Human connection to nature has declined 60% in 200 years, study finds
15 days ago
- #environmental_crisis
- #urban_greening
- #nature_connectedness
- People’s connection to nature has declined by over 60% since 1800, mirroring the disappearance of nature-related words from books.
- Computer models predict further declines in nature connectedness without major policy and societal changes, emphasizing early childhood exposure to nature and urban greening.
- The study by Miles Richardson tracks the loss of nature engagement over 220 years, highlighting urbanization, wildlife loss, and lack of intergenerational transmission.
- Nature words in books declined by 60.6% by 1990 but have slightly rebounded to a 52.4% decline today.
- Parental nature connectedness is the strongest predictor of a child’s engagement with nature.
- Richardson stresses the need for transformational societal changes, such as making cities 10 times greener, to reverse the decline.
- Schemes like #30DaysWild improve mental health but don’t halt the intergenerational loss of nature connection.
- Forest school nurseries and early childhood nature engagement are more effective interventions.
- Policies must be sustained over 25 years to make nature connectedness self-sustaining.
- A cultural shift may be emerging, with nature words in books increasing slightly, possibly due to eco-awareness or spirituality trends.