This is the year the world ground to a halt.
We watched fires rage in Australia, the Amazon and the USA, we felt the devastation of rising flood water across the UK, we witnessed our seasons changing too quickly and the health of the planet declining alongside our own.
With clear evidence to show deforestation increases the risk of zoonotic disease outbreaks like Covid-19 among humans, humanity is finally waking up to the reality that the health of the natural world has a direct impact on our own health.
Asking the big questions
The events of this year have challenged us to ask the big questions: How do we create a healthier, fairer world for us all? How do we create positive change in the face of so much global uncertainty? What can each of us do to build a healthy future?
As Lockdown 2 progresses the debate over whether or not to return to the office rages on, with many arguing that face time equals productivity.
Before we all rush back to the daily commute, let’s take a closer look at how working from home can have a positive impact on your health and the health of the planet.
More time in nature
A recent research paper suggests that time spent in nature increased during lockdown, particularly for women.
With more time at home, people were able to prioritise going outside, taking a walk, foraging, listening to birdsong or going for a run in their local park.
This has a knock-on effect of being great for your health. Spending time outdoors in green spaces has been linked to a reduction in the risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, premature death and preterm birth, and with an increase in sleep duration.
Saving carbon emissions
According to the BBC’s Smart Guide to Carbon Emissions, the average petrol car in the UK produces the equivalent of 180g of CO2 every kilometre.
When we work from home, our daily commute doesn’t require fossil fuels, we can just go to our desk and connect with our teams via video call, email or instant messenger.
It’s never been so easy to collaborate and work as a team from different locations around the world. Why pump fumes and greenhouse gases into the atmosphere when we can work so easily from the comfort of our own homes?
You can even work from bed!
