Healthy Indoors Magazine - USA Edition

HI November 2022 - USA Edition

Healthy Indoors Magazine

Issue link: https://hi.healthyindoors.com/i/1485823

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 46 of 48

Healthy Indoors | 45 and how it could affect kids' health. Resources are age-appropriate and correspond to the following school cat- egories: pre-K, K-4, 5-8, 9-12. Young students may read the story One Plas- tic Bag. High schoolers learn the sci- ence behind climate change and dis- cuss environmental justice. The Climate Storytelling Guide "Stories generate empathy and un- derstanding," says APHA. "They take listeners on an emotional journey and offer a sense of hope that inspires positive change." But how do you tell a story that connects with people and shows them that their action is "need- ed, doable, and worth it"? Start by using a message box to frame your account, the guide recommends. The box encourages you to put your audi- ence first in understanding what they value and how the message you're try- ing to impart affects them. Next, show, don't tell. As important as the facts are, what most people will remem- ber hearing is how climate change affects real people and what can be done about it. Finally, think about the most compelling stories you've heard people recount about their climate health experiences. APHA's website includes a story from Judy Lynn Ol- sen, an environmental health supervi- sor in Washington State who suffers from asthma and multiple sclerosis. Her short story about how she had to put on a cooling vest she kept in her freezer to help her lungs cope with in- tense wildfire smoke might make you think about fire's impact on asthma sufferers in a different way. Harvard's Dr. Aaron Bernstein said during the webinar, "We can't allow health disparities to fester… We need patient-centered client action that … puts people at risk in our focus first." These tool kits and guide will make it easier to do just that. Consider sending the links to your healthcare providers, as well as your child's teachers, your school's PTA, and school administrators, especially those responsible for your child's sci- ence and health curriculum. Diane MacEachern is an award-win- ning entrepreneur and long-time green expert who was named one of Amer- ica's EcoHeroes by Glamour maga- zine. The recipient of the Image of the Future prize from the World Commu- nications Forum, Diane founded Big Green Purse to enable women to use their consumer clout to protect them- selves, their families, and the planet. A best-selling author, Diane's "how to go green" books have collectively sold almost four hundred thousand copies. Diane provides expert advice, consumer guidance, and employee engagement workshops to such companies as Avon, St. Ives, Whole Foods, Frito Lay, Amer- ican Bankers Association, Pacific Life Insurance, the U.S. Environmental Pro- tection Agency, and the United Nations Development Programme. She also speaks to non-profit groups, religious institutions, colleges and universities, and a wide range of civic organizations. Diane lives with her family just outside Washington, D.C. in the environmental- ly friendly, energy-efficient home they helped design and build. TELL CONGRESS: HELP YOUNG PEOPLE COPE WITH CLIMATE ANXIETY

Articles in this issue

Links on this page

Archives of this issue

view archives of Healthy Indoors Magazine - USA Edition - HI November 2022 - USA Edition