A good friend of mine has recently been diagnosed with cancer, so she and I have been reading about lifestyle changes that will prolong her life. Simultaneously, I’ve been reading a book about climate change. I am struck by the similarity of the two books’ messages, which reinforce the idea that what is best for our own personal health is also best for the survival of the human race.
The Truth About Breast Health - Breast Cancer explains that carcinogens can have a significant impact on our health; yet, since cancers develop after long term exposure, people are not motivated to modify current behavior. Hot - Living Through the Next Fifty Years on Earth, describes the same scenario: people are resistant to alter their behavior until they experience the disasters brought on by the climate changes (when it may be too late).
The books share two basic points: we have a good deal of control over our destiny--whether it's our personal health or the health of the planet; it’s much easier to make changes ahead of time to stop the progression, rather than attempting to reverse a catastrophe once it’s already occurred.
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