Student Choice #4

When we talk about nature and the wilderness, we always talk about the positive effects of it. We discuss the silence that nature cultivates and the awe it brings, both in the grand and the minute details. Nature gives us space to think and process, to commune with the world around us and recenter ourselves. This has interesting implications for social justice. With the increased urbanization of the world, more and more of the urban poor are in concentrated areas, with minimal access to healthy foods, much less natural spaces. Thus, there is a whole population that is growing up with minimal exposure to the outdoors, to fresh air, to trees and plants. They do not get to experience the silence that nature can bring and thus are confined to the noise of the city. As we look at upgrading the projects and taking care of the material needs of individuals, we also need to consider how we are bringing exposure to natural spaces and thus addressing the spirit as well as the body.

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