Environmentalism is Universal

There are many physical, mental, social, ethnic, and socioeconomic factors that can affect a person, especially as they age into later life. One large issue that many elderly individuals face is dealing with some physical and cognitive decline in themselves and others. This is a universal issue. Overall, individuals who have inquisitive minds and positive approaches towards life and their endeavors are better off overall than those who posses passive or negative attitudes towards life and the world around them. 
Being environmentally conscious is a great way to help stimulate the mind and body. From reading the news, to participating in beach (local habitat) clean ups, and from turning off lights, to replacing plastic bottles with a reusable canteen for water—every person, young and old, has the capacity to make a difference in their own life, and lessen their negative footprint on the world.

The environment is blind whom or what is affecting it, and whom or what it affects. The environment does not see species, gender, ethnicity, religion, or social status. Since there is so much about our world that we cannot change immediately, we must focus on those day-to-day changes one can make in order to make the world a better, more hospitable place. Making these small changes will benefit all people, especially those who may be weaker and more susceptible to harm or illness, like the elderly populations of the world.

Proof it CAN and WILL be Done

As I addressed before, there are many positive ways in which to promote environmentalism within a community of elderly individuals. Here are some examples of how real people were able to make a substantial impact on the lives of other members of their community, as well improve overall conditions and reduce the carbon footprint.

Gray is Green! Grayisgreen.org is the National Senior Conservation Corps, that promotes environmental education, action, and advocacy for older Americans. Their website provides an easy-to-use web interface that allows individuals to learn how they can leave a healthy environment and legacy for the generations to come. They direct this mission towards elderly Americans and provide a plethora of informative materials, videos, flyers, as well as provide a community and forum for people to connect, communicate, and interact.

There are other senior living communities that have started to turn to environmental architects in order to help design and construct retirement communities that will “consume less energy, conserve water, improve indoor air quality, preserve the natural habitat and rely on recycled materials.” People involved point out that they do not have to compromise in order to become more “green.” By conserving energy, the organization is able to save money on utilities, leaving more money left over to spend on improving resident’s care. It’s a win-win situation all around!

A real inspiration is Bob Lane, 90 years old, at the Whitney Center Continuing Care Retirement Community. He helped form a “green team,” a great idea for any community, whose goal is to find ways that the community and retired residents can conserve energy, recycle smarter, and become more sustainable, diminishing their carbon footprints. They have set high goals and pushed the center to strive to change quickly and meet higher environmental standards; however, it is sometimes hard to make quick, grand changes when the larger community does not have the financial flexibility to make many necessary changes right away. Nevertheless, the group was able to provide residences with educational opportunities about how to conserve energy and be more “green”. They held screenings of An Inconvenient Truth, and provided individuals the chance to take a personal carbon footprint test. Furthermore, the green team has published book, A Handbook on Conservation for Retirement Communities, which is “designed for both residents and managers of retirement communities and includes suggestions in the areas of conservation education, energy saving, buying green, waste management and recycling, transportation and emissions reduction, building green, gardens, housekeeping and health.”

The good news is, it seems like saving the planet by becoming environmentally friendly could very well become the “next big thing” in retirement living!

Getting the Elderly Involved!

Are elderly individuals are capable of, and willing to, help battle climate change and promote ‘green’ issues? Of course they are! There are many negative stereotypes for this older age group, like that they are passive and disinterested in later years of life. These misconceptions are generalizations and must be discarded and proven wrong. Many older individuals are less resilient to the effects of climate change, so they should become more informed and involved in ways to understand and prevent them.

One way to engage older people in the campaign towards battling climate change, and environmental issues in general, is to target and educate them with specific suggestions on how to lower their carbon footprint. Also, creating community activities and series of personal or group incentives can lead people to promote, and be more acceptable of change, especially later on in life. Elderly communities can create programs to keep individuals active outdoors, while concentrating on bettering the environment. Furthermore, the more time an individual spends outdoors, the less electricity they are likely to use on electronics or appliances. This not only reduces one’s carbon footprint, but it will lower an electric bill over time as well.

Also, many elderly people become more car-dependant later on in life. Therefore, providing better public or group transport within a community for these groups can create happier, healthier, and safer ways for elderly individuals to travel together.

It is essential to realize that no matter what our age, race, or socioeconomic status, we all contribute to climate change, one way or another, through almost every aspect of our daily lives. This is why we must target and educate specific groups and cohorts, in order to show people how being environmentally friendly would be beneficial, not only to our world as a whole, but to them as individuals.

Health and Aging: Avoiding Environmental Hazards

Maintaining an active lifestyle throughout one’s life, and continuing those practices in later life, is very beneficial for humans. However, there are several environmental factors that effect individuals of all ages, especially the elderly. Pollution is an example of this. Furthermore, one of the major negative effects of aging is the increased susceptibility to health issues, such as lung diseases or heart conditions. The combination of debilitating environmental conditions, coupled with a weaker immune system and functioning capabilities, can worsen an individuals’ health substantially. These environmental factors can eventually lead to ailments that are very serious and potentially life threatening.

So here we are faced with a dilemma. It is important to stay active in later life, but doing so may cause individuals to become exposed to environmental risks that can, in fact, worsen their health. What should be done? Luckily, there are organizations like the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which among other things, helps provide resources, advice, and factual information to many groups of individuals, including the elderly.

Outdoor air pollution is a risk that should be considered for individuals who suffer from lung and heart issues. However, contrary to popular belief, pollution does not only occur outdoors. There are many indoor pollutants that can harm individuals, particularly the elderly. This is important to note, considering elderly individuals spend about 80-90% of their time indoors. Some things ageing individuals can do to prevent indoor air pollution are avoiding tobacco smoke, or smoking outside if they must do so, reducing mold and dust from one’s home, keeping pets out of sleeping areas, annually checking heating units, fixing water leaks properly, and checking the Air Quality Index.

With many resources and sources of good information, the elderly population should be able to help prevent themselves from falling at risk to the environment in which they live.