Healthy Planet, Healthy People

Brain Activity and Natural Beauty

Using functional MRI technology, researchers studied brain activity and discovered that looking at natural objects, landscapes and coastal vistas light up a part of our brains that’s teeming with opioid receptors connected to our dopamine reward system.

This is the part of our brains that kicks in when we’re doing something pleasurable. Enjoying those views (or even art and photos of them) activates makes us less likely to dwell on negative memories, feel stressed and be more likely to think positive thoughts and form emotional ties.

The Benefits of Fresh Air and Plants

When we’re outside, especially around lots of plants like at the Arboretum or a park, we take in beneficial chemicals that ignite antioxidant production, which helps lower the risk of stress-related conditions, including cancer and heart disease. The phytoncide trees generate can lower our production of stress hormones, decrease anxiety and boost our pain thresholds.

Climate Change and Its Negative Impacts

Climate change, though, has negative effects on health. We can’t prevent all these situations, but preparation can make them less likely or harmful.

• Extreme heat is hard on everyone, especially for people with one or more chronic illnesses or who are pregnant or elderly.
• Poor air quality and higher carbon monoxide levels make it hard to breathe and exacerbate asthma, allergies and other respiratory conditions.
• Whiplash weather in NC makes heavy rains more dangerous and destructive, causing floods, destroying housing and causing power outages.
• The strain of these impacts, along with isolation and concern over our changing climate, influences our mental and emotional health, too.

All these conditions make it harder to access routine care, stay well at home or get emergency care. That’s because extreme conditions caused by climate change can:

1. Cause power outages that make it hard to stay cool or warm, run critical at-home medical devices or keep medication refrigerated.
2. Reduce access to food and water because local stores are closed or have no more inventory or because water treatment facilities are down due to power outages, high water, wildfires or related damage.
3. Prevent us from getting medical care, whether it’s routine appointments or emergency services.
4. Keep emergency medical providers from reaching us.
5. Make it impossible for us to keep regular medical appointments and scheduled procedures or pick up medications.

We can’t prevent all these situations, but preparation can make them less likely or harmful. Here are some things you can do:

• Pay attention to the local weather reports on WCHL.
• Sign up for emergency alerts from the county so you know what’s coming ahead of time.
• Heed evacuation orders if you are able.
• Talk to your pharmacist about how to handle refrigerated medications when the power goes out.
• Store and keep charged back-up batteries for at-home medical equipment or purchase and learn to properly use a generator.
• Ask your healthcare provider to prescribe additional medications ahead of a forecast storm.
• Keep your first aid kit updated.
• Learn CPR, basic first aid and Stop the Bleed techniques so you can help yourself and your family members until the pros arrive.

Extreme Heat and Air Quality

“Extreme heat can trigger heat-related illnesses and cause severe dehydration.”

Climate change creates more days of dangerous heat and humidity and longer periods of extreme heat. The U.S. is getting hotter every year, and heatwave season is lasting 46 days longer than it did in the ’60s.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention researchers found that extreme heat events can exacerbate respiratory diseases, especially for people with asthma or allergies.

Flooding and Drought

Flooding and drought are becoming more common due to climate change. Weather whiplash, which occurs when there is a sudden change from hot to cold weather, can be particularly hazardous.

Floodwater can spread chemicals, bacteria, viruses and parasites into waterways, making us sick. It can also be full of debris and other things that can cause injuries.

Climate Change and Mental Health

“Many of us are worried over climate change: 64% of Americans in a Yale study reported being at least somewhat worried about global warming.”

Climate change can influence our mental health, causing worry, stress, grief, depression, hopelessness, post-traumatic stress disorder, isolation, and increased thoughts of suicide.

Individual and Collective Action

What We Can Do

Our individual conscious decisions contribute to collective action that gets results. By making small but meaningful changes, we can build into larger mindset changes that produce impact at the individual, organizational and community level.

We at the South Orange Rescue Squad (SORS) are committed to reducing our climate impact.