18 July
Climate Action / Outdoor Recreation
Outdoor Recreation Is Our Best Hope to Curb Climate Change
- Stephen Haugse
- Climate Action, Climate Change, Outdoor Recreation
- 0 Comments
Pro-Environmental Behavior (PEB) has been shown to be influenced by outdoor recreation opportunities. In a study by Lincoln Larson, data was collected in three State Parks to examine potential predictors of PEB. Through interviewing 319 people (N = 319), Larson found, “Outdoor recreation participation in adulthood was the strongest direct predictor of PEB (β = 0.54, t = 5.70)”. The t-value (“t”) measures the size of the difference relative the the variation in the sample (“N”). A higher t-value indicates larger differences between the sample set.
To better understand the quantitative measurements by Larson, I looked at two States to try and find correlation between participation in outdoor recreation and Sustainable Development Goals (“SDG”) rankings. I’ve chosen Vermont and Mississippi in this example because they are at the extreme ends of the SDG scale (Vermont highest; Mississippi lowest) and the extreme ends of the scale for participation in outdoor recreation (Vermont high % of outdoor rec; Mississippi low % of outdoor rec).
Vermont = High Outdoor Recreation + High SDG
Over 72% of Vermont Residents participate in outdoor recreation each year (Green Mountain Club). The average number of people who participate in outdoor recreation in the USA is around 54% (Outdoor Industry). Vermont also ranked in the Top Quartile for Happiest States in the USA (Modern Recovery). So how does this all translate to curbing climate change?
According to the US Sustainable Development Report, Vermont ranks #1 for performance towards SDG goals.
The rankings take into account 16 different factors: No Poverty, Zero Hunger, Good Health & Well-being, Quality Education, Gender Equality, Clean Water & Sanitation, Affordable & Clean Energy, Work & Economic Growth, Innovation and Infrastructure, Reduced Inequalities, Sustainable cities and Communities, Consumption & Production, Climate Action, Life on Land, Justice and Strong Institutions.
The chart above shows how Vermont ranked by each category with consumption and protection being “achieved” and showing moderate improvement in energy, zero hunger, and climate action.
Mississippi = Low Outdoor Recreation + Low SDG
On the other end of the Sustainable Development Ranking is Mississippi. Ranking dead last with a SDG score of 30.46. Outdoor recreation participation in Mississippi is at 58%, close to the US average of 54% (Outdoor Industry). Mississippi ranks near the bottom of the bottom quartile at 49th for the happiest states (Modern Recovery).
Some of the lowest rankings for the state of Mississippi come from “Good Health & Well-Being”. UC Davis found that, “Nature can help decrease your anxiety levels and can help lessen stress and feelings of anger. Exercise can also help this, but it’s even better when you’re outside. Regular access to green spaces has been linked to lower risks of depression and improved concentration and attention.”
Is there correlation to lack of Outdoor Recreation and Sustainability?
Quantifying The Effect on Sustainability
The ongoing research around Pro-Environmental Behavior (“PEB”), Social Cost of Carbon (“SCC”) and Green House Gas (“GHG”) emissions has paved the way for new ideas in analyzing climate action relative to behavior. Through these formulas, I have started to create a frameworks that aims to value to how one’s behaviors and beliefs affects sustainability.
Currently the data is very sparse and I cannot find consistent data on the percentage of participants in outdoor recreation by state. So far, I’ve found the first 14 states through OutdoorIndustry.org, but many states are missing and some of the participation percentages are different from the average among other resources available.
In the charts on SDG Score and Outdoor Recreation within this article, I just convert the percent of participation in outdoor recreation to a number (for example, 72.1% is converted to 72.1). You can see right away certain states that have large delta’s between SDG scores and Participation in outdoor recreation — most notably Arkansas and Delaware:
Looking at other sources I was able to find useful data to further back my hypothesis that there is correlation between outdoor recreation and sustainability. The chart below shows in red is the % of participation in outdoor recreation and in Blue the SDG Score (defined earlier).
Vermont has the highest SDG (60.4) and one of the highest percentages of outdoor recreation (72% — written in generic units for illustrative purposes as 72), the delta between the two is the most narrow at 11.6 (using generic units).
Mississippi has the lowest SDG (30.5) and the lowest outdoor recreation participation rate on this chart at 58% (58.0 in generic units), resulting in a delta of 17.5 — the highest gap on the chart.
So far, my hypothesis that outdoor recreation is our best hope to curb climate change seems to have some legs to stand out. This is just the beginning of my research and it will take a lot more work to find actual correlation.
Why Is Outdoor Recreation So Important?
When you get into the outdoors you are connected with nature. You see first hand the beauty of our planet. Sometimes you see the damage that humans are having on our planet — from trash in nature to unseasonably weird weather. According to a study by the USDA, spending time in the outdoors has the following positive effects:
- People who live near parks and green space have less mental distress, are more physically active, and have longer life spans.
- Exposure to nature may decrease death from chronic disease.
- When people exercise outdoors in nature, they do so for longer periods of time and at greater intensities.
- Positive health effects are enhanced when green space includes water.
If my theory is correct, and correlation can be found between outdoor recreation and sustainability, this could open the door to additional funding for parks and outdoor spaces. As the US Government gets more serious about climate change — with the passing of Scope 1 & 2 ESG disclosure requirements signaling a sign of positive change — outdoor industry brands could benefit as well… and where there is opportunity to make money, there are more people interested in being a part of the cause.
Considerations and Side Notes
Because I am working with limited data, my findings don’t paint a 100% accurate picture. My intention for this article is to start a conversation around this strategy for determining if outdoor recreation really can be the solution for climate change. I encourage and would greatly appreciate thoughts and comments about my thought processes thus far. I am continuing to work on this article and any feedback is greatly appreciated.
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