Chapter 2: Environmental Health
One mild Saturday evening in November 2017, my childhood friends Sarah, James, and I met up with one of my other best friends, Carly Shay and her parents, Sam and Freddie, at their house in Squirrel Hill. "Hi, guys!" I greeted my friends. "Hi, Angel!" Sarah greeted back. "Welcome, James," Mrs. Shay greeted all of us. "I made you all a very nice dinner." "Mmm, let's see what all there is to eat here," I remarked. "Grilled flank steak, potato wedges, spinach salad, and carrot cake for dessert." "We figured that since you were talking about healthy eating before, we would give making a healthy dinner a try," Carly told us. "Well, that was very nice of you, Carly," Sarah remarked. We sat down to eat dinner. "At lunchtime today, I was talking with Emily and her younger siblings about eating healthier," I informed my friends. "We were having our usual condiment lunch." "It also depends on the environment you are able to cook your food in," Sarah remarked. "You just lead us to our topic of the evening- environmental health!" "Environmental health?" Carly asked. "What is that?" "Well Carly, environmental health is defined as the ability to recognize our responsibility in making a positive impact on the quality of our environment, be it our homes, communities, or our planet," I explained. "Wow, I never knew that," Carly remarked. "Now, does anybody know why this is important?" "To make contributions to those around us," Mr. Benson replied. "Keeping the earth and our places clean helps our health," Mrs. Shay added. "The people you are around influence your health," Henri chimed in. "It will impact your performance and sleep," Sarah added. "Also, to fit in with those around you," James added. "Which was the case on the day we wore all black dress clothes to school, when we had to go to a black classroom filled with all black objects and attempted to fit in with the crowd." "Oh okay," I agreed. "So that was the reason that you guys wore all black clothes that day, not because you were performing in a concert or going to a funeral." "Correct, Angel," Sarah agreed. "Anyway, how does environmental health contribute to our overall health and wellness?" I asked. "It influences your performance and sleep," Sarah replied. "It can also create anxiety," James replied. "It can also influence whether others want to spend time in your environment," Henri chimed in. "People could trip over things," Carly added. "You can also get bad things in your food," Mrs. Shay added. "Let's not forget breathing issues and sinus problems," Mr. Benson added. "Good," I agreed with everyone. "Now, how can we help with global environmental health?" "I would reduce the amount of waste I contribute to by not buying as much, reusing jars, bottles, and bags, and recycling cans, bottles, paper, electrical goods, and food," Sarah replied. "I would plant a tree," James added. "I would turn uneaten food into compost," Henri chimed in. "I would hang my clothes outside to dry," Carly replied. "I would turn off my lights and other electronics when I am not using them," Mrs. Shay added. "I would use less chemical cleaners," Mr. Benson chimed in. "I would also walk, bike, or take public transportation," Carly replied. "I would also volunteer with a local agency that helps the environment," Sarah replied. "Now, those areal good ways to maintain global environmental health," I agreed. "Now, how would you maintain a healthy space, also known as personal environmental health?" "I would make sure the walls, windows, and furniture are in good repair with smoke detectors and radon and mold tests," Sarah replied. "I would rearrange my furniture for a new feeling by decluttering, since visual 'noise' increases stress, and a cluttered, dirty, or confusing environment can cause us to feel worried, sad, or helpless," Henri chimed in. "All right, Henri, but here is a tip for decluttering," James pointed out. "I would start with one small area by clearing a counter, de-cluttering a shelf, or organizing a drawer, as this will give you a sense of success to help you proceed and give you a place to look at when the chaos elsewhere is discouraging. Also, try to keep that area free from clutter from now on, and build on it by tackling one additional area at a time." "I would delight my senses by placing photos, artwork, objects with special meaning to me where I see them often, and, if I like the sound, adding a water element," Carly added. "I would enhance the light since daylighting, that is natural light, is associated with improved mood, enhanced morale, lower fatigue, and reduced eyestrain," Mrs. Shay pointed out, "so I would take advantage of any natural light I have or supplement it with a variety of light sources, such as a floor lamp." "I would bring nature in since studies show that even a short contact with nature can significantly reduce stress, reduce anger and fear, and increase pleasant feelings," Mr. Benson chimed in. "So if I have views of trees or other plants, or natural elements, I would place a comfortable chair where I can enjoy them, and I can also add indoor plants, aquariums, or art with a nature theme and get much of the same effect." After dinner and our discussion, Mrs. Shay had 2 related activities for us to do. One was a recycled aluminum cans craft, in which Carly, her parents, and I went outside and used spray paint to decorate the aluminum cans that we were drinking our soda from. Carly and I spray painted our cans red, Mrs. Shay spray painted her can gold, and Mr. Benson spray painted his can blue. The other activity was decluttering and rearranging the Shays' living room to make it look nicer. It felt a lot like stage crew for most people. "I remember at age 14 how important it was for me to always clean my room, even if I had other things to do," Carly pointed out. "Thanks for helping me with that, Mom and Freddie!" "You're welcome," Mrs. Shay replied. "Anytime," Mr. Benson agreed. After that, it was time for me, Sarah, James, and Henri to head back to their apartment in Oakland, as we had plans to see Justice League the next day with more of my friends. Carly told me that her family already saw Justice League at the Squirrel Hill Manor Theater earlier that day. "Thanks for a great dinner and evening, everyone!" I thanked my friends. "You're welcome, Angel," Carly replied. "Bye, guys!" "Bye!"