Connecting with nature makes you ‘go green’

0
494
environment Earth Day In the hands of trees growing seedlings. Bokeh green Background Female hand holding tree on nature field grass Forest conservation concept

London: People who live in built up urban areas, and spend little time with nature are less likely to make eco-friendly life choices like recycling, compared to those living closer to green spaces, a new study says.

According to the researchers, including those from the University of Plymouth in the UK, public policies which preserve and develop urban green spaces, and incentivise urban citizens to connect with nature, may help reduce carbon emissions across the world.

The study, published in the journal Environment International, revealed that many environmentally friendly life choices were common in people who lived in greener spaces or at the coast, and among those who regularly visited natural spaces.

These life choices, the scientists said, were the same for men and women, young and old, and for rich and poor.

“People in high (versus low) green urban neighbourhoods seemed to be more pro-environmental due to greater cognitive and emotional connection to the natural world as opposed to simply spending more time in it,” the scientists wrote in the study.

“Our results suggest urban greening could help reduce the damaging behaviours which cause environmental problems in the first place by reconnecting people to the natural word,” said study co-author Ian Alcock from the University of Exeter in the UK. However, the scientists cautioned that the findings were only correlational, and not a cause-effect relationship.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here
Captcha verification failed!
CAPTCHA user score failed. Please contact us!

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.