Concrete Kills

Ok, granted, that is a bit harsh.  But close to the point actually.  A big new study out of the Netherlands comfirms in an empirical way what most of us (who love the outdoors) have long suspected.  That getting out in nature just flat makes you live longer.

Actually, it's more than that.  The health study of almost 350 thousand dutch people found that even being in close proximity to nature...has big benefits.

One of the major findings; that living near (within 1 km) to a park, or any green open space, significantly reduced people's anxiety and all forms of stress.  And, as we know, stress has been found to be a contributing factor in everything from hives to bad digestion, to cancer.

Another very interesting finding of this study.  When people of all kinds and income levels were living near nature, the gap between the health of rich and poor lessened.  You might say that beautiful surroundings, bring enhanced health to everyone, but especially those with less access to the best health care technology.

As you might expect, the study has huge implications.  Not only on how we live, but where, and why.  Already urban planners are looking at the findings, which could have a great impact on how neighborhoods of the future are planned (with more parks we presume), and how aging neighborhoods are brought back to life.

With health care costs running amuck, it may well be in our best interests as a society to give these findings a hard look.  Developers may not make as much money leaving open space for parks, but the human and societal cost of not doing so may be far greater.  It may kill us.

Read the article at Nature and Health Study

Nine Days Left

I got your attention didn't I?  But here's the problem.  Can you or anyone you know tell me what is nine days away? 

I thought so.  And that's part of the challenge we all face.  For the record, in nine days the International Day of Climate Action will arrive.  That's October 24th...a day designed to get people talking, and more importantly, doing things to bring about change. 

The goal of course is to make a big splash, to jump start our collective consciousness, and in so doing spur popular pressure to force decision makers to actually do something about onrushing climate change.

Of course, here in the U.S. the health care debate is sucking up all of the oxygen in Washington D.C.   That doesn't help.  Neither does the fact that lobbying organizations for those who would be most affected by climate change, like farmers and ranchers, are actively opposing or watering down proposals that are on the table in advance of the Copenhagen Climate Change summit in December.  Sigh...it appears the U.S. will join other industrialized nations in forwarding no bold initiatives.

Here's the rub.  We know now that climate change will impact our children and grandchildren in huge ways.  But its a gradual process.  So, like that bump that we ignore, we try to think about something else.  Because we can.  For now.

The southwest as a dust bowl?  Very likely if things don't change.  A global explosion of climate refugees?  How about 200 million by latest estimates.  And a sea level rise of 80 feet swamping our most important cities.

Perhaps a new approach is needed.  Don't think about climate change in terms of impacts on polar bears, or deserts.  Think about its impacts on your kid.  What crushing problems are we passing along?  What will they say about us if we don't act?  It is past irresponsible now to be the ostrich, with its head in the sand.  We owe our kids better.

So go to http://www.350.org/  Take action.  Ride your bike.  Make a sign.  Spread the 350 video virally.  It could help.  

The Bio Gem of Costa Rica

We at Earth Explore are excited to be expanding our programs south in 2010, to the rich and environmentally important nation of Costa Rica.  Home to critical world biomes, Costa Rica is beautiful and educationally rich.  But it is also much more than simply a showplace of luxuriant tropical life.

In a place blessed with such a rich array of nature's splender, something rather unusual in human history has taken place.  This small nation has taken aggressive steps to lock it's jewels away from rampant and uncontrolled development...the kind that has despoiled environmental treasures in too many other places.  The nation has been aggressive in promoting sustainability...and hopes to become the world's first carbon neutral nation.  National Reserves and Parks, many arising from, or supported by private donations, have sprung up everywhere.  There is a push for eco friendly development and tourism; very good signs for the future.

But the picture is not all rosy.  Pressures to open coastlines to oil and gas exploration and drilling, and exploit virgin rainforest for timber and mining are ramping up.  All too easily, this small nation could be directed down the path seen so often in the tropics; of slash and burn and quick profit.

The Natural Resources Defense Council has named Costa Rica a world Bio Gem...and is encouraging action to keep it safe, wild, and beautiful.  We believe sustainable tourist development and visitation can help to provide a solid economic base to counter the lure of quick profit through exploitation of natural resources.

What do you think?  If you're interested in the issue, go and learn more about the NRDC's Bio Gems, by visiting http://www.savebiogems.org/costarica/