5 Ways to Improve Urban Living and Reduce Premature Death

(The Real Agenda News) Science proves it: Living in large cities results in less healthy life.

Urban life is harmful to health, so how can we transfer this public health emergency to the citizenship and the decision-making process?

More than 100,000 scientific articles talk about air pollution and health, according to Pubmed, the largest database of biomedical publications.

The scientific evidence is clear: current urban life has serious negative impacts on our health. But the simple fact of living in a city should not imply these risks, especially because they are perfectly avoidable.

We have a double challenge ahead: to make this information understandable to public opinion, that is, for people on the street who are not scientists, and as the ultimate goal, to transfer it to political decision-making.

The company ISGlobal developed the interactive digital report The Cities We Want, which aims to summarize and adapt scientific information on urban life and health so that it is understandable to a general public. 

Scientists and communicators have started working together to explain with simple words, videos and illustrations, the keys to build healthier and more sustainable cities.

During the preparation of the report, one of the key messages that we have heard the most from scientists is that it is a global public health emergency that can be addressed from today, because there are many measures available to design healthy cities. That is, the situation is very serious but there are solutions.

The cities we want are cities designed for people: spaces with good air quality, low noise levels and no heat islands. Urban environments with more green spaces that promote healthy levels of physical activity.

So here are 5 measures that cities can apply to put health at the center of priorities:

1. Reducing Air pollution from motorized traffic

Cities were built mainly around cars generate pollution and promote unhealthy lifestyles. In some cities private vehicles occupy between 65% and 70% of the city’s space.

The World Health Organization proposes a series of comprehensive solutions to recover public space for pedestrians and cyclists, as well as to reduce levels of air pollution – a toxic air we breathe in 98% of cities in low-income countries, and in 56% of high-income countries.

2. Reducing noise caused by motorized traffic

Urban planning also plays an essential role in reducing noise levels. The populations most report noise pollution, create noise maps and carry out action plans to reduce noise in the most affected areas.

Some of the most frequent strategies are the use of sound-reducing pavement in the roadways, the limit of traffic volume, the reduction of speed limits or the promotion of silent zones and the creation of green spaces.

3. Increase Physical activity through active transport

Lack of physical activity is the fourth risk factor for global mortality and causes one in four cases of breast and colon cancers.

Active transport, or moving on foot or by bicycle on a daily basis is the most practical and sustainable way to increase physical activity. 

A good public transport network makes it easier for citizens to walk and reduce the use of private vehicles. In addition, the availability of green spaces is important to perform physical activity safely.

These measures are collected in a study published in The Lancet, which analyzes physical activity in 14 large cities.

4. Reduce the infrastructure for motorized vehicles and increase green spaces

In the cities, the temperatures are usually higher than in the areas that surround them and the night temperature can reach up to 10 degrees more than in the surrounding area. This effect is known as “heat island”.

Islands of heat and high temperatures increase mortality, especially cardiovascular and respiratory diseases.

For this reason, it is necessary that the urban design incorporates as a priority the prevention of the increase in temperatures. 

The insulation of buildings can be improved to depend less on the use of air conditioning, to change urban materials for others that absorb less solar radiation, etc. 

There are several mitigation plans, such as this guide from the United States Environmental Protection Agency.

5. More natural spaces to increase access to nature

The city of the future must be a green city. Scientific studies associate green spaces – urban parks, gardens, tree-lined streets or forests, among others – to numerous health benefits, such as stress reduction, the fact of living longer or in a better state of general and mental health.

Nature must be part of the city. Beyond scattered points, the natural spaces must be a plot that communicates all the urban space and benefits all the citizens.

It is estimated that with better urban planning and transportation, cities could avoid 20% of premature deaths each year.

The post 5 Ways to Improve Urban Living and Reduce Premature Death appeared first on The Sleuth Journal.

San Diego: Flu Season Still Going Strong, Hepatitis A Outbreak NOT CONTAINED

It’s shaping up to be a rough year for those living in San Diego.  With the flu season still going strong in the area, their Hepatitis A outbreak is also not yet contained.

This flu season was especially hard on the city of San Diego. The city boasted a record 20,131 influenza cases and 326 deaths all confirmed by San Diego’s Health and Human Services Agency.  “No one knows really why this season is so much more severe than other seasons,” said Dr. Sayone Thihalolipavan, deputy public health officer for the County of San Diego.

