Not to make it all about us, but not taking care of our environment hurts our health as much as the planet’s. Earlier in April, the World Health Organization (WHO) shone a light on this reality with its ‘Our planet, our health’ slogan on World Health Day. The organization revealed a sobering stat: they estimate that globally, about 13 million deaths each year are due to avoidable environmental causes. The growing prevalence of diseases like asthma, cancer and heart disease can all be attributed to environmental factors, especially the climate crisis.
There’s hope for a healthier future if people start taking responsibility for their impact on the planet, and that starts with acknowledging the fact that every single individual plays a role. This doesn’t mean you need to change everything in your life at once; on the contrary, if each household makes just one change to do its part, that’s better than fewer families going to the extreme.
There are plenty of ways to help boost the planet’s health, and in turn, yours. Here are a few resources to inspire you.
- Read the WHO’s resource for recommendations for individuals, corporations, governments and more here
- The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration outlines 10 simply choices for a healthier planet here
- Explore three ways the Environmental Protection Agency says you can practice greener living here
- Understand how climate change is impacting cancer with intel from the American Association for Cancer Research here