Life Science Lifestyle

Environmental degradation harms every individual by causing pervasive decline of life on Earth, but it doesn’t impact everyone to the same degree. Environmental justice addresses two things: sharing of benefits and proportional distribution of consequences related to environmental degradation. No matter how you are affected, it is crucial to solve these problems in an equitable manner. Plant and Wildlife Sciences professor Ben Abbott shares three ways to improve your understanding on how environmental justice affects you and your community.

The diversity on Earth aids the health and quality of human life. It provides the food we eat, the clothes we wear, and the air we breathe. But what do we do to serve the Earth? Human impact makes the environment less able to sustain life due to “human-induced rapid environmental changes.” There is no way to escape the effect we have, but there are ways to lessen it in order to protect the beauty of Earth and the many species that inhabit it.

In addition to the well-known benefits, long-distance running has positive effects on your spine and body composition. Exercise Science Professor Ulrike Mitchell shares findings from her research to explain the less well-known effects of endurance running.

As people are drawn to the great outdoors, encountering one of nature’s formidable creatures is a possibility. Knowing how to respond to a bear encounter can save a life. Tom Smith, plant and wildlife sciences professor and former national parks research biologist, has studied North American bears for decades and offers advice on what to do to avoid and survive encounters.

No one knows everything about religion or science, yet. We must patiently learn from religion and science as we address uncertainties as the two converge. Biology professor Jamie Jensen provides five tips to faithfully approach the intersection of faith and science.

There are approximately six million car crashes every year in the United States. Collisions can be fatal or result in injuries like whiplash, broken ribs, and concussions due to a couple of simple choices, so it’s time to treat them as a public health concern. Public health professor Steve Thygerson imparts advice on five topics that can prevent serious motor vehicle crashes.

After facing a pandemic, historic job loss, the presidential election, and at-home work and school, it’s safe to say we are all coming off of one of the most challenging years of our lives. Pain is part of the mortal experience, but that doesn’t mean it has to dictate our lives.

The overwhelming amount of information pertaining to COVID-19 is hard to digest and interpret, making it difficult to avoid misconceptions. Plant and Wildlife Sciences professor Ben Abbott and students Mitchell Greenhalgh, S. Isaac St. Clair, and Jonas Bush compiled and read over 115 studies on COVID-19 to make sense of the mask research. The team’s reflection of scientific evidence provides information on five common misconceptions about face masks.

The new year sparks the desire to improve fitness and health. Your motivation may be depleting in February, but you can’t lose sight of your goals yet. Eating vegetables is an essential part in fueling your body the right way, so you must commit to consuming the recommended five daily servings.

Exercise boosts physical capabilities and can even change physical appearance, but it also improves the condition of the brain and cognition. Here are three ways that exercise affects the mind and can improve quality of life.