Live long in nature and long live nature!

摘要

Human beings are an integral part of ecological systems and human health is dependent on the health of the planet. These interdependencies have been recognised for centuries within the discipline of traditional ecological knowledge of indigenous populations.1 In occidental science, these ideas were conceptualised in the 1950s by environmental psychologists. The theory of biophilia—an inherent love of nature—suggests that human beings feel safe and recover from stress in natural settings because of our evolutionary origins from the African savannah.2 Other theories propose that our capacity for directed attention is depleted unless we can achieve effortless attention in nature (ie, a fascination) as a way of avoiding mental fatigue.3 Although a few early studies provided some empirical support for these theories, it was not until the 21st century that the field gained interest among environmental health scientists, and findings from epidemiological studies4 have now indicated an association between green spaces and various health outcomes or health-promoting behaviours such as physical activity. However, the physiological effects of nature exposure are still not fully known.