Could Saving the Environment also Improve Global Health??

I am not sure if anyone recalls, but Purdue University had a program called the Common Read Program.  The program was developed for fall incoming undergraduate students.  Every year, a committee of current students, faculty and staff would form a committee and select a book that introduced topics and themes that could be discussed further in the classroom.  At the student orientation, every incoming first-year student was given a copy of the selected book.  The students were then asked to read the book over the summer to prepare for class discussions and assignments. 

I thought it was a great program.  The books raised interesting questions on social and environmental issues, as well as concerns about technology, and health.  These questions fueled a number of conversations inside and outside of the classroom.  I realize now, that most of these books explored topics related to global health.  One example is the Common Read: No Impact Man.  The book was turned into a documentary in 2009.  In the book, Colin Beavan (author) shares his reflections, challenges, and epiphanies as him and his family attempt to have no impact on the environment.  Beavan brings up two major themes that relate to global health: exercise and food sustainability.

One of the first changes that Beavan and his family make is to stop relying on modern forms of transportation, which release emissions.  The Beavan family stops driving and using public transportation.  They begin walking and riding bicycles and manual scooters to get around.  After doing this for just a little while, Beavan has an epiphany.  He realizes the increase in physical activity is improving his physical health.  He even reflects on and laughs about the days when he had to run in place on treadmills to get his exercise.  I think this speaks to some of the theories on what caused the obesity epidemic.  The increased number of vehicles traveling on the roads has lead to increased pollution, especially in heavily populated cities (e.g., New York, Beijing).  Interestingly, the same factors that are spawning environmental challenges are also negatively impacting our health.  I am not arguing that everyone should get rid of his or her vehicles or avoid using public transportation. I am arguing that it is interesting to consider how cultural norms and structural factors are affecting our health, as well as the environment.

Another topic that Beavan addresses is food sustainability.  Beavan and his family stop purchasing and consuming foods that are packaged and not grown or raised in their community.  The packaged food created waste, while the foods that were grown and raised outside of the community required shipping, which caused emissions.  Beavan and his family used their own, reusable containers when they purchased foods.  Additionally, they ate locally grown fruits and vegetables. Beavan finds that these foods are actually more healthful than the packaged processed foods that they had grown accustomed to eating.  This relates to the rising global concerns about the increased consumption of processed foods, fats, and sugars.

I think No Impact Man offers an interesting perspective on and evaluation of health, Western culture, and the environment.  It seems as though many of the factors that are having a negative impact on the global environment are also negatively affecting global health.

Reference:

Beavan, C. (2009). No impact man: The adventures of a guilty liberal who attempts to save the planet, and the discoveries he makes about himself and our way of life in the process. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.