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Whitmee S, Green R, Belesova K, Hassan S, Cuevas S, Murage P, Picetti R, Clercq-Roques R, Murray K, Falconer J, Anton B, Reynolds T, Sharma Waddington H, Hughes RC, Spadaro J, Aguilar Jaber A, Saheb Y, Campbell-Lendrum D, Cortés-Puch M, Ebi K, Huxley R, Mazzucato M, Oni T, de Paula N, Peng G, Revi A, Rockström J, Srivastava L, Whitmarsh L, Zougmoré R, Phumaphi J, Clark H, Haines A. Pathways to a healthy net-zero future: report of the Lancet Pathfinder Commission. Lancet 2024; 403:67-110. [PMID: 37995741 DOI: 10.1016/s0140-6736(23)02466-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2022] [Revised: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Whitmee
- Centre on Climate Change and Planetary Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
| | - Rosemary Green
- Centre on Climate Change and Planetary Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Kristine Belesova
- Department of Primary Care and Public Health, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Syreen Hassan
- Centre on Climate Change and Planetary Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Soledad Cuevas
- Centre on Climate Change and Planetary Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Peninah Murage
- Centre on Climate Change and Planetary Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Roberto Picetti
- Centre on Climate Change and Planetary Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Romain Clercq-Roques
- Centre on Climate Change and Planetary Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Kris Murray
- MRC Unit The Gambia at London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Banjul, The Gambia
| | - Jane Falconer
- Library, Archive & Open Research Services, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Blanca Anton
- Centre on Climate Change and Planetary Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Tamzin Reynolds
- Centre on Climate Change and Planetary Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Hugh Sharma Waddington
- Environmental Health Group, Department of Disease Control, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK; London International Development Centre, London, UK
| | - Robert C Hughes
- Centre on Climate Change and Planetary Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Joseph Spadaro
- Spadaro Environmental Research Consultants (SERC), Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | | | | | | | | | - Kristie Ebi
- Center for Health and the Global Environment, Hans Rosling Center, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Rachel Huxley
- C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, New York, NY, USA
| | - Mariana Mazzucato
- Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose, University College London, London, UK
| | - Tolu Oni
- Global Diet and Activity Research Group, MRC Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine, Institute of Metabolic Science, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, UK
| | - Nicole de Paula
- Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome, Italy; Women Leaders for Planetary Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Gong Peng
- University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Aromar Revi
- Indian Institute for Human Settlements Tharangavana, Bengaluru, India
| | - Johan Rockström
- Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), Potsdam, Germany
| | - Leena Srivastava
- Ashoka Centre for a People-centric Energy Transition, New Delhi, India
| | | | - Robert Zougmoré
- AICCRA, International Crops Research for the Semi-Arid Tropics, Bamako, Mali
| | - Joy Phumaphi
- African Leaders Malaria Alliance (ALMA), Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Helen Clark
- Helen Clark Foundation, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Andy Haines
- Centre on Climate Change and Planetary Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
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Poortinga W, Whitmarsh L, Steentjes K, Gray E, Thompson S, Brisley R. Factors and framing effects in support for net zero policies in the United Kingdom. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1287188. [PMID: 38169684 PMCID: PMC10758422 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1287188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 11/16/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Achieving ambitious carbon reduction targets requires transformative change to society, with behaviour change playing an important role. Climate change mitigation ('net zero') policies are needed to accelerate and support such behaviour change. This study examined factors and framing effects in public support for net zero policies in the United Kingdom (UK), making use of a large probability sample (ntotal = 5,665) survey conducted in August 2021. It found that net zero policies are widely supported, with only taxes on red meat and dairy products being supported by less than half of the UK public. Climate worry and perceived fairness were the strongest and most consistent predictors of policy support for net zero policies. The results further suggest that support for net zero policies can be increased by emphasising the co-benefits of the policies, in particular where they are beneficial for health. However, the framing effects were very small. In contrast, public support for net zero policies is lower when potential lifestyle and financial costs are mentioned. This suggests that perceived fairness of the distribution of costs and lifestyle implications of policies are crucial for building and maintaining support for net zero.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wouter Poortinga
