Fresh Air, Clean Water: Our Right to a Healthy Environment
My son Owen and me at the September 27 2019 climate strike in Vancouver BC What will our climate look like for future generations MEGAN CLENDENAN enough to stop polluters from dumping chemicals from those mines into the rivers that people depended on for water to drink and fish to eat My mom worked for a time at a dry cleaner’s where she was exposed to toxic chemicals Later she got cancer and passed away Although I’ll never know for sure I still wonder how did all those chemicals she breathed at work affect her health Everyone from me to you to people on the other side of the world depends on clean air to breathe safe water to drink and nutritious food and so does every form of life on the planet from oak trees to grizzly bears to ladybugs Clean air and fresh water give people a better chance to fight off health threats such as the COVID-19 virus But what if your drinking water is dangerous your air is polluted and your food is contaminated What if you live in a city that floods as the sea rises What can you do about that Do you have the right to demand change And what about trees rivers and animals Do they have rights too I wanted to learn more about how we can protect both our own health and our environment environment That led me to wonder Do we have the right to a healthy environment And if we don’t what can we do 2 Megan Clendenan
A day in the forest with your family can be a great adventure EYE CANDY IMAGES GETTY IMAGES
One Earth to Share IT’S A FACT NATURE MAKES US HAPPIER AND HEALTHIER Building a fort playing in the park or swimming in a lake are not only fun but they also make you feel better Just being outside in fresh air can be good for your health Healthier hearts less anxiety and vitamin D from the sun are some great benefits to being outside Some doctors are now writing prescriptions for nature Learning in nature has been shown to help students perform better in school by improving focus boosting creativity and lowering stress Each of our senses can bring out nature’s benefits Have you ever run your hand through the sand or felt the bark of a tree It feels good even if we’re not sure why Sometimes when I’m digging in my garden I take a whiff and notice that the soil actually smells good It turns out there’s a reason for that Mycobacterium vaccae is a type of bacteria found in the soil It’s known as the happy bacteria because it helps our brains produce more serotonin a chemical that many 5 Forest bathing which is spending time in nature can reduce stress depression and anger Walk in bare feet or dig into the dirt and take in the smell GAWRAV SINHA GETTY IMAGES One
