“To think of freedom as a place we create, share, and inhabit is instructive. We live on a planet in the throes of climate chaos, where powerful actors will use borders and captivity to maintain the norms of capitalism for as long as possible. To think of our organizing efforts as the work of making place helps ground us in the larger reality of what we are fighting for: not mere words or ideas, but transformed lives in transformed places. In working toward liberation, we are making place in opposition to those who would rob us of time, space, togetherness, and possibility itself.”
-Kelly Hayes and Mariame Kaba in Let This Radicalize You
Just before the snow, I was in the woods of Hartford, enjoying what counts as solitude here. Being routinely depleted is neither useful nor a badge of honor. Having an unusable phone for a few days assisted in getting this quiet.
I came upon milkweed pods, split open. The seeds and silk were scattered on the ground, looking as if someone helped them along. It would be something if milkweed became more established in this area where non-native species are so prevalent.
This is a reminder of how we have always made attempts to change place. Evidence surrounds us that our actions have results. These gestures don’t do nothing. No amount of lazy cynicism can change that fact.
Climate Possibilities is a series about climate mitigation, along with resilience, resistance, and restoration. It’s about human habitat preservation. It’s about loving nature and planet Earth, and demanding the kind of change that gives future generations the opportunity for vibrant lives. Doomers will be eaten alive, figuratively. All photographs are taken in Hartford, Connecticut unless stated otherwise.
