Yesterday we published a story about a new study that found that people’s climate change beliefs change for the better when they witness their neighbor’s installing solar panels. Today, we present you with a similar type of study coming out of England, which looked at the link between exposure to nature and eco-friendly behavior.
In the study, scientists found that people who have access to nature or urban green spaces are much more likely to behave in environmentally friendly ways. The scientists used a representative sample of 24,000 people in England for their study of green behavior and discovered that people who were not exposed to green spaces were less likely to adopt green behaviors, such as recycling.
The team of scientists from South-West England found that the link between access to green spaces and a greater level of green behavior was true across the social board, whether it was older people, younger people, rich or poor, male or female.
The overall message from this study is that reconnecting with nature may promote sustainable behavior. It also provides another reason for parents to raise their children in more natural environments.
