Healthy Me, Healthy Planet: How Public Libraries are Empowering Communities for a Better Future

Photo by Amber Weir on Unsplash

The Healthy Me, Healthy Planet (HMHP) program was a pilot conducted by Whitehorse Manningham Libraries (Victoria, Australia) to promote the health benefits of climate change action. The evidence-based health promotion initiative sought to demonstrate how environmental action could simultaneously foster healthier individuals and more resilient communities, which a new research report from Deakin University has successfully substantiated.

Funded by a State Library Victoria Libraries for Health and Wellbeing Innovation Grant, the program exemplified what adequate funding can enable public libraries to achieve. The goal of the HMHP program was to highlight the health co-benefits of tackling climate change, and this involved not just educating participants about environmental issues, but also encouraging behaviours that would improve their personal health and wellbeing. The multifaceted approach included educational sessions, community activities, and skill-building workshops covering topics such as:

• Sustainable Gardening
  Growing produce in small spaces, positioning trees and vines around the home to reduce urban heat, and saving on energy bills
• Waste-Free Living
  Reducing household waste, implementing zero-waste practices, and effective…