Stories of ecological transition: Ebène l’Adelphe

1st lesson : when adults tell me everything is fine, I should probably worry



2nd Lesson: just "ecology" is white dude ecology




Well, about transportation, I am now in a dead end : I did my research about alternatives to the plane but it was not very successful. If you know reasonable options, please, let me know ! Reasonable means for my family : a travel mean over the summer vacations (1 month) and within 6000€ (ticket plane back and forth).
There you go. I had become a feminist and a radical socialist and ecologist. Those 3 fights were all important to me, and despite my belief that ecology embraced them all, I did not see the expected convergence in ecologist groups. Moreover, when I asked my activist peers what was ecology for them, many didn’t quite know, there was no consensus. I was quite disappointed about those people (I am not gonna lie, there were mostly white rich cis dudes) fighting for something they could not quite define. For me, ecology was about links between living beings, so if inter-human solidarity was dead, how could we claim to take care of our connection with the rest of the living?

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3rd Lesson: Intersectional queer ecology, alias ecofeminism







Bibliography
(1) Lefebvre, Olivier, Letter to Doubting Engineers, l’échappée, 2023.
(2) Preciado, b. Paul, Testo Junkie: Sex, Drugs, and Biopolitics, Points Feministe, Paris, 2021.
(3) Wittig, Monique, The Straight Mind, Boston, Beacon Press, 1992.
(4) Lovelock, James, Gaia: A New Look at Life on Earth, Oxford University Press, 2000.
(5) Singer, Peter, Animal Liberation: A New Ethics for Our Treatment of Animals (1975), Melbourne, Ecco Press, 2001.
Ricard, Matthieu, Advocacy for Animals, Allary edition, Paris, 2014.
(6) Ferdinand, Malcom, Decolonial Ecology: Thinking from the Caribbean World, Polity, Paris, 2022.
(7) Hoskin, R.A. Femmephobia: The Role of Anti-Femininity and Gender Policing in LGBTQ+ People’s Experiences of Discrimination. Sex Roles 81, 686–703, 2019.
(8) Herstory: oncept created/diffused first by the feminist journalist Morgan Robin
(9) Burgart Goutal, Jeanne, Being Ecofeminist – Theories and Practices, L’échappée, collection versus, 2020.
(10) Haraway, Donna, The Companion Species Manifesto: Dogs, People, and Significant Otherness, Prickly Paradigm Press, 2003.
(11) Preciado, b. Paul, Dysphoria Mundi, Grasset, Paris, 2023.
(12) La Poudre with Lauren Bastide Episode 126: Myriam Bahaffou
Conversations écoféministes, Karina Kochan, Léa Chancelier, Jasmine Marty, Capucine
Néotravail #20: Des Paillettes sur le Compost de Myriam Bahaffou – Les coups de ❤️ d’Hélène & Laetiti
Avis de Tempête S2 E5 – Pratiquer les éco-féminismes depuis les marges
Book : Bahaffou, Myriam, Des paillettes sur le compost : Ecoféminismes au quotidien [Glitter on the Compost: Everyday Ecofeminisms], Le passager clandestin, 2022.
(13) Hooks, Bell, Feminist theory : from margin to center, Cambridge, MA : South End Press, 1952.
(14) Website of the association https://www.labodesresistances.fr/
(15) Bayeck, R. Y, Positionality: The Interplay of Space, Context and Identity. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 2022.
(16) Sartre and the Existentialism, Camus and The Rebel… yes, yes, I know their are cis-white-het men, but don’t you think I need to add a bit of traditional Frenchness to this article to make it readable ?
(17) Hache, Emilie, RECLAIM, Anthologie de textes écoféministes, Editions Cambourakis, 2016
(18) Neimanis, AstridA, Hydrofeminism : becoming a water body, https://philo.esaaix.fr/content/hydrofeminisme/hydrofeminisme.pdf
Our Stories of Ecological Transition series puts a spotlight on inspirational people who have changed not only who they are, but how they treat the world. They've done this with courage and strength, and their stories help us all to see the ways we could change, too.
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The art of noticing: a photo journey
author

Jacques Lawinski
post
- 22/02/2023
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On a recent walk in the Eastern Hills in Lower Hutt, my father pointed out how many ‘shortcuts’ had been made by people not wanting to follow the curvature of the path, creating their own little routes through the forest. We wondered, ‘why do people not just want to enjoy their walk, what means that they are so hurried to create these shortcuts?’
I’m not sure what the answer to that is, and the response is probably different for many people. The moment motivated me to think about what I had missed on our walk, and go back with my camera the next day, to investigate.

The natural world is full of presence and absence, life and death, and the transformations that take place between these two. This cicada exoskeleton on this tree reminds us of the transformation that takes place in the life cycle of this insect. The sound of the cicadas fills my ears as I take the picture, and occasionally one will fly into my face, or on my neck, only to quickly fly off again.

Amongst the very dry soil, there are small flowers growing out of the sides of the bank. I initially simply thought this was a dandelion, like the ones that often grow in the grass. Through using the plantnet website, it would appear to be a Hawksbeard of some sort – something much more interesting, though also just as frequent, it would seem, based on the reported sightings in Europe, North America, Africa, Asia…

I love ferns, and the way they spread out, open up, and unfold. This large fern has many layers, too, with different colours of each frond coming out from the centre.

The koru, the unfolding fern, is another of my favourite symbols of the forest. I am always overjoyed to find this shape, I can bear witness to the creation of new life, new leaves. Nestled among the e/older leaves, this koru is protected from harm in its first weeks of life.

