To our readers:

This issue overflows with existential threats, from global warming to nuclear winter. So many things are imperiled, from the monuments of history and invaluable works of art—to the very planet itself, whether due to climate change’s fearsome effects or an equally fearsome nuclear option due to a grave lapse in peace and diplomacy. The specter of a desert wasteland appears again and again. Yet again and again, so too does the notion that what’s important can be preserved through effort and sacrifice. Acts of preservation start with the belief that something is worth doing. Faith can move mountains. And hope springs eternal.