The Real Reason We Should All Be Environmentalists
Humans are sick + are getting sicker. So is planet Earth.
Our health as a species is intricately linked to the health of our planet. Indeed, perhaps the most concerning aspect of greenhouse gases, polluted oceans + shrinking ecosystems is that – ultimately – we have manufactured an environment unfit for human life.
Dr. Stephen Hussey is a chiropractor, health coach + author of The Health Evolution: Why Understanding Evolution is the Key to Vibrant Health. Dr. Hussey believes the way to preserve our health (+ therefore save the planet) is to be selfish. He outlines concrete action steps for reclaiming our health + helping Earth in the process, too.
Here’s how.
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Why do so many of us suffer from chronic disease?
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The short answer? There’s a fundamental mismatch between our physiology + our collective lifestyle.
Here’s why.
Humans are a slow-evolving species. So slow, in fact, that we require at least 30 generations for our genes to adapt to environmental change.
Yet our lifestyle has changed rapidly in the last 100 years; we have manipulated our environment, too.
While we’ve made our lives easier, we now face repercussions in the form of a chronic health epidemic.
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We’ve manipulated our environment to our inevitable demise.
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Our big brains are the culprit. Below are 4 ways we have engineered the existing health problems both our planet + our species face:
1. Over-the-top toxin exposure
Since 1950, at least 70,000 new chemical compounds have been invented + dispersed into our environment. Only a handful of these toxins have been tested for human toxicity.
Toxins are detrimental to human health. They disrupt biochemical processes + cause disease.
Toxins are detrimental to the health of planet Earth, too. Toxins release gases into the atmosphere + kill off species we depend on for survival.
2. Manipulative agricultural practices
Farming for the masses requires that we destroy entire ecosystems to grow a single crop, yet humans rely on diverse ecosystems to survive.
Chemical fertilizers, herbicides + pesticides pollute soil + create nutrient-poor crops.
In the case of GMO’s (Genetically Modified Organisms), humans fundamentally alter the DNA of our food.
3. An easy-does-it lifestyle
By design, humans are hunter-gatherers. Yet, in 2019, most humans in the Western world live lives of sedentary leisure.
4. An overstimulated stress response
Humans are programmed to respond to life-threatening events.
These days, because life-threatening events are rare, we have over-the-top responses to non-threatening stressors (such as being stuck in traffic).
Worse, because our brains are large, we have the ability to think about being stressed. The result is that our stresses stay with us all day long.
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I think if we saw an improvement in the health of people, we’d see an improvement in the health of the planet.
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Why + How we should be selfish:
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Humans are wired towards selfishness. By leaning into this innate characteristic + putting the health of our individual selves first, the planet will ultimately benefit.
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Here’s an example. By choosing to eat locally grown food, you’ll naturally eat food that’s more nutrient-dense (a “selfish” choice). But eating local food is beneficial for the planet, too, because it reduces the need for food to be transported long distances.
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Intentional choices for overall health:
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– Purchase organic produce.
– Avoid over-processed food.
– Filter your water with a quality filter (Not Brita!). Dr. Hussey recommends this one.
– Place plants throughout your home to cleanse the air.
– Avoid indoor air fresheners + candles.
– Filter your home’s air with a quality air filter.
– Refuse toxic cleaning products. Use eco-friendly ones, instead.
– For beauty products, shop toxin-free beauty, or make your own.
– Mediate stress by focusing on face-to-face interactions with actual people, not technology.
– Retreat into nature + get adequate sunlight exposure.
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