Emily Anstett 11/19: Health and Trees Reflection

 https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/hsph-in-the-news/the-health-benefits-of-trees/

This article describes the body of literature that attributes spending time in forests and looking at trees with better health, both mental and physical.  Specifically, research has shown that people who spend time in forests have decreased symptoms of depression, anxiety, cognitive decline, as well as improvement in chronic illnesses like cancer and heart disease.  I think it is interesting to consider the healing effects of nature.  Not only does nature have beneficial impacts on mental health but it also can help with diseases and illnesses that are often considered out of our control. This article made me think of how despite the multitude of benefits that forests bring to people we are rapidly deforesting the world.  For instance, the area I grew up in used to be filled with forests but slowly but surely they have removed many of these forests to build grocery stores and strip malls as urban sprawl creeps in.  There is no need for five grocery stores within one mile of each other.  It also seems that the benefit of having trees would be much greater than bringing another grocery store to an area overly saturated with grocery stores.  I think the problem is that people have not thought about the ramifications of their actions or whether the action is necessary at all.  For instance, is it necessary to have ten krogers within a twenty mile radius? This is even exacerbated by food deserts where some people have too many grocery stores and some people have none.  The problem lies in lack of intention and consideration.  To become more intune with nature we must also become more intune with ourselves.  We must consider what we actually need.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Jaidan Brass -- Cheryl Strayed's Wild (12/04)

    Wild is a memoir of Cheryl Strayed during her time on the Pacific Crest Trail, also known as the PCT. the PCT is a trail that goes along the pacific coast from the bottom of California to the top of Washington. One of the things I admired most about Strayed was her courage during her months on the trail. Cheryl Strayed needed to hike the trail alone to help find herself after feeling like she lost herself after her mother’s death. In one chapter Strayed states, “Being near Tom and Doug at night kept me from having to say to myself I am not afraid whenever I heard a branch snap in the dark or the wind shook so fiercely it seemed something bad was bound to happen. But I wasn’t out here to keep myself from having to say I am not afraid” ( p. 122). One of the reasons she did the trails was to prove that she was brave enough and determined enough to this by herself. Though she did meet friends and have help along the way, she spend a majority of her time on the trail by h...
Read more

Emily Anstett 11/20 Religion and Climate Change Article Reflection

  https://insideclimatenews.org/news/27062022/religion-climate-change/ This article describes how some Rabbis are beginning to advocate for climate action and bring the problem of climate change to their congregation’s attention.  They are trying to “bridge the gap” between faith and climate.  I am interested in how western religions can adapt to incorporate more ecologically conscious views and practices.  I also think it is important to reconsider how religions dictate interactions with the environment.  For instance, the way that people interpret God giving dominion over the earth can have important implications.  For instance, does that mean that people are free to exploit and do whatever they see fit with God’s dominion? Or should humans work to cultivate this? I think this may be a point of contention that has significant ramifications on human-nature interactions.  For instance, if humans view themselves as a part of the dominion God created, ...
Read more

Jaidan Brass - Ecology of Eden Ch. 13 & 14 (12/04)

      In these two chapter, Eisenberg talks about the ranges seen between the mountain and the tower--or between wilderness and civilization. These are in examples like pastoralism, suburbia, and arcadia. They are the middle ground of the two extremes with mountains having no civilization at all and towers having no wilderness. While middle grounds tend to start out alright, they usually start failing after awhile. It's  possibly because the lifestyle was not sustainable. Pastoralism is starts degrading the soils once it gets to populated or gets overgrazed. The mountain part of suburbs can easily be lost into ideals where the community loses the reasons on why suburban areas were made. The middle ground is a delicate balance, but one many want to live in to enjoy the benefits of both the wilderness and civilization. 
Read more