Unmatched 5: The Imprints of Nature on Man

Ever wondered why you put on layers during the winter with the heater in the house turned on for days and tees and shorts in the summer?

Growing up, whenever it was raining, Mother would make sure me and my siblings were indoors and clothed in our thick clothing while she went to make some tea in the kitchen. We, however, sometimes sneak out and get drenched in the rain, singing the “Rain, Rain Go Away” rhyme, and whenever we were caught, with a disappointing look on her face, she’d order us in. Once we take off our soaked clothes just before a hot bath, our bodies respond to the cold through shivers, sneezes, and chattering teeth. Seeing us in that state, she says, “This is why I don’t ever want you outside when it rains." But when it was hot, it was a whole different story. Mum makes sure the clothes are light, we spend more time outside in the evening for some ‘fresh air’, and we get multiple baths during the day. Why is this, I thought? The answer is the weather.

The weather system is a subset of the earth’s atmosphere, which is part of the environment. This implies that the environment determines the pattern of your life. The environment, being the totality of all external factors that affect an organism at a given time, forms the site of existence for man. It has long been said to be a strong determinant of man’s course of action, birthing the deterministic school of thought in man-environment relationship dynamics. Little wonder the common saying that man is a product of his environment existed, and this POV has been proven through the influences of nature on some aspects of man’s life, which I term the Unmatched 5. These aspects of human life highly within nature’s sphere of influence include food, clothing, human behaviour, human health, and international trade.

Food, a basic need required by all living organisms to survive, is defined by nature in terms of availability and accessibility. From the early ages of man being a hunter and gatherer, the flora species were major sources of carbohydrates and vitamins, while the fauna species served as a protein bank. Through the duo-factors of definition (i.e., availability and accessibility), the types of crops grown, and the food items consumed are channels of actualization. The types of crops grown are determined by the soil type and climatic conditions that promote cultivation and crop production. Since the soil types and climatic conditions aren’t uniform across the globe, certain crops can only be cultivated in specific regions (groundnut cultivation in Northern Nigeria and rice cultivation in Thailand are valid examples), and this determines the food type accessible in areas and neighbouring states. In addition, even when you have the desired food type readily available, the weather at some point dictates what food is to be consumed. Think about this: you wake up craving ice cream on the 22nd of December, let’s say somewhere in Minneapolis, USA, but you opt for hot coffee instead because you’re aware of the disaster awaiting you should you go on with satisfying your craving.

The Harmattan season in Nigeria, which lasts from November to mid-March of every year, is one season I dread so much because of the harsh effects it has on me. It’s usually so hot and dry during the day that you see us in very light clothing, and when it’s at night, we wear layers, and the blankets become our best companions because it’s so cold. Aside from that, our bodies react to the season through excessively dry skin susceptible to cuts, sore throats, lip breaks, and epistaxis, to mention a few. I love to refer to the harmattan season as the desert season because how is this weather condition any different from the weather in the Sahara?

Clothing is another essential element for survival for the human populace. It is interesting to know that the environment determines the type of clothes to be produced through the non-uniform distribution of cotton across the globe, making room for the production of sports jerseys worn by athletes and made from refined plastics. Moreover, clothing is an element of man’s culture as defined by artifacts. Worn by men and women of all ages and classes, the case studies of the United Arab Emirates and the Middle Eastern regions and their use of keffiyeh, also known as the ‘Desert scarf’ in English, are a testament to nature’s imprint on man. Used to protect the head from extreme heat and the entry of sand and dust into the facial orifices during sandstorms, the Keffiyeh also served as a means of identification for rural people. It is pertinent to note that while it is mostly worn by Arabs and Middle Easterners who are predominantly Muslims, the Keffiyeh has no religious function. Thus, it is valid to say that even if you want to make certain choices as to what to wear, your choices fall within limits set by the environment around you. How magnificent is the power our environment holds?

On another hand, human behaviour is most influenced by the natural environment. Studies have revealed that people raised in areas of high noise pollution tend to suffer from argumentativeness, while those who show aggressiveness tend to suffer from hormonal imbalances, genetic mutations, substance abuse, and dysfunctional backgrounds (i.e., dangerous environments). Evident from the Netflix series “Far from Home,” Ishaya Bello, who was raised in a slum in Lagos, flared up as he had a fistfight with Frank over an issue that could have been resolved civilly because he admired Carmen. While the 'Big Boys'—Reggie and Atlas—were hooked on a Molly addiction because of the expensive life they had, So, what does that suggest to you? Aggressiveness and argumentativeness are both portrayed as effects of their backgrounds and exposure.

Furthermore, human health is not excluded from the sphere of influence of the natural environment. Health, as defined by the World Health Organisation, is the state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not the mere absence of disease or infirmity. The occurrence and prevalence of diseases are a product of both human and environmental factors, and the geographical coverage of these diseases classifies them either as epidemics or pandemics. In a study conducted in 2022 examining the impact of climate change on malaria occurrence in Ilorin West, Kwara State, Nigeria, from 175 sampled households, results reflected a direct relationship between the distribution of climatic elements, population, lifestyle of residents, and malaria occurrence, as relative humidity, rainfall, state of surroundings, drainage, and waste disposal systems were the factors significantly responsible for the occurrence of malaria in the study area. This explains why some diseases are prevalent in specific regions. A relative example is malaria, an everyday challenge affecting infants and adults in Sub-Saharan Africa, and opioid use disorder, a nightmare for the US healthcare system.

Coming last on the list but on the same scale of importance as others, international trade is a direct product of nature. Nature has a massive impact on global foreign exchange, first from the products involved in the trade, which are mostly natural resources (e.g., minerals and cash crops), to employment creation through the different capacities provided in the international trade sector, revenue generation from foreign exchange, and an improved GDP, which has a resultant effect on the living standard, thus making room for development as put forward by the UN as Human Development Indexes. Thus, we can conclude that taking nature out of man’s existence is a premium subscription to extinction. Conclusively, from whatever perspective we choose to view the dynamics of the inter-relationship between nature and man, we will agree that nature does have some magnificent impact on man as expressed in his existence and culture.

Let us, therefore, manage nature effectively while sustainably utilising its resources. Remember, protection for your environment is protection for your life.