The relationship between people and nature has always been quite complicated - a person sought to subjugate it, use it for their needs and change it in every possible way. Today, everywhere they talk about the negative consequences of global warming, but this is far from the only example of how human civilization and nature affect each other.
1. Warming climate is fueling violence
Many scientific studies over several decades have consistently assumed that the rate of violent crime always increases as it approaches the equator, that is, as the climate gets hotter. But none of these studies have been able to determine why this is so. There are two main theories. First, hot weather makes people uncomfortable and irritable and therefore more violent.
Second, people are more likely to be outdoors in warm weather and interact more actively, that is, there are more opportunities for violent conflicts. But researchers from the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam believe that this behavior is not so much to blame for the heat as a slight change in temperature in these regions.
Without having to plan for the seasons ahead, people can focus on the present without being so concerned about the future. This "one-day life strategy" can lead to a decrease in self-control and thus to an increase in the number of acts of violence.
2. Light pollution causes early spring in cities
Light pollution caused by excess artificial light can actually be devastating to natural ecosystems. Over time, bright lights in cities gradually "deceive" the surrounding trees and plants, which begin to "believe" that spring has come earlier.
In a 12-year study of four different tree species, British scientists found that in large cities with a lot of night light, trees threw out buds a week earlier than similar species in rural areas. This has a natural multiplier effect on the surrounding ecosystem, causing disruptions in pollination cycles and populations of birds and bees.
3. Cigarette butts - a threat to marine life
Of the billions of cigarette butts produced annually, only a fraction are disposed of correctly. An insane amount of them fall into the ocean. In fact, cigarette butts are the most common type of garbage in the oceans. They are made up of thousands of tiny plastic particles woven into fibers that decay in the ocean environment.
One study found that hazardous materials contained in a single cigarette butt can sufficiently contaminate 1 liter of water to kill any fish in that water.
4. People and evolution
Hunting, human encroachment on the natural habitat of animals, and other changes in the environment have contributed to the extinction of thousands of species over the centuries. But some patterns of human behavior can eventually lead to the emergence of new species that would not have appeared otherwise. For example, in London, there are underground mosquitoes whose DNA and breeding habits differ from ordinary mosquitoes.
They came from insects that escaped into artificial underground tunnels during the bombing of World War II. Since they are no longer able to breed with other mosquitoes, these mosquitoes are a separate species that was actually created by humans.
5. Nature improves mental health
In 2013, a study by the University of Essex found that clinical rates of depression decreased markedly (by 71 percent) in people who took at least a short walk in nature every day. These results are in stark contrast to the control group, who walked once a day in the mall. Their depression rate dropped 45 percent, while 22 percent actually felt even more depressed.
In addition, a decrease in aggressive behavior was observed in adolescents living within 1 km of green spaces. Either way, the study's authors came to a rather specific conclusion: an increase in green space in urban areas could lead to a 12 percent reduction in violent and violent behavior among adolescents.
6. Increased vegetation growth
The melting of glaciers and the gradual disappearance of perennial ice shelves caused by global climate change have had an unexpected spillover effect. In many places where the ice receded, greenery appeared in its place.
This long-term trend has been noted by NASA using satellite imagery. In addition to the retreating ice and rising temperatures, another factor is the increase in the amount of nitrogen in the atmosphere, which plants love.
7. Poor people in green areas get sick less
Scientists from the University of Glasgow conducted research that substantiated the theory that the effects of nature are beneficial to humans. Having ruled out diseases such as lung cancer, circulatory diseases, and deliberate self-harm, the scientists decided to survey the entire working population of England to determine if there is a pattern of health status among people who cannot afford medical care, living near green spaces.
It turned out that people living near greenery are really healthier, even if they do not visit doctors at all.
8. Mothers living close to nature have big babies
Ben Gurion University researchers in 2014 noted that mothers in greener areas tend to give birth to babies with much higher average body weights. The study also showed that much lower birth weight threatens the baby with many lifelong health problems.
It has been found that low birth weight is usually found in economically underdeveloped areas with minimal green space.
9. Roads can have a positive impact on nature
Despite the fact that roads are vital to the infrastructure of any society, environmentalists actively protest against their construction. In fact, in 2013, University of Cambridge professor Andrew Balmford suggested that building roads or improving existing roads in some areas might be beneficial to surrounding areas.
