Healthy Planet, Healthy You: Climate News To Know

Researchers investigated how living in an urban area can affect skin health. As it turns out, many aspects of the built environment—from higher population density to increased air pollution—may lead to increased skin sensitivity.

How many critters do you share your backyard with? That's the question that two neighbors, a mathematician and an ecologist, set out to answer in their shared suburban yard in Brisbane, Australia. After 12 months of surveying, the duo discovered an impressive 1,150 species—436 moths and butterflies, 56 spiders, 56 birds, and three previously undiscovered species.

We tend to sleep best in cool environments, so researchers suspect that climate change will take a major toll on our snooze. A new study that analyzed sleep data from 7,240 older adults in China over two years found that heat wave events were indeed associated with a higher likelihood of a one-plus-hour reduction in sleep.

After analyzing years of digital records from nearly 100 wildlife rehab centers in the U.S. and Canada, researchers found that the majority of wildlife injuries and illnesses are the result of human activity (i.e., vehicle collisions, pesticide and lead poisoning, etc.).

Every year around this time at mindbodygreen, we ask a therapist or mental health expert the same eternal question: What's the secret to setting resolutions that stick? Most agree that the best goals are deeply personal and values-driven.

"Sometimes, we make goals or resolutions based on pressure from others rather than from a personal, internal drive toward the goal. Psychologists consider the former to be 'extrinsic motivation' and the latter to be 'intrinsic motivation.' Intrinsic motivation, which comes from within, is the strongest," clinical psychologist Chloe Carmichael, Ph.D., explains.

Psychologist Erin Ayala, Ph.D., L.P., CMPC, elaborates that "We need to identify our values in order to set the stage for the coming year. Values are the foundation of many of our behaviors, actions, thoughts, and feelings. They serve as our guide on how to respond when life gets messy."

From a climate perspective, this advice shows us why more general goals to "reduce my carbon footprint" or "buy less stuff" might not always pan out. They lack the personal meaning and passion needed to keep us on track.

To get more specific, consider reflecting on your favorite outdoor moments this past year: Where did you spend them, who were you with, and what were you doing? Examine how these moments made you feel and why they were so significant to you personally.