Random Acts of Kindness to the Environment

 
February 13-19 is National Random Acts of Kindness Week. Although the origin of this unofficial observance is unclear, the Random Acts of Kindness (RAK) movement appears to have started in California in response to the “random acts of violence” occurring in the late 1990s. An RAK day or week is observed in many nations around the world. The purpose is to draw attention to all the ways we can practice unexpected acts of kindness, not only during this week of observance, but throughout the year.

Of course, we could all be more thoughtful and aware of ways we can pass along kindness to each other. One way we can do that is to be kind to our environment—because the health of our environment directly affects the health of human beings.

Our role at the National Center for Environmental Health (NCEH) and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) is to protect people from environmental harm. The harm can come from natural disasters, climate change events like drought, or from the release of toxic substances into the air, water, and soil around us.

Many of us have clean water at our fingertips and live in non-industrial areas where there the air is purified by plants and trees. So we may be unaware of the environmental issues that affect other people’s health. But thinking of ways we can show kindness to each other may make us more compassionate to those who have to face environmental issues daily.

Are you aware that people in our country must haul clean water to their homes weekly because they do not have a fresh water supply? Or that children’s lives may be at risk because the air they breathe triggers asthma episodes or the lead in their homes may be poisoning them? Or that extreme temperatures may cause hypothermia or heat stroke because people live in inadequate housing?

At NCEH/ATSDR, we are committed to addressing these and other environmental health issues, so we are deeply aware of how extremely important it is to care for our environment, not just during one week of the year, but consistently.

At NCEH/ATSDR, we are committed to addressing these and other environmental health issues, so we are deeply aware of how extremely important it is to care for our environment, not just during one week of the year, but consistently.

Many of you already practice the three “Rs”—you already reduce your consumption of resources, re-use items instead of delegating them to the landfill, or recycle items that can be turned back into consumer goods. But some of you may not have thought of ways you can impact the environment and eventually the health of human beings. Here are some ideas for you to consider during RAK week—and throughout the coming year.

• Plant trees.
• Conserve water by turning off water when not in use, fixing leaks, and installing water-saving devices.
• Economize on car use. Do as many things as possible in one trip. Keep your car tuned up.
• Walk, ride a bike, car pool, take the bus or other public transportation.
• Compost food products to use in gardens.
• Turn off lights, heaters and fans when not in use.

Add your environmental acts of kindness to those of thousands who are acting in the same ways, and perhaps together we can make the planet safer for those who follow us.