Untamed land provides benefits for everyone

Letter to the Editor:

For some, untamed lands have no economic value and therefore need to be exploited to bring monetary wealth. But land that is not “used” for money has more value if left alone. It is important for our health, for the health of the planet and for larger economic gain for the many rather than for a few.

Evaluating land only for the economic value it can bring to a few leads to exploitation that ruins the value of the land for all. Over logging, degradation from mining, earthquakes from fracking are only a few of the ways that exploiting land leads to loss rather than gain for everyone. When the economic value of land is judged to be most important, we lose its value in cleaning the air, in protecting the health of people and in lowering the cost of health care for many.

When we go to the woods both our physical and mental health are improved. Those who live where there is little green space have a higher risk of disease and mental health problems. Research has shown that walking in nature boosts the immune system. Being in the woods is good for the health of individuals.

We need fresh, unpolluted air to guard the health of the planet. Trees in the wilderness clean the air and provide oxygen that the earth needs to keep people and the planet healthy. Left alone, wilderness will cleanse the dirty air from the cities and make the planet more livable for all.

Nature – left untamed – provides health benefits and cuts down on the need for medicines thus saving money for everyone. Asthma and other breathing problems, all the disease caused by pollution can be mitigated through the clean air provided by wilderness.

Rather than using a natural setting for transitory benefits for a few, everyone benefits when land is left alone which brings better health for individuals and for the planet.

Eileen Carney,

Libby