“Going Green” has become the rallying cry for those trying to reduce the evolving environmental risks of global warming. As an indirect bonus, doing so can also be good for your mental health.
Jews have always known that tikkun olam, doing good and healing the world, make us feel good.
History instructs through Adam and Eve, who, when placed as naked caretakers in the glorious Garden of Eden, they “felt no shame.” (Genesis 2:25). They just had to follow God’s instructions and all would be well for them and the environment.
However, we can readily see the repercussions that come from not caring for the environment by giving in to temptation. When Adam and Eve didn’t do as they were supposed to, they left the garden in shame. Family conflict ensued, and their son, Cain, killed his brother, Abel.
Later on in the Torah, the story of Noah depicts the climatic destruction of most of the world because of immoral behavior. As mankind and, later, the Jewish people begin anew, we are admonished over and over in various classic texts that the land is important to God, not to be wasteful, and even to be careful not to destroy certain trees during war.
The Torah has more to say. Deuteronomy 5:9 conveys that the guilty behavior of parents can be visited upon their children for three to four generations. The psychological truth of this is often seen when children model problematic behavior and actions of their parents. Abuse often begets abuse. Greed often begets greed.
In our modern times, research has found that global warming is associated with increased violence. Indeed, environmental change seems to be one of the major causes of the crisis in Darfur.
Not withstanding this cold and snowy winter in Wisconsin, the trend for global warming and climate instability seems to be progressing.
Given the strong scientific consensus that human behavior and lifestyle are a major cause of climate change, humankind is again failing to protect the earth. But we still have the opportunity to change.
The psychological toll of this escalating problem can vary. For some who have too many other problems, global warming may be satisfactorily ignored. Others may be anxious about changing lifestyles, especially if it is requires additional financial costs.
Others may develop unconscious denial because they are so worried about the future of their children and grandchildren that they cannot bear to think about it.
And, again like Adam and Eve, Jungian concepts of the collective unconscious would suggest some degree of collective unconscious guilt and shame that needs relief.
If we can make this turn toward tikkun olam (repair of the world) in relation to our environment, just look at what such work can do for our mental health.
The Torah also tells us that God rewards the descendants of the righteous, even to the 1000th generation. Think of the satisfaction you can feel with a legacy of leaving the earth in good shape for your grandchildren, their grandchildren, and all that lives.
Going green can also help our mental health in our everyday lives. The great 12th century physician and rabbi, Maimonides, was convinced that good climate is a necessary ingredient for a healthy, balanced life.
Recent research out of the University of Michigan seems to confirm this conclusion. It seems that strolls in nature improve our concentration. They are also a “treatment” that can help attention deficit disorder.
All children benefit from spending time in nature and that, in turn, helps them to later value nature. Sitting in front of a computer does not.
In addressing climate instability, you definitely do not need to see a psychiatrist. Rather, there are myriad ways to go green — conserve energy and reduce waste; contribute to environmental organizations; and be politically active.
Just like our forefather Abraham, who “planted a tamarisk tree in Beer Sheba and called there in the name of the Lord” (Genesis 21:33), you can plant a tree (which helps absorb harmful carbon dioxide) in Israel.
A more subtle psychological activity is to wear more green clothes to convey a visual and subliminal reminder. If anybody asks why you are wearing bright green, use the opportunity to expound on global warming.
H. Steven Moffic, M.D. is a member of the Health and Environment Committee of the Nobel prize-winning Physicians for Social Responsibility. He and his wife, Rusti Moffic, are co-chairs of Jewish National Fund-Wisconsin Region’s Green Sunday event.
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