Thihalolipavan said flu season in San Diego typically ends by March. Now in April, the county’s latest report shows 247 new flu cases and seven more deaths. “Especially earlier on the predominant strain of flu was one that is more [sic] deadlier,” Thihalolipavan said. “And that was the H3N2 strain. Now currently we’re glad the predominant strain is the influenza type B or B strain, which is less likely to result in hospitalizations or deaths.”

Meanwhile, the county board of supervisors declared an end to the hepatitis A health emergency in January, but the outbreak is still not over. “We’ve seen about 9 cases this year so far I believe,” Thihalolipavan said. “Unfortunately, mostly centralized in the North County area.” During the peak of the outbreak, San Diego was averaging around 80 hepatitis A cases a month. Since the outbreak started in November 2016, 20 people have died and 587 cases have been confirmed.

The majority of those sickened by this viral infection outbreak have been homeless people. A letter from San Diego County health officials stated that hepatitis A is being spread through contact with a “fecally contaminated environment” as well as person-to-person transmission. A big part of the problem is an apparent lack of public restrooms in areas where the homeless population congregates.

Hepatitis A is a highly contagious viral infection, which can prove fatal. According to the Centers for Disease Control, the virus attacks the liver. Adequate personal hygiene and sanitation can help prevent the spread of the virus. -SHTFPlan

The city and health officials continue to have limited or no success at stopping these infectious diseases. Their one suggestion: get the flu shot and get vaccinated for hepatitis A.

Is This The Lost City Of Atlantis? Incredible Aerial Photos Of Ancient City In The Pacific

New aerial photos of an ancient city in the Pacific Ocean have renewed a debate about the existence of the fabled “Lost City” of Atlantis.  The new photos have now brought real questions about the existence of the previously assumed fictional city.

The latest episode of the Science Channel’s What on Earth? reveals new aerial images of the site, which was built on top of a lagoon. The virtually uninhabitable Nan Madol is located just off the main island of Pohnpei in Micronesia in the Pacific. As the city is separated by tidal canals and is protected by the ocean by 12 sea walls, Nan Madol is often considered the ‘Venice of the Pacific’. The name Nan Madol means ‘spaces between’ and is a reference to the tidal canals that crisscross the ruins. The Micronesian city’s ruins are not only that of a once-great city of man-made stone islands, but they also inspired the city of R’lyeh in H.P. Lovecraft’s Cthulhu Mythos (a shared fictional universe.)

Mark McCoy, who led the team of researchers at the city’s ruins, said: “It now looks like Nan Madol represents a first in Pacific Island history. To me, in its prime, Nan Madol was a capital. It was the seat of political power, the center of the most important religious rituals, and the place where the former chiefs of the island were laid to rest.”

According to the Smithsonian, the buildings that makeup Nan Madol incorporate an estimated 750,000 tons of black rock. The Saudeleurs must have needed to move 1,850 tonnes every year, despite a population of only 30,000 people and no access to pulleys and levers. The Saudeleur kingdom also spent several centuries creating the stone structures which still stand on 92 artificial islands in a lagoon off the coast of the island of Pohnpei.

Evidence of the early human activity on the islands dates back to the first or second century BC, but it is not known exactly when the construction of the artificial islets started. Theories put the city’s construction timeframe from the 5th to the 11th century AD.

Locals are so frightened of the city, that they won’t go near it, out of fear that spirits and ghosts intent on taking life now inhabit the desolate place.  They have dubbed it “the island of ghosts.”

Living in the Country Reduces Risk of Dying from Cancer by 29%

Living in a rural area has a multitude of benefits – cleaner air, less noise, and more relaxing surroundings, just to name a few. If you’re fighting cancer from a rural area of the country, your location may also boost your odds of survival quite significantly, research shows (though it may be because of the type of general practitioners (GPs) you’re more likely to find in the country).

Let’s not knock city livin.’ There are lots of awesome things about living in a big city, but it can be a much more stressful environment than rural and even suburban environments. Air pollution – a major problem in cities – has been linked to greater breast density, which is a precursor to breast cancer. Even the constant sound of vehicles passing by has been associated with weight-gain.

It also takes longer to make a doctor’s appointment, and you might not get as much TLC from an urban GP as you would from a rural one.

