Written by Signe Berg, 08/08/2024

We the Gardeners of Los Angeles, in Order to form a more perfect World for ourselves and our Posterity¹, have decided to… garden?

That’s basically the plan, albeit very simplified.

You may not have heard of the Earth Charter, but if you’re American, you probably are familiar with the Constitution and its preamble. Now, while the original constitution had many flaws and issues with the actual government it set up, the ideas it was based on, that everyone has the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, hold up pretty well today. In the same way that the Constitution gave a framework for our government, the Earth Charter provides a framework for meeting the climate crisis in a humanitarian way.

The Earth Charter is a foundational document for Greener Way Associates that outlines our philosophy. It begins with the belief that we must work together—all people, all organizations—to create a more just, sustainable, and peaceful world. By working interdependently, we are able to see the Earth Charter’s values become reality. These foundational values are condensed into four pillars:

1. Respect and Care for the Community of Life
2. Ecological Integrity
3. Social and Economic Justice
4. Democracy, Nonviolence, and Peace

Greener Way Associates is implementing the Earth Charter vision in our own gardens here in L.A. We the Gardeners are hopeful for a greener future for ourselves and all future generations.

¹Posterity: all future generations of people