14.3: Healthier Home, Community, Country, and World

Although climate change has enormous impacts on health, there are additional concerns and actions that you can take to increase your environmental health.

Overpopulation

Average life expectancy in 1900 was 48 years, and today that has increased to about 78 years. We have made incredible advances that have contributed to an increase our life expectancy. For example, infant mortality rates have decreased dramatically during the 20th century, from 165 deaths per 1,000 births in 1900 to 7 deaths per 1,000 births today, advances in fertility treatments have provided new opportunities for conceiving children, and people have lived safer healthier lives with advances like clean drinking water, car safety belts, and work hard hats. These advances have helped to increase our worldwide population. The world population reached 1 billion people in 1803 and in just over 100 years, that population doubled to 2 billion people in 1928. It then took only about 50 years to double the population again to 4 billion people by 1975. By 2023 the population is expected to double again to 8 billion people. With these trends in growth the population is likely to reach 8.5 billion in 2030 and 9.7 billion in 2050.

Many believe overpopulation is the root cause of environmental health issues we are facing today. It is unknown how many people the Earth can support, however scientist do believe there is a limit and that humans are negatively impact the health of the planet which in turn is causing health issues for people. Overpopulation may cause food shortages, increase rate of disease transmission due to living closer together, lack of clean water, fear of limited employment opportunities for the demand, and disappearance of nonrenewable energy, such as the estimation that natural gas will run out in the next 35 years. With current population growth trends it becomes even more important for humans to take care of the planet.

Figure \(\PageIndex{6}\): Human Population Growth since 1800

Energy Use: Fossil Fuels to Renewable Energy

All forms of electricity generation have an environmental impact on our air, water and land, but it varies. Of the total energy consumed in the United States, about 40% is used to generate electricity, making electricity use an important part of each person’s environmental footprint. The total amount of greenhouse gases that are emitted into the atmosphere each year by a person, family, building, organization, or company are called the carbon footprint.

Producing and using electricity more efficiently reduces both the amount of fuel needed to generate electricity and the amount of greenhouse gases and other air pollution emitted as a result. Electricity from renewable resources such as solar, geothermal, hydropower, and wind generally do not contribute to climate change or local air pollution since no fuels are combusted.

Clean energy includes renewable energy, energy efficiency and efficient combined heat and power.

Measure and reduce your energy impact

How much energy are you using? What is your carbon footprint? How can you reduce your impact?

• Use EPA’s household carbon footprint calculator to estimate your household’s annual emissions and find ways you can cut emissions.
• Learn about the many ways to save in your home and track your progress with “My ENERGY STAR“
• Use Power Profiler to learn about the air emissions associated with your home or business’s electricity use.
• Use AirNow to learn about local air quality.
• Use MyEnvironment to access local environmental quality information.

Waste

We all play a role in helping to prevent and remove trash in the environment. You can take action at home, school, and work to ensure a cleaner community and healthier waters.

Most of the trash that pollutes our rivers, lakes, estuaries, and oceans comes from sources on land. Plastic trash, in particular, threatens human health, aquatic ecosystems, and the economy. The most effective way to prevent trash from polluting our waterways is to reduce the amount of waste you create.

How much trash ends up in the ocean?

One of the most extreme and dramatic examples of the amount of trash that ends up in the ocean is known as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, or “garbage island.” It is is a collection of marine debris in the North Pacific Ocean between California and Hawaii^[4]. The collection is estimated to be about double the size of the state of Texas.

The garbage patch was discovered in 1997 by Charles Moore. Moore had just finished a Los Angeles-to-Hawaii sail race known as the Transpac and he decided to take a short cut back to LA. He said, “on the way back to our home port in Long Beach, California, we decided to take a shortcut through the [North Pacific subtropical] gyre, which few seafarers ever cross. Fishermen shun it because its waters lack the nutrients to support an abundant catch. Sailors dodge it because it lacks the wind to propel their sailboats… as I gazed from the deck at the surface of what ought to have been a pristine ocean, I was confronted, as far as the eye could see, with the sight of plastic”^[5].

Figure \(\PageIndex{7}\): Map of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch

The 3 R’s: Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle

The first goal should be to reduce your impact by reducing the energy you use, reducing the amount of waste you produce, reducing the amount of water you consume, etc.

