We
may be able to leverage the threats posed by environmental
degradation in a way the could contribute to human health and
galvanize action on climate change. The deteriorating state of our
environment has prompted research that shows how the preservation of
the natural world augments our physical and mental well being. Adverse
health impacts from climate change combined with the benefits of a
healthier natural environment may be the best inducement we have to
catalyze action.
While
climate change causes both physical and psychological sickness,
exposure to healthy natural environments can foster health. Emerging
research confirms what we intuitively know to be true, environmental
health benefits us both physically and mentally. As this
understanding grows, it may spur a global movement focused on
environmental protection.
Physical
Health
Contrary
to the obviously detrimental physical health effects of pollutants
and toxins, contact with the natural world appears to have a
beneficial effect. In a CBC
article ,
Alan Logan, co-author of
Your
Brain on Nature, indicated
that exposure to nature increases the natural killer cells that
defend us against a wide range of physical ailments ranging from the
common cold to cancer. Logan cites a Japanese study in which a group
who spent three days in a forest setting produced significantly more
natural killer cells in their bodies than a group that spent three
days sightseeing in the city. The positive results were found to
persist for at least a month.
One
of the possible pathways by which this effect is achieved is through
something called phytoncides. These are chemicals secreted into the
air from trees, especially evergreens. They have been shown in the
lab to stimulate the production of killer cells. They hover in
greatest concentrations in natural settings, such as forests, about
four feet off the ground.
The
interdependence of psychological
and physical states has
been widely documented. So it should come as no surprise that states
of psychological wellness contribute to states of physical health and
vice versa.
Psychological Well-being
Nature
not only has a positive effect on physical health, it is also a major
factor in psychological wellness. It is intuitively obvious that
being in nature is emotionally uplifting and this view is supported
by research,
which shows that green spaces not only improve psychological well
being, they can also provide a number of far ranging societal
benefits that include reducing crime.
A
study
by a research team from Herriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, shows
the benefits of nature through real-time measurements of brain
activity. They monitored the brain wave patterns of people in three
different environments—an urban shopping district, a park with a
lush green environment, and a busy commercial zone.
When
people were in green spaces, their brain-wave activity was more
relaxed. In such environments, the test subjects showed lower levels
of frustration and higher meditative states. These effects ended when
they exited from these green spaces. These beneficial psychological
states were not present when people were in a busy commercial street
or a shopping district.
The
researchers also found that kids do better on cognitive tests after
spending time in nature. Biochemical changes have also been observed
in a person’s saliva after they spend time outdoors.
In
The
Experience of Nature: A Psychological Perspective ,
researchers Rachel Kaplan and Steven Kaplan found that exposure to
nature lifts people out of a state of mental fatigue and induces what
they call “restorative experiences.”
There
are a number of studies which show the psychological value of urban
parks. Experiencing nature can uplift people’s emotional state and
restore mental balance. Research suggests that green spaces induce a
reflective mood and reduce stress. Not only can living near a park
make people happier, living near green spaces has been shown to
significantly increase life expectancy.
According
to a study published in the journal Environmental Science and
Technology by Ian Alcock of the University of Exeter Medical School,
people moving to towns with more parks and gardens report greater
well being than those without access to those amenities.
According
to Julia Africa of the Centre for Health and the Global Environment
at the Harvard School of Public Health, there are specific design
features of parks that promote health. They include trees, flowers, a
rolling topography, and winding paths. Diversity also appears to be
critical.
These
findings prompled Logan to conclude that, “access to green space
is clearly a public health issue.” These are particularly
interesting findings in light of the increasing rates of
urbanization.
Taken
together, these findings suggest that protecting and expanding green
spaces can be a low cost, drug free way of promoting public health.
Healing
The
interdependence of natural environments and human health have spawned
some interesting research on healing. Epidemiologist Christopher
Golden
has conducted research which explores the relationship between
environment and human health. He has also shown how the right
interventions can heal both sick people and sick ecosystems.
Using
his understanding of the interrelationship between the environment
and human health, Golden has created an organization called HEAL
(Health and Ecosystems: Analysis of Linkages). This program is a
consortium of 25 institutions led by the Wildlife Conservation
Society that aims to restore a more harmonious balance between humans
and the biodiversity in which they live.
As
reported in a Grist
article,
Glenn Albrecht, a professor of environmental studies at the
University of Newcastle has developed some nomencalture that help us
to better understand the relationship between nature and human
health. He coined the term “endemophilia”the
love that people have for what’s distinctive about the place they
live or come from. He also created the term Soliphilia
— a
state that results in positive energy to collaborate, heal, and work
together. Basically, it refers to people who see the cumulative
damage of climate change and work together to make repairs.
Environmental
Action
Efforts to achieve states of physical and psychological health may even prove
to be a catalyst for wider environmental action. In China,
environmental toxicity, (specifically issues related to air quality)
are causing people to speak out and forcing the government to take
action.
Psychiatric epidemiologist, Helen Berry of the University of Canberra has
documented the enthusiasm for re-connecting with the land as a means
of lessening the anxiety associated with climate impacts. As she
explains, this attitude energizes people to engage in environmental
action.
Climate change and associated weather-related disasters could be such a
serious threat that they could actually propel people to come and
work together,” Berry said.
These realizations could entice the growth of social capital, which
contributes to health.”Climate change might make people willing to
take some kind of concerted action, to do something useful for their
community,“ she said. This tendency towards action is what she
describes as “the pearl in the oyster.”
Source: Global Warming is Real
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Solutions in Environment and Health from Epidemiologist Christopher Golden
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