- Centre for Climate Change and Social Transformations (CAST), School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom
- Welsh School of Architecture, Cardiff University, Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom
| | - Lorraine Whitmarsh
- Centre for Climate Change and Social Transformations (CAST), Department of Psychology, University of Bath, Bath, United Kingdom
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De Matteis S. Indoor Air Pollution and Lung Function Decline: "Should I Stay or Should I Go?". Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2023; 208:1009-1012. [PMID: 37555744 PMCID: PMC10867922 DOI: 10.1164/rccm.202307-1262ed] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 08/10/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Sara De Matteis
- Department of Medical Sciences and Public Health University of Cagliari Cagliari, Italy and National Heart and Lung Institute Imperial College London London, United Kingdom
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4
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Sharma V, Loginova J, Zhang R, Kemp D, Shi G. How do past global experiences of coal phase-out inform China's domestic approach to a just transition? SUSTAINABILITY SCIENCE 2023; 18:1-18. [PMID: 37363316 PMCID: PMC10091332 DOI: 10.1007/s11625-023-01312-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
China produces nearly half of the world's coal and more than half of the global coal-fired electricity. Its CO2 emissions are higher than the combined volumes of the next three world regions-the US, Europe, and India. China has announced a net-zero commitment by 2060. This timeline creates enormous pressure to maintain energy security while phasing down coal use. Despite the localized nature of China's coal production with nearly 80% of its thermal coal industry concentrated in four provinces, the dependencies are complex and extensive. Large-scale changes to energy systems will result in a range of social, cultural, and economic disruptions across China's urban, rural, and remote regions. This paper examines experiences with coal transitions in other jurisdictions and considers implications for China. We examine the drivers, successes, and failures of coal phase-down in Germany, Poland, Australia, the UK, and the US. Despite significant differences in scale and complexity, these experiences offer important insights for China as it works to meet its climate commitments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vigya Sharma
- Centre for Social Responsibility in Mining, Sustainable Minerals Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Julia Loginova
- Centre for Social Responsibility in Mining, Sustainable Minerals Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Ruilian Zhang
- Centre for Social Responsibility in Mining, Sustainable Minerals Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Deanna Kemp
- Centre for Social Responsibility in Mining, Sustainable Minerals Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Guoqing Shi
- National Research Centre for Resettlement (NRCR) and Asian Research Centre, Hohai University, Nanjing, China
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5
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Jacobsen AP, Khiew YC, Duffy E, O'Connell J, Brown E, Auwaerter PG, Blumenthal RS, Schwartz BS, McEvoy JW. Climate change and the prevention of cardiovascular disease. Am J Prev Cardiol 2022; 12:100391. [PMID: 36164332 PMCID: PMC9508346 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajpc.2022.100391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2022] [Revised: 08/27/2022] [Accepted: 09/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Climate change is a worsening global crisis that will continue negatively impacting population health and well-being unless adaptation and mitigation interventions are rapidly implemented. Climate change-related cardiovascular disease is mediated by air pollution, increased ambient temperatures, vector-borne disease and mental health disorders. Climate change-related cardiovascular disease can be modulated by climate change adaptation; however, this process could result in significant health inequity because persons and populations of lower socioeconomic status have fewer adaptation options. Clear scientific evidence for climate change and its impact on human health have not yet resulted in the national and international impetus and policies necessary to slow climate change. As respected members of society who regularly communicate scientific evidence to patients, clinicians are well-positioned to advocate on the importance of addressing climate change. This narrative review summarizes the links between climate change and cardiovascular health, proposes actionable items clinicians and other healthcare providers can execute both in their personal life and as an advocate of climate policies, and encourages communication of the health impacts of climate change when counseling patients. Our aim is to inspire the reader to invest more time in communicating the most crucial public health issue of the 21st century to their patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan P. Jacobsen
- Ciccarone Center for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Yii Chun Khiew