Particularly in underdeveloped areas suitable for agriculture, roads are clearly conducive to the conservation of vulnerable plant and animal species, as people simply "stay away from them."
10. Animals adapt to human presence
During the Industrial Revolution and as a result of the human population explosion, there was a clear impact on the diversity of animal species. Hunting and fishing, despite changes in habitat and migration patterns, have had a negative impact on many species, but not all. Some have adapted to thrive in the presence of people, and learning how they did so may be the key to mitigating the effects of future population growth.
Chipmunks and crows, for example, have completely changed their diet to accommodate urban life. Many endangered birds began to settle on the flat roofs of shopping malls.
psychology of health and longevity
It is impossible to imagine a healthy humanity without a clean and flourishing living environment.
The psychology of health and long life is, first of all, the upbringing in early childhood in a child of a sense of respect and love for nature.
Nature is not only forests and lakes, it is ALL living things, the entire Cosmos. This is what surrounds a person, this is the primary environment, without which his full, unburdened existence, physical and spiritual health are simply unthinkable. The idea of separating a person from Nature, proclaiming him "the crown of creation and transferring to his knowledge and undivided use of the world of Living Nature and all its riches is a violation of the“ Primordial balance. " leads to disaster.
The destruction of nature always entails consequences, one of which is the irreversible spiritual loss of modern man, cut off from the roots of the people.
It is very difficult to educate, instill love and respect for Nature, creating a huge environmental problem. The senseless mass destruction of animals, trees, water bodies is a threat to earthly prosperity, a harbinger of the death of the living world.
A person needs to change his mind and understand that without nature it is impossible not only healthy offspring, but the very life of mankind! Change in Nature will lead a person to mutations. Each of us should feel responsible for everything that happens around us, for the land that belongs to everyone - who was before us and who will come after us.
The psychology of health and longevity begins with the feeling of being a part of this unique beauty of Nature, with love for bugs, dogs and cats ... And this love should be based on such concepts as duty, wrinkle, conscience.
How to do it?
Original taken from oleg_bubnov in Love for Nature, children and adults
How much people consider themselves nature lovers and try to spend a significant part of their free time away from the bustle of the city! After a vacation or weekend, breathing in fresh air, taking a good swim and gaining strength, we return home with new impressions. Love for nature ennobles a person, makes him kinder and cleaner, if only this is true love.
What is our love? Is it mutual? How do we feel about what we love?
Love for the nature of the child
The little man, developing, learns the world. Initially, the potential of love for all living things lives in children. And if a baby, growing up, begins to destroy nature, animals, then adults are to blame for this, first of all, because the education of love for nature begins from infancy, and it is very important to instill in time a sense of responsibility for all life on earth.
Learning to love small
It is important that the child understands that even the smallest creature is worthy of life. Let the education of love for nature begin with insects. One-year-old kids actively explore the world, and their attention is attracted by bright butterflies, bugs, ants. The child wants to touch everything, test its strength. He does not yet understand the fragility of the creatures around him, so you need to teach him to take care of even a bug.
Explain to the kid that when he squeezes a beetle in his hand, it hurts the insect, tell the child more about the world of insects, look at the pictures in books. And your efforts will gradually begin to give fruitful shoots. Save ladybugs and bugs with your child. Have the little one move the insect out of the way where it can be crushed, or get the insect out of a puddle. Praise the little lifeguard. After all, he did a good, good deed.
Cats and dogs are best friends
Very often, pets become favorites of babies. They perfectly educate young explorers of the big world. Playing with cats or dogs teaches the child to take good care of animals, empathize. It is not uncommon to see young children talking to their “little brothers”. After all, for them such communication is more useful and better than any toys. And nothing can replace it.
Do not be afraid that something is wrong with your child when he tries to lift the kitten by the tail or pokes his finger in the dog's eye. This is not because the baby is cruel. It's just that children learn the world in this way, they need to touch everything, conduct a small experiment. The child does not yet understand that animals experience pain in the same way as humans. And your task is to explain it. Explain that animals are fragile and can be hurt or hurt. Do not leave the baby alone with the animal, always control the communication process so that you can always correct the child's actions. Your time together is another contribution to fostering a love of nature.
