Dear Dot,I recently read an article exposing some of the organic cotton market as fraudulent. I want to do the right thing but I don’t want to support the bad guys. What should I look...

Dear Dot, In my town, we have curbside paper/cardboard recycling, but we also have municipal composting that accepts paper/cardboard. Is it better to recycle paper or compost it? —Nikki Dear Nikki, When I first considered your question, I...

Dear Dot,When I was a child the Easter bunny would come to my house and leave a special basket filled with plastic straw, candy, and a new stuffed bunny to add to the pile. I...

Dear Dot, What should I do with the temperature on my water heater when I leave for a week’s vacation? –Wayne, West Tisbury Dear Wayne, Your question raises something of a tempest in a water heater. On the one...

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...

Dear Dot I recently read that grass-fed beef is not better than grain-fed for greenhouse gas emissions and, in fact, may be worse. What does Dot know about that? –Robert, Chilmark Dear Robert, What Dot knows is that, many...

Dear Dot,  I never know what to think about the sustainability certification labels on various products. Are they reliable?  –Michael Dear Dot, I recently bought a piece of FSC-certified furniture from Pottery Barn. That’s a win, yes? –Victoria Dear Michael and...

Dear Dot, I was thrilled to hear from a friend that Martha’s Vineyard runs entirely on renewable energy from Cape Light Compact but that some people opt out. Why would they do that?  –Rick, West Tisbury Dear Rick, Let...

Dear Dot, How accurate are the best-before dates on packages? What can I do with non-compostable food, like meat and cheese and yogurt that have gone bad? –J.K. Dear J.K., Just last week I unearthed a block of blue...