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Gastroenterology, MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Eamon Duffy
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
| | - James O'Connell
- Department of Public Health, Health Service Executive West, Galway, Ireland
| | - Evans Brown
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hospital Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Paul G. Auwaerter
- Sherrilyn and Ken Fisher Center for Environmental Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Roger S. Blumenthal
- Ciccarone Center for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Brian S. Schwartz
- Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - John William McEvoy
- Ciccarone Center for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
- National Institute for Prevention and Cardiovascular Health, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland
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Pietras CJ. Rule-Governed Behavior and Climate Change: Why Climate Warnings Fail to Motivate Sufficient Action. BEHAVIOR AND SOCIAL ISSUES 2022; 31:373-417. [PMID: 38013765 PMCID: PMC9707142 DOI: 10.1007/s42822-022-00109-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Climate scientists warn of dire consequences for ecological systems and human well-being if significant steps to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions are not taken immediately. Despite these warnings, greenhouse gas concentrations continue to rise, indicating that current responses are inadequate. Climate warnings and reactions to them may be analyzed in terms of rules and rule-governed behavior. The literature on rule-governed behavior in behavior analysis has identified a variety of factors that can reduce rule following, including insufficient rule exposure, insufficient learning history and rule complexity, incomplete rules, instructed behavior not sufficiently learned, rules having weak function-altering effects, conflicting rules, lack of speaker credibility, rule plausibility and inconsistency with prior learning, and insufficient reinforcement for rule following. The present paper aims to analyze how these factors might impact responses to climate change, and possible solutions and strategies are discussed. Much of the theory and research on climate-change communication has come from outside of behavior analysis. Thus, the paper also aims to integrate findings from this literature with a behavior-analytic approach to rule control. Interpreting climate warnings and climate solutions in terms of rule-governed behavior may improve our understanding of why such rules are not more effective, and aid in the development of verbal and nonverbal strategies for changing behavior and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cynthia J. Pietras
- Western Michigan University, 1903 W. Michigan Ave, Kalamazoo, MI 49008-5439 USA
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Lawrance EL, Thompson R, Newberry Le Vay J, Page L, Jennings N. The Impact of Climate Change on Mental Health and Emotional Wellbeing: A Narrative Review of Current Evidence, and its Implications. Int Rev Psychiatry 2022; 34:443-498. [PMID: 36165756 DOI: 10.1080/09540261.2022.2128725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Converging global evidence highlights the dire consequences of climate change for human mental health and wellbeing. This paper summarises literature across relevant disciplines to provide a comprehensive narrative review of the multiple pathways through which climate change interacts with mental health and wellbeing. Climate change acts as a risk amplifier by disrupting the conditions known to support good mental health, including socioeconomic, cultural and environmental conditions, and living and working conditions. The disruptive influence of rising global temperatures and extreme weather events, such as experiencing a heatwave or water insecurity, compounds existing stressors experienced by individuals and communities. This has deleterious effects on people's mental health and is particularly acute for those groups already disadvantaged within and across countries. Awareness and experiences of escalating climate threats and climate inaction can generate understandable psychological distress; though strong emotional responses can also motivate climate action. We highlight opportunities to support individuals and communities to cope with and act on climate change. Consideration of the multiple and interconnected pathways of climate impacts and their influence on mental health determinants must inform evidence-based interventions. Appropriate action that centres climate justice can reduce the current and future mental health burden, while simultaneously improving the conditions that nurture wellbeing and equality. The presented evidence adds further weight to the need for decisive climate action by decision makers across all scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma L Lawrance
- Institute of Global Health Innovation, Imperial College London, UK.,Mental Health Innovations, UK.,Grantham Institute of Climate and the Environment, Imperial College London, UK
| | | | | | - Lisa Page
- Brighton & Sussex Medical School, UK
| | - Neil Jennings
- Grantham Institute of Climate and the Environment, Imperial College London, UK
