'Fair Share' Is a Principle to Garden and Live By

[Watchman]

Most of us were taught about the importance of sharing as children. So, why do so many forget about the fundamental principle of fair share in daily life? Modern life is all too often about getting what we can—about acquisition, consumption, accumulation. But when we truly spend the time to think about what "fair share" is and what it really means, it can help us to reorient ourselves on the right track, to do the right thing for humanity and for the world around us. When I help people live in a greener and more ethical way through my consultancy work, I often talk about fair share. I encourage my clients to think about how they can employ this ethical principle in their gardens and homes and, more broadly, in their lives. The True Meaning of Fair Share: When we start to think about this topic, the first thing we should think about is what we really mean by fair share. Generally speaking, this means thinking about what our planet is able to provide, and whether the amount of those resources that we consume causes others, both human and nonhuman, to miss out. But taking only our fair share of our planet's resources is not just about dividing what is available between all members of the global population. We need to think forward in time, since all too often what we take today steals from future generations. Taking no more than our fair share also means thinking about whether the resources used are finite and, if renewable, how quickly they can regenerate. Taking only our fair share means finding that sweet spot between the lowest level of comfort, contentment and health, and the limits imposed by our situation and the planet on which we live. Fair share is not about denial. It is not about stinting ourselves or skimping, but rather, about ensuring abundance—not only for ourselves and our own families, but for all. This cannot be achieved through consideration of primary resource consumption alone. We must also think about how we can reciprocate and give back, how we can return surplus to the system. READ FULL ARTICLE HERE