How to Explore the Dynamic Relationship Between Health & the Environment

Our relationship to the environment is mutually reinforcing and often conceived as circular. We influence our environment and, in turn, the environment influences our health. As we degrade our environment, our health suffers. Health effects result from low levels of exposure (for example, breathing poor air everyday) or from acute events (for example, a natural disaster). One change in the environment can have multiple health effects. These complexities make environmental health an interesting, but complicated, field of study.

Instructions

• 1

  Narrow the term health. Health can refer to the absence of disease or a general sense of well-being. To study the relationship between health and the environment, you need to focus on a limited range of health aspects. For example, you could focus on nutrition or a specific disease such as asthma. Being more specific will help you gather information and focus on relevant environmental factors.

• 2

  Identify environmental factors of interest. Environment is broadly conceived as including three media: air, land and water. Within one media, such as air, there are complex interactions of pollutants varying in different areas.

• 3

  Collect information. The best source will be scholarly sources, but these require technical knowledge. If there is a school offering your topic of interest nearby, consider taking a course. Focus on sources well known for their environmental and health expertise. Also consult government and non-governmental organizations working on health and/or environment issues. These organizations often have experts on staff.

• 4

  Remember change is constant. The cause and effect relationship can change as pollution trends rise or fall. Climate change will exacerbate some environmental trends, such as local smog levels, further impacting our health. As our scientific knowledge grows, so does our understanding of health-environment relationships. Continue to monitor new developments, but be aware that one study is not definitive by itself.

• 5

  Look for positive and negative changes. The relationship is complex as environmental factors positively and negatively influence our health. For example, more fertilizers mean better nutrition for a larger number of people, which improves our health. However, the chemicals used in fertilizers may have long-term negative impacts.