Tell your child more about the habits and habits of animals, so that the baby knows the features of small pets, learns to love and understand them. Involve your baby in caring for your cat or dog. Of course, the habit of caring for or feeding a pet will not immediately come to the child. But gradually, your kindness and warmth will bring results. The child will begin to develop responsibility and love.
Green friends
Along with animals, instill a love for plants. Let your baby help care for indoor flowers. This is also a part of nature that teaches love and spiritual beauty. Let the baby water "his" flower. Let him plant a sprout or seed and watch "his" plant grow gradually. After all, the education of love for nature is laid in the little things, which a little later will give you a kind, caring little man who loves the world around him.
Adults' love for nature
For example, consider a couple of situations that almost all of us have repeatedly observed. Here is a group of young people with large backpacks and parcels gathered, as they often say now, to "have fun" in nature. They brought with them a powerful music center and so many strong drinks that would be enough for a company of soldiers. It is not difficult to guess how they will "rest" and what they will bring to their environment. Somewhere on the banks of a river or lake, they pitched tents, made a fire. "So what's wrong with that?" - you ask. So far, it seems to be nothing, though ... The fire for some reason is not built in a clearing, but right in the middle of bushes and trees. The fact that the smoke and heat from the fire will be harmful to plants is not even worth talking about - more, what good, they will be laughed at.
And what about the music? Why not listen to the splash of water, the sound of trees, the chirping of birds? Isn't this why, in the end, we are leaving the city? No, rumbling music has filled everything around, and not only the eardrums of young people (who believe they are resting) suffer, but nature suffers. Most of us just say that nature is alive. But this is really so! All nature is inhabited by living, conscious entities, which we, having moved away from her for many millennia, have forgotten how to see and hear. But what is there, we do not even know about their existence. For us, they are just "literature", images that come from myths and legends, and this is at best. For such entities, such a rumble is a real torment, they suffer, and this affects flowers and trees, animals and birds.
And nature suffers not only from noise. It's no secret that most people smoke. Smoke poisons the human body, and for the "essential" living in the forests, where, due to the relative distance from civilization, everything is much cleaner than in the city, this muck is especially painful. Is this love ?! And what kind of "gratitude" the faithful servants of the Creator and the Lord, caring for nature, send us for our outright shamelessness, can be seen with the naked eye. Dried rivers and lakes, ruined trees, endangered species of animals and much more over the past decades have changed even the visible world of the planet almost unrecognizably, there is nothing to say about the subtle world. What kind of "reciprocity" is there! We do not deserve it!
... And in such a frenzy, two days flew by, it's time to return. Bushes and piles of rubbish, broken off and withered from smoke, remained all around. You should take the garbage with you and throw it into a special container, but it never occurs to anyone. What for? After all, they are not going to return here anymore, there are enough other places, Russia is big. And let the others take care of themselves. It is sad, if not to say - tragic ...
Another example. The men go fishing. But not with rods and spinning rods, but with nets and bridges. They catch fish in bags, throw away trifles, not thinking about anything - neither that they pollute the subtle world with their aspirations and deeds, nor that they seriously violate the ecology of the visible gross-material world. And if they are engaged in such "fishing" during spawning, when is the process of reproduction? Moreover, for the sake of one caviar (!), Gutting and throwing away the most valuable fish, which could not fulfill one of its most important natural tasks - to bring offspring! What kind of love for nature is there, it rather smacks of hatred.
And after all, almost none of us thinks about the fact that we will have to answer for our actions to the fullest extent - it was possible, they say, to bypass the earthly law, and okay. There is no need to talk about responsibility before God, in whom many do not believe. But even the responsibility to our children, in which each of us “oh, how believes!”, We ignore, leaving behind chaos, dirt and destruction. An unsightly picture, but that's how it really is. True love for nature, no doubt, would help every person to change for the better.
Nowadays, the problems of protecting the natural environment and ensuring environmental safety have become very important. People have seen from their own experience that, unfortunately, no human intervention in nature passes without a trace, very often the rash actions of people have extremely unpleasant consequences. The belief, widespread in the twentieth century, that man is the conqueror of nature, turned out to be mistaken.
Man is just one of the children of Mother Nature, and, as it turned out, far from the most intelligent of her children, because no other creatures destroy the world in which they live. In order to somehow make amends for past mistakes and prevent such mistakes in the future, today mankind pays much attention to such issues as the protection of nature, the economical consumption of natural resources, caring for animals and plants ...