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Gunasiri H, Wang Y, Watkins EM, Capetola T, Henderson-Wilson C, Patrick R. Hope, Coping and Eco-Anxiety: Young People's Mental Health in a Climate-Impacted Australia. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19095528. [PMID: 35564923 PMCID: PMC9105994 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19095528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2022] [Revised: 04/30/2022] [Accepted: 04/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
(1) Background: In Australia, young people are one of the most vulnerable populations to the mental health impacts of climate change. The aim of this article was to explore mental health promotion issues related to climate change for young people in Australia. (2) Methods: An exploratory mixed-method approach, co-led by young people, was used to engage young people living in Australia aged 18-24 years in semi-structured interviews (N = 14) and an online survey (N = 46). Data were analysed thematically and with descriptive statistics. (3) Results: Findings indicated that negative impacts included worry, eco-anxiety, stress, hopelessness/powerlessness and feelings of not having a voice. Several mediating factors, in particular social media engagement, highlighted the duality of mental health impacts for young people's mental health. Positive impacts of climate action included feeling optimistic and in control. (4) Conclusions: This exploratory study contributes to an emerging field of public health research on young people's mental health in a climate-impacted Australia. Climate change is a significant concern for young people, and it can negatively affect their mental health. The findings can inform the design of public health interventions that raise awareness of climate change-related mental health issues among young people and promote their participation in nature-based interventions, climate action and empowering social media engagement.
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Alexander M, Eissa M, McDermott-Levy R, Osborne R, Pleuss E, Prabhakaran P, Sorensen C. COP26: Looking forward from Glasgow by placing health at the center of climate action. THE JOURNAL OF CLIMATE CHANGE AND HEALTH 2022; 5:None. [PMID: 35265938 PMCID: PMC8895507 DOI: 10.1016/j.joclim.2022.100117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2022] [Accepted: 01/17/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Marcalee Alexander
- Sustain Our Abilities, United States
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine, United States
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Harvard School of Medicine, United States
| | - Mohamed Eissa
- Liaison Officer for Public Health Issues, International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations, Denmark
| | - Ruth McDermott-Levy
- M. Louise Fitzpatrick College of Nursing, Villanova University, United States
| | - Rhiannon Osborne
- School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Students for Global Health, United Kingdom
| | | | - Poornima Prabhakaran
- Head-Environmental Health and Additional Professor; Deputy Director, Centre for Environmental Health, Public Health Foundation of India, India
- Senior Research Scientist, Centre for Chronic Disease Control, India
| | - Cecilia Sorensen
- Global Consortium on Climate and Health Education, Columbia University, United States
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, United States
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, United States
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Abstract
OBJECTIVES To evaluate the extent to which organisational factors facilitate or inhibit the implementation of the National Health Service (NHS) carbon reduction strategy within acute hospital settings. SETTING A single acute NHS Trust with four satellite sites which serve more than 2 million patients annually in Central England. PARTICIPANTS Interviews with a purposive sample of 10 stakeholders, including those who conceptualised the intervention and those who were responsible for its implementation. INTERVENTION The NHS is a major carbon emitter and therefore developed the 'NHS carbon reduction strategy (NHSCRS)' in 2009. NHS organisations are contractually obliged to develop a local carbon reduction strategy known as a Sustainable Development Management Plan (SDMP) which details carbon reduction measures (CRM), as described in the NHSCRS. However, the organisational context within which the SDMP is implemented is likely to determine the extent of its success. We undertook an adapted realist evaluation cycle to develop refined initial programme theories. Documents were analysed using thematic content analysis. Interview data were analysed using thematic analysis. RESULTS CRM were most likely to be implemented if the Trust Board were sufficiently pressured by staff and reputational fears, and the potential impacts of CRM were perceived to align with wider organisational aims. Differences in implementation of CRM across hospital sites were related to logistical factors, accessibility to regional partners and contractual relationships. There were expected carbon, energy and long-term financial savings, with variability in the effectiveness of some CRM post implementation. CONCLUSIONS Organisational factors, particularly Board leadership and internal implementation pathways, have a significant bearing on whether CRM are implemented or not. However, greater national support and guidance is needed for NHS organisations to effectively reduce their carbon emissions. Further cycles of this evaluation are necessary in multiple case study sites to illuminate the path to a net-zero NHS carbon footprint by 2045.
