DEAR READER,

A Message From The Editors

We are pleased to present the sixth issue of Perennial. Over the course of the fall semester, our Editorial team carefully constructed their articles by bringing together diligent research and expert interviews, to create a final body of work that we all take pride in. We would like to thank our staff writers for their commitment to the stories they pursued and their thoughtful approach to environmental journalism. Covering complex environmental issues with articles that are both thorough and accessible can be a daunting task, but our team consistently delivers impressive work. We would also like to thank our incredible design team for visualizing these stories and creating an engaging multi-media experience, a quality that is becoming increasingly important in modern journalism.

Our sixth issue covers a wide range of topics, from local stories that impact Berkeley students (like the status of Bart or the impacts of your vinyl record collection), to national and international issues that address themes relevant to all readers. For instances when the passion of our writers and guest contributors cannot be constrained to the format of an academic article, our Op-Ed section undoubtedly leaves fresh perspectives for your consideration. We are also happy to showcase research from the broader Berkeley community in the academic research paper portion of our journal.

Here at Perennial, we seek to promote awareness and knowledge for the wide-reaching and intersectional nature of environmental issues, and we hope that by reading through our sixth issue you are inspired to learn more about the complexities of the environmental sphere. We thank you for taking the time to enjoy our work.

CLAIRE SAUTER & JACQUELINE COX, EDITORS IN CHIEF

For this issue, our designers took note of elements of movement, hydrology, and dynamism found within the articles produced by the editorial team. Wanting to explore a relationship between these key themes, we began thinking of systems of motion that are found across both natural and artificially synthesized environments. How do materials and energy cycle within a natural biome, and how do they move similarly or differently in an urban city? This inherent idea of an existing urban metabolic system prompted a design exploration of the relationship between water and the built environment.

Utilizing cooler blues and contrasting this with warmer orange and pink tones, this color palette was meant to exemplify the merging between cyclical systems that are found in both the built and natural environment. The designs across the issue can be seen to relate to a conception of a world in which the metal and steel of the modern city becomes integrated with the biotic organisms and systems of a marine biome. We strived to create a design theme that would both capture the essence of, and exemplify the dynamic nature of the articles produced. We are proud to have led the design team thus far, and hope you can enjoy this experience created by the various teams of Perennial this semester.