Locally sourced

Yesterday at COOP, I was approached by someone handing out free samples of chili-lime salmon with aioli and iceberg lettuce, explaining in a slightly evangelical tone that the fish had been smoked right here on an island in the Umeå archipelago.

After Thursday’s research seminar – where I could not resist outlining some of the reasons why overall resource use and environmental impact would likely be higher in a localized economy (the opposite of what many assume) – I decided, this time, simply to go with the flow and buy some locally sourced salmon for dinner.

With Bolla from Triveneto making a surprise return to the table, I was reminded how important it is to be kind above all, and not always seek confrontation. At the same time, I do want to keep pushing the envelope of our collective thinking. The other day, while marking take-home exams, I was quietly thrilled to see one student quote George Bernard Shaw's words: “Some men see things as they are, and ask why. I dream of things that never were, and ask why not”.