Years back at the dog-and-pony show known as the annual City of Hartford budget hearing, a friend pointed out how one of the sinks in a City Hall men’s bathroom was leaking. It was not a new problem. It was one that government neglected to address. He opined about the money wasted by not fixing this and other similar issues around town. Maybe it wouldn’t have made that much of a financial dent, but every bit adds up, and when decision makers are talking about chopping the library budget, it does make them look foolish for not being more thrifty in the first place.

This photo was taken in Zion Hill Cemetery. There are those who would characterize this graveyard as being the epicenter of sin, and those folks are not in touch with reality. I do have one beef with the place, and it’s this faucet. It leaks and leaks and leaks.

There are multiple solutions, any of which would be better than leaving as is.

The obvious one: stop the leak.

Plumbing can be complicated and expensive, so if this is not a desired fix, another solution would be to change the landscaping around the faucet so that the water serves a purpose besides rolling down the driveway. Make some adjustments so the water flows toward the grass. Better yet, create a rain garden around the spout. It doesn’t matter if this narrows the road. It’s a cemetery; a wide driveway is not needed.

As for the City Hall men’s bathroom — it’s not a room I use, so I have no comment on whether or not that leak has ever been resolved, but it’s beyond time that the City of Hartford sought a variety of solutions for ongoing issues instead of doing what it typically does: ignoring them. From what I hear, a place to start would be to look at the City’s HR department to check out why there are so many staffing shortages.

Climate Possibilities is a new 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.