When you go traveling or on vacation, where do you head to? If it’s cities and towns, then there’s a good chance you’re not as eco-friendly as others! A new study has found that those who spend a lot of time with nature will become more concerned about the environment than those who don’t. Is it time you reconnected with the natural world?
Reconnecting With Nature Will Make You More Eco-Friendly, Study FindsThe Study
A team of scientists from the UK have conducted a study of around 24,000 people which was recently published in the journal Environment International. Their aim was to discover whether people who spent more time in nature and urban green spaces were much more likely to be eco-friendly. The study found that it didn’t matter about demographics, whether they were male or female, old or young, the results were the same. The more access people have to green spaces, the more environmentally conscious they are.
Becoming Eco-Friendly
While there had been small-scale studies on this before, this research shows the real impact being close to nature has on our choices. Those who reconnected with nature were far more likely to recycle, volunteer on environmental projects, and make greener choices overall. However, those who were not exposed to green spaces very often were less likely to make eco-friendly choices.
Reconnecting With Nature Will Make You More Eco-Friendly, Study FindsEco-Friendly and Sustainable Travel
Interestingly, those who spend more time in nature were also found to travel in a more environmentally-friendly way. Ecotourism and sustainable travel has become a hot topic in recent years and it seems like a positive cycle. The more sustainable travel you take, the more green spaces you take in, the more you reconnect with nature, and the more likely you are to become eco-friendly.
Whether it’s just enjoying local National Parks or planning an entire ‘green’ vacation, it seems the key is that we all spend more time in nature. Our connection with the natural world will then enable us to make better decisions about the environment.
