautiful early spring afternoon with the birds chittering in the trees. I long to walk in...

Dear Dot, Crystals (or should I call them minerals? or just plain rocks?) have gotten so trendy over the past decade. I’m seeing them at specialty shops, yoga studios, farmers markets, even Nordstrom! While I’m not...

Dear Dot, I recently moved to San Diego and heard that it’s illegal to self-wash my car here. But are commercial car washes bad for the environment (all that water!)?  –Nick Dear Nick, With dusty air and little to...

Dear Dot, What’s so bad about paint? Is there any good paint?  –Tiz Dear Tiz, The Short Answer: Most paints are chock-full of potentially harmful chemicals. Dot’s thought? Stick to brands we know are safer, including AFM Safecoat, Caliwell,...

Dear Dot, A friend posted something on Facebook recently about how I should be avoiding palm oil in food because of deforestation. But I vaguely recall hearing that the problem had been fixed. Should I still...

Dear Dot, With Valentine's Day coming up, I have to wonder: Is there such a thing as sustainable floral delivery? —Liza Dearest Liza, When my first child was born, a friend sent me an enormous bouquet of white lilies....

What can gas stove owners do to protect their family's health? Dear Dot turns down the temperature on the heated rhetoric and serves up sound advice. Dear Dot, I’ve been hearing about the dangers of gas stoves....

Dear Dot, I wear a lot of cashmere in the winter. I know that might sound snooty, but I do it because wool makes my neck itch. I've noticed that in recent years, I can buy...

Dear Dot, As I assess peels and skins and tops and petals and stems, I often wonder: Where should I put this? It's equally easy for me to put most scraps in the compost or down...