Once, people frivolously thought that such seemingly insignificant phenomena as the extermination of some kind of insects, deforestation somewhere far in the taiga or the pollution of a small river would hardly have any serious consequences. However, as practice has shown, even these "little things" can become fatal, because everything in the world is interconnected, so that even the disappearance of the smallest link in the chain inevitably leads to a violation of the general equilibrium. As a result, we have what we have - global warming, ozone holes, hundreds of species of animals and plants that are on the verge of extinction ...
People themselves also suffer, who today are faced with many problems unknown to them before - an increase in the number of various diseases among the population, the birth of a large number of babies with certain pathologies, and much more. Today, healthcare has become one of the main priorities of human society, since the deterioration of the environmental situation has dealt a serious blow to human health. Excessive human activity and an irresponsible attitude towards nature have turned against us, therefore, if we want to save natural resources for our descendants who will live many hundreds of years after us, we must now take active measures to protect the environment.
What to do?
We need to start small - with the struggle for the cleanliness of our settlement, because ecology is the guarantee of our common prosperous future. When you go to nature to relax, it is worth taking with you large garbage bags and removing before and after yourself the area where you are resting or are going to rest (and preferably not only behind yourself). It is worth setting an example for people, conducting widespread active agitation (leaflets, posters, newspapers, explanations), holding mass subbotniks, teaching people to take good care of the natural environment, fighting those who stubbornly do not want to change their boorish and consumer attitude towards Nature (attracting to responsibility).
Everything returns to normal, everything that we have prepared for ourselves, according to the great Law of Interaction, which is sometimes called the "Law of Seeding and Harvesting." No matter that we do not know about the existence of the universal and most perfect Laws of the Universe, our ignorance does not absolve us of responsibility. So isn't it better for each of us, before it's too late, to try to look at ourselves from the outside and start doing something right now?
Let's still love, appreciate and respect Mother Nature, because this is ours, in which you and I live! Let's not mindlessly throw garbage anywhere and anywhere (even travel coupons or a piece of ice cream)! Think! Do it! Teach yourself and others order and cleanliness! Purely not where they clean, but where they don't litter ...
Nature is like a simple miracle
It is impossible to understand and unravel. She puts on a fur coat for the cold,
It melts the asphalt to dust.
Rain in the heat is unrestrainedly desired
Fast streams tremble.
Soul impulses soothes
And cleans thoughts of impurity.
People are in a hurry to learn all the facets
Mother's native nature.
But they understand that something is controlling us -
Ignorance does not let it through and stands as a wall.
Dreams go to infinity.
The tracks are tangled in the shadows.
Nature reveals eternity
For those who are pure in their thoughts.
, http://puzkarapuz.ru/content/289.
We all know that humanity has already caused irreparable harm to the environment. The post-industrial era has led to pollution, declines in animal and plant biodiversity, industrialization of forests and climate change. Of course, factories, factories, manufacturing and even agriculture are largely responsible for what happens to the environment today. However, people hardly ever think about the fact that the usual things that surround us every day can also become destructive for our planet. These are everyday objects that can become a deadly weapon against the environment.
Accumulators and batteries are in every person's house, because today it is simply impossible to imagine your life without a huge number of gadgets and electronic devices. However, sooner or later the day comes when the battery runs out. According to statistics, only about 15% of the billions of alkaline batteries are recycled after use. According to scientists from the US Environmental Protection Agency, batteries account for more than 50% of the toxic emissions from all household waste. At the same time, batteries account for 0.25% of all emissions. Used batteries contain mercury, cadmium, magnesium, lead, tin, nickel, zinc. Once discarded, the batteries corrode (their metal coating is destroyed) and heavy metals enter the soil and groundwater. From groundwater, these metals can get into rivers and lakes. Just one finger battery pollutes 400 liters of water and 20 square meters of soil with harmful components. Harmful substances accumulate in the human and animal body, affecting the work of almost all organs, blocking the work of enzymes and causing malignant tumors. 