Source: EPA

Researchers at the University of Aberdeen studied 926 Scottish patients with bowel cancer, using a database linking GP records to routine data for patients diagnosed with bowel cancer between 1997 and 1998. The researchers followed the patients up to 2011.

They found that cancer patients who lived in rural areas were 29% less likely to die from the disease than those who lived in cities. Lead researcher Peter Murchie called the findings “very reassuring for rural populations.” [1]

By the time rural cancer patients seek medical attention, their symptoms are often more serious, compared to those of urban patients. However, that doesn’t mean their illness is more advanced, Murchie and his colleagues discovered. In this particular study, waiting longer did not seem to limit cancer patients’ chances of survival.

Murchie said:

“[This] fits with ideas of rural stoicism and patients taking longer to react and waiting. They present with more serious symptoms, but there isn’t good evidence that they have more advanced disease.” [1]

People who live in the country are more likely to have a relationship with their doctor, and that appears to be one of the main survival-boosting aspects of rural living, Murchie explained.

If you’re an urban dweller and see a city slicker doctor, you can probably attest to the unfortunate reality that many urban practices are about as personable as a cattle call. And in densely populated areas, being physically closer to a hospital isn’t necessarily “better” if you have to wait months to schedule an appointment.

Source: The Washington Post

Another potential reason for the increased cancer survival may be wealth. Rural patients tend to be more affluent than those in deprived urban areas. Another factor may be the more traditional nature of rural GP surgeries, said Murchie. [2]

“The nature of your relationship with your GP is different in rural areas… You’re more likely to know the GP socially and that can help or hinder depending on symptoms. Access to rural GPs, generally speaking, is easier than it would be if you registered at a big urban practice.” [1]

Helen Stokes-Lampard, chairwoman of the Royal College of GPs in the U.K., said:

“It’s encouraging that this study demonstrates GPs and our teams in remote and rural areas are overcoming the specific challenges facing them, and delivering good cancer care. This should reassure patients who live in remote areas, and/or have longer travelling times to their local GP practice, that the quality of care that they receive is not affected.” [2]

Sources:

[1] Net Doctor

[2] The Times of London

EPA

The Washington Post

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About Julie Fidler:
	Julie Fidler is a freelance writer, legal blogger, and the author of Adventures in Holy Matrimony: For Better or the Absolute Worst. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and two ridiculously spoiled cats. She occasionally pontificates on her blog.

Mayor: Anything Not Permitted Under Law Is Now Banned (And That Includes Gardens)

Columbiana, Ohio, is the latest city to debate the legality of gardens, even if the two sides can’t agree on what is up for discussion.

Resident Tony Dolan claims that the right to garden on a homeowner’s property is at stake. The Columbiana city council at one point considered a proposal that would have restricted gardens to back yards, although that language was struck.

“It has been frighteningly apparent that we in this city have given our freedoms up in ways that we never really saw coming,” Dolan wrote at the Columbiana for/against Chickens Facebook page.

Mayor Bryan Blakeman claims the gardening ordinance is being considered because, technically, gardening currently is banned.

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“Right now, if there is not something expressly in this code that says that you can have one, you technically can’t,” Blakeman told the Salem News.

The newspaper likewise reported that “if something is not permitted it is prohibited.”

But at least one councilmember is siding with the gardeners.

“People have been growing gardens for as long as I can remember in Columbiana, and have never had a problem,” Councilman Dick McBane said.

McBane also expressed concern about the argument that if something isn’t permitted, it’s prohibited, the newspaper reported.

“I think we are over-using this and using it as a convenient way to try to stop something,” he said.

The city’s planning commission considered banning front-yard gardening because it attracts wildlife – something that could create traffic problems on roads, commission member Tucker Cope Jr. told the newspaper.

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Vegetable gardening is not the only activity facing restrictions in Columbiana; the city council is considering an ordinance that would make roosters illegal.

“City Council is only considering allowing chickens, hens only and no roosters,” McBane wrote at the Columbiana for/against Chickens Facebook page.

Columbiana, located south of Youngstown, is but the latest city where front-yard vegetable gardens have generated controversy. The Miami Shores, Fla., council banned such gardens, and a court upheld the law.

What is your reaction? Share your thoughts in the section below:

How To Keep Your Chickens Legal (And Safe) In The Big City

Image source: Pixabay.com

Raising chickens, once considered a staple of country living, has made its way into suburbia, where wannabe homesteaders are finding creative ways to bring rural life to their neighborhoods.

