One of the things that drew me to Germantown was the amount of space to plant things in the ground. I’ve had my share of container gardens in concrete backyards that left me wanting to grow more plants. What I really wanted was enough space to grow my own food. In a time when supply
MoreIllustration by Nicholas Massarrelli Eliminating Blight by Eastwick Friends & Neighbors Coalition A blighted neighborhood… what does that mean? For many, the word conjures images of cracked sidewalks, strewn trash, rusty cars and homes in need of a paint job. But are any Philadelphia neighborhoods free of such features? According to Pennsylvania Urban Redevelopment Law,
MoreIllustration by Kailey Whitman Whitewashing History interview by Heather Shayne Blakeslee For centuries, Americans have conflated whiteness with cleanliness. It’s so thoroughly ingrained in our culture that even during the 2007 presidential election, Joe Biden tried—and failed spectacularly—to compliment presidential candidate Barack Obama by describing him as “clean and articulate.” In his book “Clean and
MoreThe Ice Cream Man by Heather Shayne Blakeslee It’s hard not to feel as though the entire country has gone crazy. The barrage of violence at home and abroad and the continued struggle for civil rights has everyone on edge. The feeling that the truth is on permanent vacation has added to the Orwellian overtones
MoreIllustration by Kailey Whitman The Right to a Future essay by Rekha Dhillon-Richardson I was raised along the stunning coastline of British Columbia, Canada, where I developed a deep respect for the natural world. I can remember many days spent hiking up mountains, exploring the coastal tide-pools full of life and being amazed by Earth’s
MoreIllustration by Abayomi Louard-Moore Politics as Usual by Jerry Silberman Question: What political program will best help limit the effects of climate change? The Right Question: Why should we think politics is a way to address climate change at all? Politics comes to us from Aristotle, who attempted in his treatise titled “Politics” to determine
MoreBackyard Birds by Anna Herman Backyard chickens have a long history of coexisting with humans in cities, towns and villages worldwide. The 1917 Poultry Gazette ran the following ad: “Even the smallest back yard has room for a flock large enough to supply the house with eggs. … They require little attention only a few
MoreMad About Maize by Peggy Paul Cassella Most experts agree that the wild ancestor of corn (or maize, as it’s called in other countries) can be traced to Central and South America about 70,000 years ago. After it was domesticated around 7500 B.C., it became a mainstay of the ancient Native American diet and remains
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Illustration by Carter Mulcahy The Body Politic interview by Heather Shayne Blakeslee In her book “The Wrath of Capital: Neoliberalism and Climate Change Politics,” scholar Adrian Parr explores the interconnected nature of capitalism, political power and the systemic abuses foisted upon people and planet when the accumulation of money, power and possessions is our primary
MoreSwing State by Heather Shayne Blakeslee It was a heady time for the state’s environmental community eight years ago. As I worked to raise money for green buildings and as an advocate at the Delaware Valley Green Building Council, I was a firsthand witness as the environmental and business communities made progress together in Pennsylvania
MoreIllustration by Laura Weiszer Web of Life essay by Jane Dugdale Two years ago, my congregation, Central Baptist Church in Wayne, Pennsylvania, decided to focus on climate change as a moral and spiritual issue through its Ecology Mission Group. I had been a member of this activist congregation for decades, but my spiritual journey from
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