Discarded plastic bags do not decompose, which means that they, in fact, can remain in nature for an average of about 500 years! In the world, people use about 4 trillion bags annually: this number kills millions of birds and countless schools of fish. Every year, more than a hundred thousand whales, seals, and turtles die from plastic bags in Newfoundland alone. For these reasons, in a number of countries, the use of plastic bags as household packaging is restricted or prohibited, and on August 23, the ECA Movement holds an annual campaign - “Day without plastic bags”. 
Since the 1950s, global plastic production has doubled every eleven years, and about 300,000 tons of plastic waste ends up in the seas and oceans every year. There, large fragments gradually disintegrate into small bright pieces, which are often eaten by sea inhabitants and birds, mistaking plastic for food. But if in 1960 only 5% of the examined birds had plastic fragments in their stomachs, then in 2010 this figure reached 80%. The birds often mistake floating bottles, lighters and other objects for fish, and not only swallow them themselves, but also bring them as food to their chicks. But plastic consists of toxic components and absorbs harmful substances from the environment. Moreover, such fragments do not always pass through the gastrointestinal tract and accumulate in the body, causing intestinal blockage. Often so much plastic accumulates in the stomach that there is no room for food, and the bird dies of hunger. 
The gases used to put patients to sleep before surgery accumulate in the Earth's atmosphere, where they contribute to climate change. Recent air samples have shown the presence of anesthetics even in Antarctica. Over the past decades, concentrations of desflurane, isoflurane and sevoflurane have been increasing all over the world. Like carbon dioxide, anesthetic gases allow the atmosphere to store more solar energy. However, unlike carbon dioxide, medical gases in this case turned out to be much more powerful than greenhouse gases: one kilogram of desflurane, for example, is equivalent to 2500 kilograms of carbon dioxide. 
It is estimated that of the 6 trillion cigarettes smoked in the world every year, more than 4.5 trillion are thrown on the ground by smokers. Thus, nicotine, toxins, carcinogens and pesticides, which pose a great danger to animals and humans, enter the soil, and then into the water. American scientists note that the toxicity of tobacco smoke is four times higher than the harmful effects of car exhaust gases. In their opinion, cigarettes do the planet no less harm than cement and asphalt factories. 
Paper
Paper is biodegradable, but, as you know, each leaf is felled trees and destroyed forests, as well as the costs of electricity and emissions into the environment during its production. Of course, wood is a renewable resource, but not all countries and companies follow its renewal, trying to use what is available to the maximum. Many manufacturers now offer paper made from recycled materials, but this is also not a completely harmless solution. When the paper is being recycled, all of it is mixed into a gruel. This gruel is washed, peeled and then pressed into sheets of paper. During this process, all waste such as paper fiber, ink, cleaning chemicals and dyes is filtered and sent into one huge heap - paper sludge. This sludge is then either incinerated or sent to a landfill, where it releases dozens of toxic chemicals and heavy metals, which subsequently end up in groundwater.
In the modern world, there is a point of view that a person, by his activities, harms the environment, extracting minerals, polluting and destroying the world around him. There are people who openly fight against human activity, denying the benefits of civilization in favor of life in "harmony with nature." At the same time, these people enjoy these benefits no less than others, but consider it possible to consider themselves good. The other side is people who extract, build, produce. They give humanity the opportunity to live in the industrial world, but from this point of view, they are considered rapists over nature ... But lately, I increasingly learn another point of view regarding what is happening in the world.
The statement that a person harms nature is, firstly, very selfish and pursuing the goal not to improve the state of nature, but exclusively to the interests of the person who says it. Secondly, this statement is based on the opinion that man is not a part of nature. Let's take a closer look at this concept.
Man over nature
Man in his development has reached a stage when he began to globally influence the world around him. He uproots forests, extracts in gigantic quantities minerals such as coal, oil, natural gas, which have been formed over millions of years. It pollutes soil, water, air and even space.
Therefore, a person begins to oppose nature, separate from it. As a result of industrialization, people began to believe that they should use nature for their own purposes: “We cannot wait for favors from nature, it is our task to take them from her” (IV Michurin). This phrase has become a symbol of the consumer attitude towards nature.
Others began to oppose such people, who shouted that animals should not be killed, that it was impossible to pollute the environment, and that fossil remains should not be mined. they are finite. In 100 years, oil, gas, coal will run out and a person will come to an energy crisis. Such people accuse others of making life worse on the planet, but that they themselves have done to improve the situation.
