March 1, 2023 – Urban development is limiting people’s exposure to nature, potentially leading them to develop biophobia, or a fear of nature, according to experts. The fear could have consequences for the environment, since individuals who fear nature may be less likely to support conservation efforts.
Linda Powers Tomasso, a research fellow in the Department of Environmental Health at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, was among experts quoted about biophobia in a February 22 article in Hakai Magazine. She said that in addition to fear of nature, an indifference to it can impact people’s attitudes toward conservation, as well as their sense of well-being. Decreased access to green spaces, particularly in low-income communities, can affect individuals’ physical activity levels and resilience to stress, she added.
Education and outreach at places like schools and parks are key to reversing negative views about nature, according to Tomasso and others quoted in the article. “We only protect and care for what we know, what we love,” she said. “If we don’t have an opportunity to get to know something, we will never develop that sense of love.”
Read the Hakai Magazine article: Beware creeping biophobia
Learn more
Why some people spend more time in nature than others (Harvard Chan School news)