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We live in unprecedented times - the Anthropocene - defined by far-reaching human impacts on the natural systems that underpin civilisation. Planetary Health explores the many environmental changes that threaten to undermine progress in human health, and explains how these changes affect health outcomes, from pandemics to infectious diseases to mental health, from chronic diseases to injuries. It shows how people can adapt to those changes that are now unavoidable, through actions that both improve health and safeguard the environment. But humanity must do more than just adapt: we need transformative changes across many sectors - energy, housing, transport, food, and health care. The book discusses specific policies, technologies, and interventions to achieve the change required, and explains how these can be implemented. It presents the evidence, builds hope in our common future, and aims to motivate action by everyone, from the general public to policymakers to health practitioners.
We live in unprecedented times - the Anthropocene - defined by far-reaching human impacts on the natural systems that underpin civilisation. Planetary Health explores the many environmental changes that threaten to undermine progress in human health, and explains how these changes affect health outcomes, from pandemics to infectious diseases to mental health, from chronic diseases to injuries. It shows how people can adapt to those changes that are now unavoidable, through actions that both improve health and safeguard the environment. But humanity must do more than just adapt: we need transformative changes across many sectors - energy, housing, transport, food, and health care. The book discusses specific policies, technologies, and interventions to achieve the change required, and explains how these can be implemented. It presents the evidence, builds hope in our common future, and aims to motivate action by everyone, from the general public to policymakers to health practitioners.
1. Our Changing Planet; 2. Climate Change; 3. Pollution, Land Use, Biodiversity, and Health; 4. Assessing Vulnerability and Risk in the Anthropocene Epoch; 5. Adaptation and Resilience to Planetary Change; 6. Addressing Conceptual, Knowledge and Implementation Challenges; 7. Health in the Sustainable Development Goals; 8. Transforming Energy and Industry: Toward a Net-zero Circular Economy for Health; 9. Sustaining Urban Health in the Anthropocene Epoch; 10. Food Systems and Land Use; 11. The Role of Health Professionals in Fostering Planetary Health; 12. Sustaining Planetary Health in the Anthropocene; Index.
Human health is facing unprecedented threats from global environmental change. This book describes the challenges and opportunities to safeguard health.
Sir Andrew Haines is Professor of Environmental Change and Public Health at the Centre for Climate Change and Planetary Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, where he was previously director between 2001 and 2010. He was member of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change for the Second, Third, and Fifth Assessment Reports. He was chair of the Rockefeller/ Lancet Commission on Planetary Health in 2014–15, and chair of the Task Force on Climate Change Mitigation and Public Health in 2008–9. He is an international member of the US National Academy of Medicine. Howard Frumkin is Professor Emeritus of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences at the University of Washington School of Public Health in Seattle, where he was dean from 2000 through 2006. He was previously head of the Wellcome Trust 'Our Planet, Our Health' initiative, and director of the National Center for Environmental Health at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
'This book illustrates the dramatic change in humanity's awareness
about the realities of our world and our destiny. Planetary Health
describes the transformation that will move us to a healthier,
safer and more sustainable future, with hope, optimism and
confidence.' Gro Harlem Brundtland, former Prime Minister of Norway
and former Director-General of the World Health Organization
'Andy Haines and Howie Frumkin's book provides an accessible and
fast-paced account of the challenges we face in improving human
health in parallel with our environment in the next decades. A must
read for anyone involved in global health, and a must read for
anyone interested in the future of our children and grandchildren.'