A friend who studies water says, “I hate people. They pollute the Earth. " But what did he do himself? He just kindled aggression in people, which will be directed at him. He also, like everyone else, enjoys the benefits of civilization. He has not improved the lives of others, has not figured out how to improve the conditions of life on earth ... But he hates.
At the same time, in reality, everyone pursues only their own goals. Some are mining. Others spend government money to simulate environmental improvement activities. This state of affairs is beneficial to everyone ... except for humanity.
Man is part of nature
However, there is another point of view. Man is part of nature. If you think about it, the consequences of accepting this simple postulate are enormous.
Throughout the history of the development of the Earth, periods have arisen many times in which thousands of species of living beings were destroyed. There were also creatures that also significantly influenced the world around them. And they also died out. Life on earth has been constantly evolving, and now man is the crown of the creation of evolution on earth.
However, evolution continues. The activity of any creature, including man, is exactly what was given by nature. It is nature (or we can say - planet Earth) that seeks to constantly develop. It seeks now to go beyond one planet and spread further into space. And it is man who is now driving the development of nature by his activity.
Let's think about what minerals are ... For the last millions of years, life has been boiling on the surface of the Earth. And when dying, living organisms (animals, plants, microorganisms) turned into soil. This process went on continuously, and gradually this layer increased and increased. Substances were removed from the cycle of life and deposited in the Earth. Gradually, all this turned into those fossil substances that people are now extracting.
Through his activity, a person again extracts what was buried millions of years ago, and introduces it into the circulation of substances. What is the meaning of nature from senselessly lying substances. There is nothing useless in nature, and through human activity, the Earth shakes up all its resources, striving to develop further.
The statement that a person harms the Earth by his activities is not true. He only harms himself. As a result of this activity, in the near future he will use up the materials he has thought of. If he cannot come up with something new and dies out, then this is exclusively the problem of a species that could not adapt and develop. The earth, as it was before, will continue to be so. She will strive for other species to be able to move on where the person has failed.
By polluting the environment, a person only worsens the conditions of his life. Chernobyl now is one of the cleanest places in Ukraine, apart from radiation. There is the cleanest air, many animals, many plants. For some 25 years, the Earth has already begun to forget about the presence of people there. The same will happen if a person cannot cope with his brain and figure out how to destroy himself. It means a defective species, and you need to develop differently.
So there is no need to think about how to take care of nature, it will take care of itself. There will be a nuclear war. In a million years, life will flourish on Earth again, but without people. And some other species will begin to dominate and develop, and maybe go beyond humans. 60 million years ago, 99% of the species of terrestrial living creatures, including dinosaurs, became extinct, and mammals began to dominate. They lived before, but dinosaurs did not give them the opportunity to develop. Now they have this opportunity. Everything in the world is going on expediently, and if a person does not meet the expectations of evolution, then he will be forced to leave in favor of others.
Future
It turns out that you need to care not about the world in which we live, but about humanity. If a person destroys himself, the planet "shakes off" and moves on. But if a person begins to think about how to improve his living conditions, purifying air, water, food from harmful substances; develop intellectually and move those branches of science that are really capable of improving his environment; to study new sources of energy and apply those that are least harmful to the person himself, then he has a chance to conquer the universe.
The difference here is that in the first understanding of the world there are two types of activity: one of them worsens the human condition (pollutes the environment, affects water, food, etc.), and the other tries to improve (purifies). It's like bending an iron rod in different directions. Sooner or later, you can break it. This is similar to how a person drinks a lot of coffee, and then immediately valocardin in order for the heart to survive this portion of coffee. But by both actions, a person only worsens his condition.
People who are struggling with human activity (with the industry) are fighting with themselves. They come out with banners and call for something, but in reality they only contribute to it.
In the second understanding of the world, there is the idea that it is necessary not to fight against activity, but to put human activity for the benefit of humanity. Those. it is not necessary to fight with factories that throw waste into the air, but to come up with ways to replace these factories with something new, more progressive, which will not have such a detrimental effect on a person, but better - also improve his well-being. Instead of talking about saving endangered species (i.e., activities directed against evolution), it is necessary to save the main dominant species on the planet - man. Only when human activity is aimed at the good of humanity itself, only then will a person have a chance to continue his evolutionary development.