Editor’s Mixing Bowl Spring 2020

 

Whether we realize it or not, we live in a designed world. The question is: Will this be a design for destruction or for a sustainable new world that we can safely hand down to our children and our children’s children?

—from brucemaudesign.com/work/massive-change

 

 

The times may feel particularly dark and challenging right now, with growing evidence of a changing climate and too many inequities in society looming around us. But spring is here, and warming days after winter rains now bring fresh harvests. Nettles, spring onions, asparagus, limes, and tatsoi are some of the greenery popping out from our recipe pages in this issue. We hope you will take them into your kitchen to enjoy and to reap the benefits to your health and taste buds.

Thus nourished, you’ll be ready to dive into some of our articles and news items that show how people in our community are designing more hopeful visions of the future. We especially appreciated our talk with Vanessa Pope, cofounder of Oakland nonprofit For Here, Please and MudLab, a zero-waste grocery store and meeting hub aimed at challenging the culture of disposables. New legislation in California is supporting that transition to reusable foodware at the same time as corporations like Microsoft and BlackRock Investing are stepping up with promises and plans that might well influence both individuals and other corporations to walk the talk of lowering their carbon footprint.

More often than not these days, our aim is to champion local grassroots activities that highlight local solutions to global challenges. In that light—and as Earth Day now approaches—we share with you the image on this page. It’s the work of Berkeley-based environmental artist Zach Pine, whose Sand Globes project has gone worldwide on Instagram @sandglobes. Visit zpcreatewithnature.com to learn how Zach works to “connect people to nature and each other by inspiring collective creativity and environmental action.” You’ll find information about free public events Zach holds in the East Bay and beyond, including his 16th annual Earth Day event coming up on Saturday April 18 on Stinson Beach.

Peace and love,
Cheryl Angelina Koehler