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Affiliation(s)
- Syed Aleem Husain
- College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Manbinder Sidhu
- Health Services Management Centre, School of Social Policy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
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Implementing Rapid Climate Action: Learning from the ‘Practical Wisdom’ of Local Decision-Makers. SUSTAINABILITY 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/su13105687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
A global goal to limit dangerous climate change has been agreed through the 2015 Paris Accords. The scientific case for action has been accepted by nearly all governments, at national and local or state level. Yet in all legislatures, there is a gap between the stated climate ambitions and the implementation of the measures necessary to achieve them. This paper examines this gap by analysing the experience of the following three UK cities: Belfast, Edinburgh, and Leeds. Researchers worked with city officials and elected representatives, using interviews and deliberative workshops to develop their shared understandings. The study finds that local actors employ different strategies to respond to the stated climate emergency, based on their innate understanding, or ‘phronetic knowledge’, of what works. It concludes that rapid climate action depends not just on the structures and mechanisms of governance, but at a deeper level, the assumptions, motivations and applied knowledge of decision-makers.
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Backholer K, Baum F, Finlay SM, Friel S, Giles-Corti B, Jones A, Patrick R, Shill J, Townsend B, Armstrong F, Baker P, Bowen K, Browne J, Büsst C, Butt A, Canuto K, Canuto K, Capon A, Corben K, Daube M, Goldfeld S, Grenfell R, Gunn L, Harris P, Horton K, Keane L, Lacy-Nichols J, Lo SN, Lovett RW, Lowe M, Martin JE, Neal N, Peeters A, Pettman T, Thoms A, Thow AMT, Timperio A, Williams C, Wright A, Zapata-Diomedi B, Demaio S. Australia in 2030: what is our path to health for all? Med J Aust 2021; 214 Suppl 8:S5-S40. [PMID: 33934362 DOI: 10.5694/mja2.51020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2020] [Revised: 02/17/2021] [Accepted: 02/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
CHAPTER 1: HOW AUSTRALIA IMPROVED HEALTH EQUITY THROUGH ACTION ON THE SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH: Do not think that the social determinants of health equity are old hat. In reality, Australia is very far away from addressing the societal level drivers of health inequity. There is little progressive policy that touches on the conditions of daily life that matter for health, and action to redress inequities in power, money and resources is almost non-existent. In this chapter we ask you to pause this reality and come on a fantastic journey where we envisage how COVID-19 was a great disruptor and accelerator of positive progressive action. We offer glimmers of what life could be like if there was committed and real policy action on the social determinants of health equity. It is vital that the health sector assists in convening the multisectoral stakeholders necessary to turn this fantasy into reality. CHAPTER 2: ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER CONNECTION TO CULTURE: BUILDING STRONGER INDIVIDUAL AND COLLECTIVE WELLBEING: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have long maintained that culture (ie, practising, maintaining and reclaiming it) is vital to good health and wellbeing. However, this knowledge and understanding has been dismissed or described as anecdotal or intangible by Western research methods and science. As a result, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture is a poorly acknowledged determinant of health and wellbeing, despite its significant role in shaping individuals, communities and societies. By extension, the cultural determinants of health have been poorly defined until recently. However, an increasing amount of scientific evidence supports what Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have always said - that strong culture plays a significant and positive role in improved health and wellbeing. Owing to known gaps in knowledge, we aim to define the cultural determinants of health and describe their relationship with the social determinants of health, to provide a full understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander wellbeing. We provide examples of evidence on cultural determinants of health and links to improved Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and wellbeing. We also discuss future research directions that will enable a deeper understanding of the cultural determinants of health for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. CHAPTER 3: PHYSICAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH: HEALTHY, LIVEABLE AND SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES: Good city planning is essential for protecting and improving human and planetary health. Until recently, however, collaboration between city planners and the public health sector has languished. We review the evidence on the health benefits of good city