It's no secret that the environment is vital to human health. Unfortunately, it's easy to forget about this connection and neglect the importance of protecting our planet from environmental risks. Water pollution, air pollution, and soil pollution all negatively contribute to human physical health and safety, which may lead to human developmental delays and further health issues; thus, protecting the environment is a top priority.
In this blog post, we will discuss five key reasons why we must prioritize our healthy environment: knowing the underlying causes of joint and infectious diseases, protecting yourself from toxic, organic, or air-borne pollutants and contaminants, contributing to ecological balance and biodiversity conservation, improving your mental health, and doing your part to reduce pollution in your community. Continue reading as each point elaborates on how investing in environmental protection can result in positive outcomes for you.
Why is it important to be environmentally healthy?
Environmental health is vital because our environment plays a crucial role in our lives and future generations' existence. We would not be able to endure or flourish without a healthy environment. When it comes to maintaining a healthy environment, numerous factors come into play, such as air quality, water quality, soil fertility, biodiversity, and much more.
Air Quality
Air pollution negatively affects human, animal, and plant health. Acid rain, caused by pollutants emitted by factories and automobiles, can have devastating effects on natural ecosystems, leading to the decline or extinction of species due to problems such as decreased oxygen levels in lakes and marine dead zones, where aquatic life cannot survive due to a lack of oxygen. In addition, air pollution can lead to respiratory diseases like asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Water Quality
Like air quality, clean water is essential for all living organisms; however, when contaminated with pollutants such as chemicals and effluent, it can pose severe risks to the health of humans and animals. Furthermore, water contamination endangers wildlife by eliminating aquatic life through eutrophication when nutrient concentrations are too high, thereby depleting oxygen levels and putting native species at risk of extinction, in addition to other problems such as algal blooms, which disrupt the balance within ecosystems and negatively impact native species populations even further. They also threaten drinking water sources if not properly managed, posing direct health dangers to humans, such as waterborne diseases. Thus, we should prioritize safe water.
Soil fertility
Healthy soils act as sponges, providing essential nutrients to plants, filtering out toxins to prevent them from infiltrating aboveground food systems, and storing CO2 to mitigate the effects of global warming. By maintaining fertile soils, we ensure that plants have sufficient nutrients for healthy growth and are protected from toxic substances that could otherwise contaminate agricultural products and harm human health if consumed while mitigating climate change due to their ability to absorb carbon dioxide produced by photosynthesis.
Biodiversity
Having a variety of animal species aids in balancing natural systems so that they function more efficiently, thereby providing essential benefits. Clean water sources, waste management, and pollination, to name a few, are generally seen to benefit us directly. However, having a large variety of plant and animal species can help keep disease at bay, ensuring that certain crops do not face challenges due to environmental changes, thereby allowing production rates to remain constant despite changing conditions. This ensures food security while preserving local economies that rely heavily on agriculture tourism industries connected this rich ecosystem worldwide, serving as a reminder of how interconnected the world actually is regardless of how geographically distant continents may appear etc.
5 Ways to Be More Environmentally Friendly
Be Wise with Your Energy Consumption
Start by reducing your energy consumption, as lighting and heating can account for up to 75 percent of a typical home's total electricity consumption. Replace your incandescent light bulbs with LED or CFL bulbs, which consume significantly less energy and last longer. You can also reduce the amount of heat you need during the winter months by investing in insulation, sealing any gaps in the walls or windows, and purchasing curtains/blinds that will help keep the heat inside the home.
Encourage Reuse and Recycle
Reusing and recycling materials is a simple method to reduce the amount of waste that ends up in landfills or incinerators. Ensure that you have two distinct receptacles (one for recyclables, such as paper, plastic bottles, and glass jars, and the other for non-recyclables). Participate whenever feasible in local recycling initiatives!
Drive Less and Walk More
Try walking or cycling instead of using your car; it's much better for the environment! If transportation is required, consider secure public transportation options such as buses or trains, typically powered by renewable energy sources such as wind or solar power, instead of fossil fuels, which produce pollutants that contribute to global warming.
Eat Sustainable and Healthy Food
Eating sustainably entails consuming fewer animal products (beef production requires cutting down forests), eating locally grown produce when available (this uses less energy transporting goods), consuming organic foods whenever possible (as they do not contain chemical fertilizers that pollute waterways), and avoiding processed foods loaded with preservatives that deplete our natural resources [source]. We can make substantial strides toward a greener future by reducing our unsustainable diets!
Buy Environmentally Products
Wherever possible, choose eco-friendly alternatives to single-use items such as plastic cutlery, straws, disposable coffee cups, etc. Many brands, like Funk Trunk, now offer eco-friendly versions of their products made from recycled materials, from custom tumblers made out of bamboo, to custom bags made from recycled polyester cloth!
FAQs
Why is it important to be environmentally healthy?
By prioritizing eco-friendly practices such as recycling, using renewable energy sources like solar or wind power, utilizing green transportation options like biking or public transportation when possible, minimizing waste by making sustainable consumer choices, and conserving water use by limiting daily showers or only doing full washer/dishwasher loads, we can all individually contribute to protecting our environment.
What are the five benefits of a healthy environment?
Here are the five benefits when a person with environmental health awareness encourages everyone to be kinder to Earth:
- Improved physical health: A healthy environment enables us to remain physically secure and healthy, free of diseases and toxins.
- Mental and Emotional Health: We are continually surrounded by our environment, from the people in our lives to the places we visit to unwind after a long day. Cleaner air can result in more productive days at work due to enhanced mental acuity and focus, while cleaner bodies of water can provide calming and optimistic views.
- Enhanced Productivity: In an ideal world, every person has access to a healthy workplace – one where productivity is maximized due to better lighting, improved ventilation systems that help keep the air clean, well-maintained equipment, and facilities that don't distract workers with frequent repairs needed, etcetera.
- Financial Savings: Maintaining a healthier environment at home or in the workplace can result in long-term cost reductions through reduced electricity consumption (heating/cooling) and reduced illness transmission, which translates to fewer medical expenses, etc.
- Valuable Ecosystems: Healthy environments create valuable ecosystems - they act as natural filters that protect basic services such as soil fertility, nutrient recycling (from plants), pest control, and pollination, allowing for a better human life and more sustainable agriculture practices that benefit farmers and consumers.
What is an environmental health, in simple words?
Environmental health is a subfield of public health that focuses on environmental factors that can impact human health and well-being. It includes air quality, water contamination, hazardous waste management, occupational health and safety regulations, and radiological protection. Essentially, it examines how environmental changes, which are frequently caused by humans, can affect our short- or long-term physical or mental health.
Choose Environmentally Friendly Gifts; Choose Funk Trunk
It's clear that improving environmental health is a priority, and we can all do our part by adopting more eco-friendly practices. Numerous eco-friendly lifestyle choices are available, but when it comes to presents, go with Funk Trunk! It's the finest way to express how much you care about sustainability by purchasing one-of-a-kind, environmentally friendly corporate gifts. You can buy from them with confidence that you aren't contributing to climate change because of their efforts to become a "carbon-negative" company. Join in helping the planet by shopping at Funk Trunk; together, we can make a difference! The variety of high-quality selections makes it simple to find something special for a friend or yourself while also giving Mother Nature a break.