One of the magnificent trees along the walk, with its branches providing a great contrast against the sky in the background. We see a few strong branches growing out horizontally, and the rest are tangled and untidy; like a morning hairstyle. There are no straight lines in this picture, reminding us of the fact that nature is often ambiguous, messy, and unwilling to conform to our expectations or desires.

This dead wood lying on the forest floor is a reminder of how all material inside the forest is regenerated, the wood becoming the environment on which moss can grow, as it slowly decomposes. The small shoots coming out around the wood will later turn into larger trees, using the previous strength of their ancestor to grow.

Green and brown, life and death, again the dualities and opposites are clearly present in the forest at each turn. These crossing ferns belong to two different plants, behind which we see the wild tangle of fern branches further from the path.

Another shape, the four leaves coming out at right angles to one another, supporting the growth of the new leaves from the centre. The vivid and shiny green is remarkable against the brown soil and muted green of the ferns.

“A blueberry!” I exclaimed. “It might be a blue berry, but it’s not a blueberry” was the response. Turns out this is the New Zealand blueberry, tuturu. Its bright purple berries immediately caught my eye in amongst the greens and browns we normally see in the forest. Full and bursting with colour, these berries fall off with even the slightest touch.
Next time you’re on a walk, in the forest, around nature, or even in the city, take the time to notice what is around you. Take a picture of a tree, a form that intrigues you, a colour that you love, a juxtaposition of presence and absence… there is so much to see, when we look.
Our stories present new ideas, new thinking. They will always be open and free for everyone to read, without any advertising.
All our articles are freely accessible because we believe that everyone needs to be able to access to a source of coherent and easy to understand information on the ecological crisis. Through new ideas, we can think differently about our daily experiences, and begin to change the way we interact with our environment.
If you've learned something today, or feel inspired, please consider donating, to help us produce more great stories and share this knowledge with a wider audience.
Why plurality.eco?
Our environment is more than a resource to be exploited. Human beings are not the ‘masters of nature,’ and cannot think they are managers of everything around them. Plurality is about finding a wealth of ideas to help us cope with the ecological crisis which we have to confront now, and in the coming decades. We all need to understand what is at stake, and create new ways of being in the world, new dreams for ourselves, that recognise this uncertain future.
The feeling of gardening
author

Jacques Lawinski
post
- 15/01/2023
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What emotions arise when we are gardening? What can we learn about ourselves and the environment?

I put my hands into the clay-brown soil, making a small hole for the tomato plant. Gently pushing the soil to either side of the hole, I ensure there is enough space for the new inhabitant in this patch. Once the hole is deemed sufficient, the tomato plant gently comes out of the small pot where it is beginning to wither, and I place it into the hole, pressing gently on the top soil. Taking some of the surrounding soil, I spread it around the plant, filling in the edges of the hole. Finally, a little bit of mulch on top – to make sure the soil doesn’t dry out too much – I’m told.
On to the next one, the same procedure, just a little further down the line. We’re making a row of tomato plants here, evenly spaced along the narrow mounds of soil, which are separated by channels where we are allowed to place our feet. We all wear shoes, however – the unexpected danger always lurking in the community garden, whether it be glass, an old gardening tool, or something more foreign. Next to the tomato plants are the spring onions, little grass-like tufts which will grow into hollow green shoots with white stems.
My companions are a lovely bunch – from different backgrounds, workplaces, and ages, each with a different story to tell. We ask questions to each other, slowly probing at the history which creates us, and gradually weaving a new story in which we are all featured. Tastes and preferences are good questions; shoe sizes and basketball soon follow, but the money shot of political and philosophical opinions never ceases to generate fascinating moments of shared connection.
The garden feels our warmth as we share in its creation. Our hands, collectively planting new fruits and vegetables into Mother Nature’s bountiful skin, energise these little seedlings, giving them a boost, gently courting them, encouraging them to grow. We will not know, after this moment, which ones were our’s and which ones our neighbour’s, but this doesn’t bother us. Each is trusted to give the same quality of planting, without teaching or instruction. We all just know how to give a good life to these plants.
As we work, the soil slowly sticks to my fingers, around the nails and into the palms. It is as if nature wants to plant me, too; to give me a chance to grow with her help. And I let her, I need not worry about washing or cleaning, but as the plants get larger, I dig down deeper into the earth, extracting more soil to make a larger hole. The seed mix feels different to the clay-like soil in the ground, and I wonder what the roots will think of this change. Will it be like moving to another country, where everything is different, and one must learn to adapt? Or do roots sense that something is different, and pull out the knowledge they need to grow in different soils?
Gardening shows us that we can take care of our environment. It is also a way for us to take care of ourselves. We imagine the efforts of the past season when it comes time to harvest and eat our vegetables, taking the time to taste the flavour of the tomatoes and courgettes; getting to know them as vegetables, rather than in a tomato sauce. We also feel the satisfaction of having cared for and nurtured our food, and all the nourishment we gave to the plant, we can now take back for ourselves. And so the cycle of gardening continues.
Our stories present new ideas, new thinking. They will always be open and free for everyone to read, without any advertising.
All our articles are freely accessible because we believe that everyone needs to be able to access to a source of coherent and easy to understand information on the ecological crisis. Through new ideas, we can think differently about our daily experiences, and begin to change the way we interact with our environment.
If you've learned something today, or feel inspired, please consider donating, to help us produce more great stories and share this knowledge with a wider audience.
Why plurality.eco?
Our environment is more than a resource to be exploited. Human beings are not the ‘masters of nature,’ and cannot think they are managers of everything around them. Plurality is about finding a wealth of ideas to help us cope with the ecological crisis which we have to confront now, and in the coming decades. We all need to understand what is at stake, and create new ways of being in the world, new dreams for ourselves, that recognise this uncertain future.