World Environment Day
June 5, 2017
World Environment Day is observed worldwide on June 5 every year to bring awareness and taking action for the protection of our environment.
The theme “Connecting People to nature – in the city and on the land, from the poles to the equator”. The host country is Canada. It highlights the vast benefits, from food security and improved health to water supply and climatic stability that natural systems and clean environments provide to humanity.
Nature and health
• Many studies show that time spent in green spaces counters mental health problems such as stress and depression. Affecting 350 million people, depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide.
• In Japan, the health benefits of forests have prompted some local governments to promote ‘forest therapy.’ Research shows time in the woods can boost the immune system, including against cancer.
• Urban green space is a key weapon in the fight against obesity: an estimated 3.2 million premature deaths in 2012 can be attributed to lack of physical activity.
• More and more cities are planting trees to mitigate air pollution, the world’s largest single environmental health risk: 6.5 million people die each year due to everyday exposure to poor air quality.
• The use of plants in traditional medicine dates back to the beginning of human civilization. Herbal medicine has clearly recognizable therapeutic effects and plays an important role in primary health care in many developing countries.
• Common painkillers and anti-malarial treatments as well as drugs used to treat cancer, heart conditions and high blood pressure are derived from plants.
So, contribute to Science. Nature is changing quickly around us.
“Explore the nature you love on World Environment Day.”
Source: www.worldenvironmentday.global
Image Credit: www.askideas.com
