How To Do Good for the Environment (And Yourself)
The Science of Happiness
PRX and Greater Good Science Center
4.4 • 1.9K Ratings
🗓️ 11 May 2023
⏱️ 24 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Walking can increase our sense of connectedness with the earth and motivation to take climate action, which might be an important aspect of your well-being.
This is the third and final episode of our special series, Climate, Hope & Science. We explore the intersection of environmental well-being and our own well-being, where taking care of ourselves and the planet are one in the same and feeling good is not only possible, it’s helpful. We find the links between crisis, hope, happiness, and action.
Look for another climate-focused Happiness Break on May 18th.
Episode summary:
Musician and activist Diana Gameros tries leaving her car at home and walking instead of drive for three days. We hear what was challenging about her experience, and why in the end, she loved it. Incorporating small climate actions into our daily life can strengthen our relationship with the earth and inspire us to take better care of it. Later, climate scientist Patrick Gonzalez breaks down the actual climate impact of one person choosing not to drive for a day. (It’s more than you’d think.) Finally, we learn how to reimagine our relationship to the environment from Dr. Yuria Celidwen, an expert in Indigenous contemplative practices and sciences, and what we — and the planet — might gain from bridging Western and Indigenous worldviews.
Practice:
Avoid driving for one day out of the week. Instead, walk and take public transportation.
Try to avoid using your phone while getting around. Instead, observe the environment around you and how you engage with it. Notice as much as you can about your neighborhood. Pay attention to how you feel when you walk versus drive.
Think about how you can incorporate other small actions in your daily life to help the planet.
Today’s guests:
Diana Gameros is a musician and social activist. Her music is informed by themes like identity, language, culture and her experience as an immigrant.
Learn more about Diana: https://www.dianagameros.com/
Listen to Diana’s Music: https://open.spotify.com/album/0JdsjnFwzgkr0kPelaODF4
Follow Diana on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dianagameros/
Follow Diana on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dianagamerosmusic/
Patrick Gonzalez is a climate scientist and forest ecologist at UC Berkeley. His work inspired numerous policy changes focused on forestry protections around the world.
Learn more about Patrick and his work: http://www.patrickgonzalez.net/
Follow Patrick on Twitter: https://twitter.com/pgonzaleztweet?lang=en
Dr. Yuria Celidwen is an Indigenous scholar whose work focuses on Indigenous contemplative traditions and advocating for the rights of Indigenous peoples and lands.
Learn more about Yuria and her work: https://www.yuriacelidwen.com/
More Resources on Climate Action:
Greater Good Mag - Can We Have More Productive Conversations About Climate Change? https://tinyurl.com/5n95sva3
WHO - Cycling and walking can help reduce physical inactivity and air pollution, save lives and mitigate climate change: https://tinyurl.com/3kzhytf5
TED - When Mother Earth Speaks, You Best Listen: https://tinyurl.com/yzmhch34
Time Magazine - In the Face of Climate Change, We Must Act So That We Can Feel Hopeful—Not the Other Way Around: https://tinyurl.com/98bbspap
What climate actions have you incorporated into your life? Email us at [email protected] or use the hashtag #happinesspod.
Help us share The Science of Happiness!
Leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts and share this link with someone who might like the show: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | I think one of the things that walking gives you is that you're sort of absorbing everything |
| 0:11.4 | around you and you could even say slow motion because you can direct your pace. |
| 0:17.5 | No one's going to hit you from behind, you know, like when you're driving a car and sometimes |
| 0:24.4 | it's hard for me to just take a moment to stop, to leave the car at home and to be in |
| 0:32.2 | the moment or to be enraptured by my surroundings. |
| 0:38.1 | To be friends, strangers or to greet all friends, you know, because if I walk in the neighborhood |
| 0:43.1 | I'll find my neighbor who will tell me the story of when she painted a mural in the |
| 0:48.8 | 60s or the 70s or I get to see new flowers that I've never seen. |
| 0:56.3 | But if I'm driving, you know, I'm definitely not going to experience those things. |
| 1:02.3 | I just miss that opportunity to be filled with joy in ways that are just so fulfilling |
| 1:08.8 | for me. |
| 1:18.0 | I'm Dacker Keltner, this is the Science of Happiness and welcome to the third and final episode |
| 1:22.7 | of our series, Climate, Hope and Science. |
| 1:26.3 | An array of studies have shown that feeling more connected with the natural world can |
| 1:30.4 | also motivate us to take care of it. |
| 1:33.8 | Researchers have shown that people become more likely to say they'll use less energy, |
| 1:37.4 | take shorter showers and eat less red meat to name a few examples once they have a profound |
| 1:43.1 | experience with nature. |
| 1:46.5 | So this week we're exploring a powerful way each of us can act, choosing to walk or take |
| 1:52.0 | the bus every once in a while instead of driving. |
| 1:56.3 | We hear from musician and immigrant rights activist Deanna Gameros about what she gained |
| 2:00.6 | from getting around on foot for three days. |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from PRX and Greater Good Science Center, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of PRX and Greater Good Science Center and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2025.