World Health Day 2022 "Our Planet, Our Health"

The WHO's campaign this year is to raise awareness and taking action to keep our planet healthy, but decreasing the diseases that are on the rise from our polluted planet like cancer, asthma, & heart disease.

Strategies to Reduce your Carbon Footprint

1. Transportation: You can eliminate up to 500 lbs of carbon dioxide emissions per year by walking, instead of driving 10 miles per week (2)

2. Decrease Energy Waste (electricity and gas): unplug equipment when it is not in use, and better yet- conserve energy by opting to take your exercises outdoors

3. Grow your Own food and Shop Local: reduce your carbon footprint by decreasing production and shipping of foods you consume. Try restaurants that are farm-to-plate, or shop at your local Farmer's Markets.(3)

4. Composting: "The study found that composting organic waste versus landfilling it can reduce more than 50% of the carbon dioxide-equivalent greenhouse gas emissions" (4)

5. Use re-usable bottles & stop buying plastic: take a re-usable bottle to the gym, or on the go. Pack lunches using glass and re-usable containers as well instead of zip lock baggies.

6. Choose foods with a lower carbon footprint: "Food’s carbon footprint, or foodprint, is the greenhouse gas emissions produced by growing, rearing, farming, processing, transporting, storing, cooking and disposing of the food you eat" (greeneatz)

7. Consume foods that may combat the effects of air pollution: look for foods high in anti-oxidants, anti-inflammatory properties, anti-carcinogenic, & that promote lung health

ACTIONS:

1. Try walking or biking in place of driving to work, dinner, meet with friends, short errands, etc.

2. Change one of your workouts this week to outdoors & unplug your equipment when it is not in use.

3. Start a garden, eat dinner at a farm-to-plate restaurant that gets their food from local farmers, &/or shop at your local Farmer's Market

4. Research locally how to compost. Here are a couple links: Here's How to Findhte Best Compost Service in Your Area and Local Evanston, Skokie, & Morton Grove Services

5. Choose to use re-usable bottles & containers for lunches

6. Check out my blog post for tips on choosing foods with a lower carbon footprint & food choices for combating the effects of air pollution HERE

References:

1. WORLD HELATH ORGANIZATION: https://www.who.int/campaigns/world-health-day/2022d

2. U OF M Healthy: https://hr.umich.edu/sites/default/files/green-facts-%202015.pdf

3. FUTURE LEARN: https://www.futurelearn.com/info/blog/how-to-reduce-your-carbon-footprint-tips

4. S.C.R.A.P Lab: https://scraplab.princeton.edu/2020/03/the-composter-how-much-can-composting-help-in-solving-the-climate-challenge/

5. The kitchn: https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-find-the-best-compost-service-in-your-area-23019558

6. Collective Resource Compost: https://collectiveresource.us/composting-in-evanston-morton-grove-skokie/?src=GoogleAd&campaign=&ad=580371391645&keyword=&source_campaign=&creative=580371391645&keyword=&gclid=CjwKCAjw9LSSBhBsEiwAKtf0n221Wuv3GYOvoEEw1cYEm3xdXp4ZlC6iGemBPK7G9mLrCel-cYETFRoCCmwQAvD_BwE