Caring for chickens (and their eggs) is not all it’s cracked up to be, however. Even in the relative calm of suburbia, there are dangers that threaten suburban flocks. Ready to enhance your homesteading journey with chickens? Be aware of these potential perils.

1. Zoning laws

Despite the growing popularity of backyard flocks, many cities haven’t kept pace and have zoning laws that prohibit the keeping of chickens within city limits. Check with your city’s ordinance codes to find out what (if any) limitations there may be before you order chickens and set up your coop. In some anti-chicken cities, officials are willing to “overlook” small flocks, provided they are well-behaved and don’t upset the neighbors. Many chicken owners find that paying off their surrounding neighbors with fresh eggs will smooth over any “ruffled feathers” about a few sweet chickens living in the backyard. Be a good neighbor: Keep your coop clean (and odor-free), skip the rooster (they make too much noise) and offer to bring deviled eggs to neighborhood cookouts. Be prepared, however. If you have an illegal flock, you may be forced to rehome them should city officials enforce zoning laws.

2. Neighborhood predators

You’d expect there to be danger to a flock of chickens out on a farm. Suburbia, however, has perils of its own that can be deadly for your brood.

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One night, I forgot to close my chicken coop door. About midnight, I heard a clattering sound at my fence, followed by an uproar from inside the coop. By the time I made it outside, whatever had infiltrated the backyard was gone. My chickens were beside themselves, but all were present. A neighbor later told me she saw a coyote racing out of my yard while letting her dog out that same night. In my neighborhood, a new housing development had displaced a band of coyotes, sending them prowling through the streets in search of food and shelter. Fortunately for my girls, he left hungry that night.

Other neighborhood predators include the obvious: cats, as well as dogs. A hungry neighborhood cat can (and will) scale fences in search of young chicks happily rooting in the yard. Dogs break through fences, dig under coops, and chase errant chickens who may have escaped the safety of your yard. They also can include some surprising additions. As cities expand and develop forested areas, wildlife such as coyotes are trying to share space with the humans that just moved in. They’re looking for food and are willing to sneak into your yard to get it. Possums and raccoons may stealthily find their way into laying boxes in search of their morning eggs. Hawks can swoop down on unsuspecting chicks, carrying them off to feed their hungry young. Rats and mice invade coops and feed supplies.

Image source: Pixabay.com

How can you protect your flock? Provide your chickens with a coop. Their coop not only acts as a laying station for their eggs, but it gives them a place to escape the clutches of predators. With a chicken-sized entrance, large dogs and coyotes will be unable to enter the structure. A door that can be closed will provide extra protection from nocturnal visitors such as possums, raccoons and cats. Chicken wire (or poultry netting), buried at least six inches around the base of the coop, will discourage predators from digging in, and help keep your chickens from trying to tunnel out. (Have you seen the movie Chicken Run? I’m convinced it was based on the antics of my chickens!)

3. Free-range dangers

You may not have acres of land to allow your chickens to free-range. Even with an average-sized yard, however, your small flock can happily spend the days rooting through the grass and bushes in search of snacks, a warm dirt spot to burrow down in, or a shady area to rest. Trouble happens, though, when your chickens notice that the grass on the other side of the fence is actually greener, and then fly over the fence to explore. Not only will the rest of the flock follow, but they’ll luxuriate in their new-found freedom and head down the street, checking out what plants and bugs your neighbors have available. Your neighbors may not appreciate having visitors who scratch their way through their yard, and may chase them off or call the city to complain. Secure your neighbor’s goodwill by offering eggs, and offer to let your girls help turn over their garden plot in the spring. Keep your brood grounded by regularly trimming their wings.

4. Poisonous plants

Many decorative plants that look beautiful in landscaping beds are poisonous to chickens. Hydrangeas, tulips, azaleas and other beautiful flowers that gardeners like to grow can be toxic to free-ranging chickens. Look for chicken-friendly plants that can provide snacking opportunities for your brood, while beautifying your yard. Add nasturtiums, sweet potatoes, pumpkins and sunflowers for variety (and safety) in your garden.

Raising chickens in suburbia is an adventure. However, the benefits of fresh eggs and a flock of happy chickens in the backyard are worth the challenges. If you’ve been considering adding chickens to your family, there’s never been a better time.

What advice would you give to someone raising chickens in the city? Share your tips in the section below:

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