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Official Environmental Awareness Thread
Please post your articles, comments, opinions, discussion on the greener ways of things here, better health and cleaner more sustainable communities. Lets hope for a sustainable and environmentally-friendly future!
I'll start with this random article. More green space in your area - better health.
http://www.thespec.com/article/465203
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Urban green space can cut health problems linked to poverty
Steve Connor
The Independent, London
Proof at last: Living near parks boosts health, regardless of social class.
Access to green spaces, whether they be rolling chalk downs or simple playing fields, has an independently beneficial impact on health and health-related behaviour that counteracts the effects of poverty and inner-city deprivation, research by scientists found.
The links between serious illnesses and poverty are well established, but this is the first time scientists have systematically shown that the health gap between rich and poor can be halved with the help of green spaces.
When all deaths were analyzed, the gulf in health between the rich and the poor in the greenest areas of Britain was roughly half of that observed in the least green parts of the country, according to the findings published in the medical journal The Lancet.
The difference between those living in the greenest and least green areas was largest when looking at deaths from circulatory diseases.
However, the scientists found that living near green space had little effect for death from lung cancer, which is only weakly linked with exercise; or for death by self-harming.
The authors of the study, Richard Mitchell of Glasgow University and Frank Popham of the University of St. Andrews, believe the findings are strong enough for planning authorities to consider making green spaces available on grounds of health and well-being.
The two scientists assessed the entire population of England under the retirement age -- a total of 41 million people -- and obtained the cause of death for 366,348 people who died between 2001 and 2005 to analyze the links between fatal illnesses and access to green spaces.
"Populations that are exposed to the greenest environments have the lowest levels of health inequality related to income deprivation," they said.
"Evidence suggests that contact with such environments has independent salutogenic effects, for example, green spaces independently promote physical activity.
"However, the effect of green space is not solely based on promotion or enhancement of physical activity (but is also) psychologically and physiologically restorative, reducing blood pressure and stress levels and possibly promoting faster healing in patients after surgical intervention."
They conclude: "The implications of this study are clear: environments that promote good health might be crucial in the fight to reduce health inequalities."
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Whenever you go and buy something, you are affecting someone somewhere, be it environment, a person, or a community - you're making a statement with what you buy. So make it a smart choice ... Its a big picture
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