Dear Reader,

Different relationships fill different needs- so goes the story of people’s individual connections and interactions with eachother, as well as with the world around them. The motivation for some is based on years spent together, some on admiration and awe, others founded in curiosity and intrigue and still more based on money or necessity.

Spring issue of The Planet highlights a variety of people’s relationships with the environment and the shape they take: businesses relying on nature for innovative technology, a local hero who has dedicated most of his life to studying and teaching about the environment, the bleak story of a Northwest icon in peril. Unfortunately, in many of these relationships the environment is overwhelmingly the giver—and it receives virtually nothing in return. We see this in the story about a mass of waste floating in the Pacific and the pending addition of 32 species of slugs and snails to the endangered species list. On the flip side, programs like the one on Lopez Island exhibit the ability to have a mutually beneficial relationship. The story in this issue about the candidates should help voters make an informed decision about the commitment of the future president to the environment.

I hope this issue of The Planet gives you the chance to think about your connection with the world around you, and creatively pursue alternate ways of maintaining the quintessential relationship of our existence.

We appreciate your readership and welcome comments or questions in the form of email, letters or conversation.

Sincerely,

Page A. Buono