Joy Phumaphi, Former Vice President of the World Bank and Director
of the African Leaders Malaria Alliance
'The climate crisis and other environmental challenges pose growing
threats to the continued health of humanity. Andy Haines and Howie
Frumkin's book cogently and accessibly summarizes these growing
threats to human health, and outlines the transformative changes we
need to enact to improve health around the world and at the
same time safeguard the environment for our children and
grandchildren. This book is essential reading for every
decision-maker in government and NGOs formulating health or
environmental policy. The book is also a wonderful overview of
planetary health issues for the general reader and student. A more
important topic for the future of humanity from two leading experts
is hard to imagine. A very timely analysis of the central issues of
our time.' Helen Clark, Former Prime Minister of New Zealand and
Former Administrator of the United Nations Development
Programme
'Andrew Haines and Howard Frumkin are two of the modern giants in
planetary health. Their book highlights the value of cross-cutting
approaches to human health and the health of the environment,
combining resilience, health, equity, and prosperity. The book
highlights the potential for the topic of planetary health to
transform higher education, helping us rise to the challenge of
multiple global crises. As we emerge from a global pandemic, I
cannot imagine a more timely and important topic. An amazing,
brilliantly argued compendium.' Judith Rodin, former President of
the Rockefeller Foundation and former President of the University
of Pennsylvania
'By its very nature, planetary health is a vast and
multidisciplinary subject. Our understanding of the field is
constantly expanding, our approaches to addressing it rapidly
evolving, and the political landscape surrounding it increasingly
complex, and yet, Haines and Frumkin masterfully summarize the
issue in all of its complexity, leaving the reader with a solid
foundation of essential knowledge and - more importantly - hope,
and a clearly delineated path forward.' Michele Barry, Director of
the Center for Innovation in Global Health, Stanford University,
California
'The Anthropocene Era. Our children and our children's children
will be astonished that the first fully comprehensive book to
describe their everyday life, was not written till 2021. And as
they reflect on what Sir Andy Haines and Howard Frumkin have laid
out, they will either ask why did we not follow the ideas for
transformative change in this book; or they will stand together in
hope saying, humanity took heed, it listened to evidence and common
sense, and we were able to tilt the earth's systems on their axis.
This book is a watershed, its integrated science combines separate
strands of knowledge, and creates the space for far more equitable
participation in and ownership of the actions needed. This book is
published at a watershed moment in history, when the health of the
planet is in our hands. Can Planetary Health become our zeitgeist?'
Liz Grant, Assistant Principal, University of Edinburgh
'Sir Andy Haines and Howard Frumkin's book Planetary Health:
Safeguarding Human Health and the Environment in the Anthropocene
is a fact-filled and thought-provoking volume that explains the
origins and proposes sound solutions to the existential crises of
the Anthropocene Era … This book offers a holistic approach that
helps us understand why we must respect, protect and enforce
multisectorial frameworks if we are to maintain the integrity of
the unique integrated complex system that is the Earth. The book
also describes the many actions each of us can choose to take
across sectors and within the finite planetary boundaries and
cultural context, to reverse and reduce the current risks to a
minimum and to remain healthy. An important read!' Agnes Binagwaho,
Vice Chancellor of the University of Global Health Equity in
Rwanda
'A brilliant book: Planetary Health, defined by founders of the
field.' Tony Capon, Monash University, Victoria
'A splendid and important piece of work. Andy Haines and Howard
Frumkin have, over many decades, led the world in the understanding
of the relationships between environment and health. In this
crucially important book, they show how our destructive behaviour,
on a huge scale, has undermined our environment in ways that foster
pandemics and infectious diseases, and which profoundly damage our
physical and mental health. They also show, through careful and
evidence-based analysis, how we can transform how we live, work,
and consume to not only restore our environment but also live in
much healthier and more enjoyable ways.' Lord Nicholas Stern,
London School of Economics
'Wow! If you want state-of-the-art knowledge on humanity's future
on Earth - here it is! From the depths of the great acceleration,
tipping points and inequity, to transformative pathways, global
justice and our grand prize - planetary health. Read it and you're
equipped to navigate the Anthropocene.' Johan Rockström, Director,
Potsdam Institute Climate Impact Research, and co-Chair
of Future Earth
'Focusing on potential solutions, the authors emphasize the
integration of knowledge from different disciplinary and geographic
perspectives to advance understanding. They cite at least 1,618
timely and scholarly sources, and dozens of tables, charts, and
graphs enhance the text. Helpful chapter conclusions and the
detailed index make this an excellent teaching tool … Essential. '
A. S. Ricker, Choice Connect
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