For Week 4, there are two required readings: a brief report on the health and financial benefits of access to nature in urban environments across the lifecourse and
a discussion of the role nature can play in encouraging the types of pro-environmental beliefs and behaviours that are critically important in responding to the threat of climate change. Expanding on this second reading, this week’s lecture will explore the impact of nature on individual beliefs and behaviours related to environmental sustainability and climate change mitigation.
Both of these readings will be included as part of this Thursday’s reading quiz. Based on the input you have provided through the blog and during seminar, here is a list of potential questions that may appear on the quiz. Seminar will also include a guest presentation and a brief overview of academic writing.
Now that the quiz is over, if you’d like to learn more about the fishing game used to test an individual’s level of cooperation, take a look at “Cooperation is in our nature”; to explore the concepts described in the lecture by Paul Piff in greater detail, consult “An occasion for unselfing”.
Questions from Wolf, K. Nature’s Riches: The Health and Financial Benefits of Nearby Nature.
1.Why don’t we have to travel out beyond the city to gain nature-based benefits?
2.What is metro nature, and give two benefits of it.
3.Who are more susceptible to secondary illnesses, order people or younger people?
4.Can nature care the ills?
Possible question in the quiz (from the Nature’s riches: The Health and Financial benefits of Nearby Nature)
1). List three possible benefits the nature can bring when the baby is born.
2). What kind of actions can be considered as the Pro-environmental behavior, list three of them. (From Health people with nature in mind)
Are we allowed to use a couple pictures from google images for aesthetic purposes in the site analysis if we cite them?
We would prefer for you to use your own photos. There is a lot that we can understand about how these sites work during dark, gloomy days when we need them most! That said, you can use photos from google if you want to show the site from a perspective or time that you cannot access. You must cite the sources. You must also include some images or drawings of your own within the assignment.
Sara mentioned that it would be better to read by electronic devices instead of using printed paper.
I heard a different voice that when we use electronic devices, we several think about the pollution it made both during the process of making them and after throwing them. By this concept, is there any research that actually calculates this pollution and compares it with printed paper?
This is a good point. We should be aware of where our electronics come from, and where the energy to power them comes from. I haven’t seen any conclusive evidence on which is better. It depends on many factors, such as where your energy comes from, how long you use your electronic devices before upgrading them, whether you print on recycled paper, etc. It is great to consider the full lifecycle costs of your decisions.
Question from Wolf, K. Nature’s riches: the health and financial benefits of nearby nature. Seattle: The Nature Conservancy; 2016.
Do students lack vitamin N due to being in classrooms most of the day? Additionally, can viewing nature through a window in class provide sufficient vitamin N to students?
hmm I never thought to ask that! Really thought provoking question!
This a super late response to the week 4 reading – I thought I had posted one the week of but I guess it didn’t work. I really enjoyed the report by Wolf, especially the ways it distinguished the health benefits from nature by age group. I also think demonstrating the benefits from nature in terms of monetary savings is a very efficient way to have policy-makers and the public realize how beneficial it can be. Money is one of the most well understood things in a capitalist society, and framing environmental issues in this manner can be very effective.
I thought what Kathleen had to say about the health and financial benefits of nearby nature were very well laid out and easy to follow. The concept of “Vitamin N” is also a very light-hearted idea I enjoyed that carries great gravity. As she outlines the benefits of nearby nature, it would be interesting to view the contrary effects. What are the effects of reduction of nature within a space? What are the effects of the elimination of the natural environment within the built environment?