Healthy Planet, Healthy You: December 2023 Climate News To Know

Recently, researchers investigated how living in an urban area can affect skin health. As it turns out, many aspects of the built environment—from higher population density to increased air pollution—may lead to increased skin sensitivity. Previous studies have also shown that inhabiting more biodiverse, less sterile environments can pay dividends for our full-body microbiome. This is yet another reason to spend more time in nature, even if it's just a pocket park or patch of trees. Your skin barrier may thank you for it! (Read the full study here1.)

How many critters do you share your backyard with? That's the question that two neighbors, a mathematician and an ecologist, set out to answer in their shared suburban yard in Brisbane, Australia. After 12 months of surveying, the duo discovered an impressive 1,150 species—436 moths and butterflies, 56 spiders, 56 birds, and three previously undiscovered species. This is far more than the 200 species they expected to find on their reconnaissance, proving that we don't necessarily need to travel far to connect with a vibrant world of wildlife. And doing so could pay serious dividends for your mental health and sense of environmental stewardship. (Read a study recap here.)

We tend to sleep best in cool environments, so researchers suspect that climate change will take a major toll on our snooze. A new study that analyzed sleep data from 7,240 older adults in China over two years found that heat wave events were indeed associated with a higher likelihood of a one-plus-hour reduction in sleep. Women, urban residents, and individuals with chronic diseases had a higher risk of sleep disruption. This research underlies the need to treat the climate crisis for what it is: a health crisis—and one that's especially dangerous for the world's most vulnerable. (Read the full study here2.)

After analyzing years of digital records from nearly 100 wildlife rehab centers in the U.S. and Canada, researchers found that the majority of wildlife injuries and illnesses are the result of human activity (i.e., vehicle collisions, pesticide and lead poisoning, etc.). Their study calls for changes, like more wildlife underpasses and overpasses across roads and stricter chemical regulations, that could go on to improve wildlife health and human health in the long run. (Read the full study here3.)

Here's to more heart-led climate action in 2024 and beyond.