Being Green is Good For the Environment – Seeing Green Is Good For Your Health!

 We know green spaces are good for the environment and all realise the importance of the role of trees and grassy areas (particularly in built-up and inner city areas). Now, new research has been revealed in The Times Newspaper Online, showing that ’seeing’ greenery is also good for your mental health and emotional well being!

Environmental biologist, Ross Cameron, of the University of Reading, has revealed ‘Urban green spaces are good for your health’. Mr Cameron uses examples of crime reduction, domestic violence reduction and stress reduction, in studies carried out in Chicago. The studies concluded more trees and greenery in urban areas had a positive impact on social well being.

Furthermore, Mr Ross Cameron suggested we must protect our green spaces from ‘garden grabbing developers’. Mr Cameron expressed his dismay at the large sections of domestic gardens being paved, concreted and asphalted over. Highlighting the importance of domestic gardens by citing a study in Australia whereby the risk of dementia onset was delayed in correlation to the amount of time spent gardening. Getting children into gardening early – for instance with a children’s vegetable garden – can also teach them valuable lessons about nature and food, encouraging them to eat vegetables and therefore decreasing their risk of obesity and other diet-related conditions.  Finally, Mr Ross Cameron told the Times Newspaper urban green spaces should be awarded the same protection as the countryside, in order to allow us all to benefit – emotionally, mentally and socially! So, do yourself a favour – mentally, socially, emotionally and environmentally – keep your garden lawn. Yes, concrete may be low maintenance, but why risk depression and crime, for the sake of having to get a lawnmower out every fortnight or so!