The second goal should be to reuse as much as possible. Buy used items, repurpose items, share items with others, etc.

The last goal should be to recycle. Recycle plastics, aluminum, paper, etc to allow for them to be reused.

The following are tips to achieve the 3 R’s.

• Think Green Before You Shop.
  • Do you really need it? Will you really use it?
  • How “green” is it? Is it built to last? Is it “energy star” rated? Is it made of recyclable material?
  • Can you borrow it or buy it used instead?
• Reduce your food waste by shopping smart.
  • Buy only what you need, compost food scraps, and donate unused food to food banks or shelters.
  • One-third of all food in the United States goes uneaten. The EPA estimates that in 2018, about 81 percent (about 20.3 tons) of households’ wasted food ended up in landfills or combustion facilities.
  • Preventing food from going to waste is one of the easiest and most powerful actions you can take to save money and lower your climate change footprint by reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and conserving natural resources.
• Reuse or repurpose items such as old clothing, cloth grocery bags, and containers to prevent waste.
• Buy used items to reduce waste as well as the emissions created by producing new materials or disposing of them in landfills.
• Donate unused clothing, electronics and building materials to make sure others can reuse them too! One person’s trash is another person’s treasure. Instead of discarding unwanted appliances, tools or clothes, try selling or donating them
• Buy products made with recycled content. Check labels to see if a product or its packaging is made from recycled materials. You help close the recycling loop by buying new products made from recycled materials
• Know before you throw.
  • Know what items your local recycling program collects and encourage your household to recycle right and recycle more.
  • Unsure how to recycle? Visit Earth911-More ideas,Less waste for help
• Maintain and repair products, like clothing, tires and appliances, so that they won’t have to be thrown out and replaced as frequently.
• Borrow, rent or share items that are used infrequently, like party decorations, tools or furniture.
• Learn about what you can do at home, at school, at work and in your community!

Sustainability

Sustainability is based on a simple principle: Everything that we need for our survival and well-being depends, either directly or indirectly, on our natural environment.

The National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 committed the United States to sustainability, declaring it a national policy “to create and maintain conditions under which humans and nature can exist in productive harmony, that permit fulfilling the social, economic and other requirements of present and future generations.”

Production, processing, packaging, and transportation of food is highly dependent on the use of fossil fuels and chemical fertilizers. These can greatly harm our health and the health of the environment. As a consumer, you have power to make a difference by considering the impact of your choices. Opting for local, healthy, environmentally responsible food helps promote both personal health and overall health of the community.

Choose foods that:

• Do not harm the environment.
• Support and preserve rural communities.
• Are healthy and nutritious.
• Respect farm animals.
• Provide farmers with fair wages.
• Are free of added toxins.
• Are grown locally.
• Do not harm the health of farm workers.

What can you do?

Find out what you can do to help make a difference in our environment every day. Whether you’re at home, on the go, in the office, or at school, there are many opportunities to go green by Reducing, Reusing, and Recycling.

Review the tips for home, school, work, communities, travel, and holiday/events. Identify strategies that you could implement to support a healthy planet:

• Tips for Home
• Tips for Students and Schools
• Tips for Work
• Tips for Communities
• Tips for Travel
• Tips for Holidays and Events

Healthy Community Design

The way we design and build our communities affects our physical and mental health. How can communities come together to design healthier places to work, play, and live? The American Institute of Architects, American Planning Association, American Public Health Association, American Society of Civil Engineers, American Society of Landscape Architects, National Recreation and Park Association, U.S. Green Building Council, and Urban Land Institute have come together for a joint call to action to implement healthier places.

Examples of work to create healthier places include:

• Northwest Arkansas: Turning the wheels to build biking infrastructure and access
• Phoenix: Design strategies for burning health issues
• Los Angeles: Convening new partnerships, breaking out of silos
• Salinas, California: A neighborhood’s plans for a vibrant transformation
• Denver: A stormwater problem becomes a health equity opportunity
• Colorado: Broadening the discussion about health and the built environment
• Washington, D.C.: A lesson plan for health and health equity
• South Bend, Indiana: Driving results for community safety and health
• Winchester, Kentucky: Reimagining parks, health and an entire small town
• Baltimore: An alley becomes a gateway to a healthier community