planning and propose an agenda for public health advocacy relating to health-promoting city planning for all by 2030. Over the next 10 years, there is an urgent need for public health leaders to collaborate with city planners - to advocate for evidence-informed policy, and to evaluate the health effects of city planning efforts. Importantly, we need integrated planning across and between all levels of government and sectors, to create healthy, liveable and sustainable cities for all. CHAPTER 4: HEALTH PROMOTION IN THE ANTHROPOCENE: THE ECOLOGICAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH: Human health is inextricably linked to the health of the natural environment. In this chapter, we focus on ecological determinants of health, including the urgent and critical threats to the natural environment, and opportunities for health promotion arising from the human health co-benefits of actions to protect the health of the planet. We characterise ecological determinants in the Anthropocene and provide a sobering snapshot of planetary health science, particularly the momentous climate change health impacts in Australia. We highlight Australia's position as a major fossil fuel producer and exporter, and a country lacking cohesive and timely emissions reduction policy. We offer a roadmap for action, with four priority directions, and point to a scaffold of guiding approaches - planetary health, Indigenous people's knowledge systems, ecological economics, health co-benefits and climate-resilient development. Our situation requires a paradigm shift, and this demands a recalibration of health promotion education, research and practice in Australia over the coming decade. CHAPTER 5: DISRUPTING THE COMMERCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH: Our vision for 2030 is an Australian economy that promotes optimal human and planetary health for current and future generations. To achieve this, current patterns of corporate practice and consumption of harmful commodities and services need to change. In this chapter, we suggest ways forward for Australia, focusing on pragmatic actions that can be taken now to redress the power imbalances between corporations and Australian governments and citizens. We begin by exploring how the terms of health policy making must change to protect it from conflicted commercial interests. We also examine how marketing unhealthy products and services can be more effectively regulated, and how healthier business practices can be incentivised. Finally, we make recommendations on how various public health stakeholders can hold corporations to account, to ensure that people come before profits in a healthy and prosperous future Australia. CHAPTER 6: DIGITAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH: THE DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION: We live in an age of rapid and exponential technological change. Extraordinary digital advancements and the fusion of technologies, such as artificial intelligence, robotics, the Internet of Things and quantum computing constitute what is often referred to as the digital revolution or the Fourth Industrial Revolution (Industry 4.0). Reflections on the future of public health and health promotion require thorough consideration of the role of digital technologies and the systems they influence. Just how the digital revolution will unfold is unknown, but it is clear that advancements and integrations of technologies will fundamentally influence our health and wellbeing in the future. The public health response must be proactive, involving many stakeholders, and thoughtfully considered to ensure equitable and ethical applications and use. CHAPTER 7: GOVERNANCE FOR HEALTH AND EQUITY: A VISION FOR OUR FUTURE: Coronavirus disease 2019 has caused many people and communities to take stock on Australia's direction in relation to health, community, jobs, environmental sustainability, income and wealth. A desire for change is in the air. This chapter imagines how changes in the way we govern our lives and what we value as a society could solve many of the issues Australia is facing - most pressingly, the climate crisis and growing economic and health inequities. We present an imagined future for 2030 where governance structures are designed to ensure transparent and fair behaviour from those in power and to increase the involvement of citizens in these decisions, including a constitutional voice for Indigenous peoples. We imagine that these changes were made by measuring social progress in new ways, ensuring taxation for public good, enshrining human rights (including to health) in legislation, and protecting and encouraging an independent media. Measures to overcome the climate crisis were adopted and democratic processes introduced in the provision of housing, education and community development.
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Patrick R, Henderson-Wilson C, Ebden M. Exploring the co-benefits of environmental volunteering for human and planetary health promotion. Health Promot J Austr 2021; 33:57-67. [PMID: 33527602 DOI: 10.1002/hpja.460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2020] [Accepted: 01/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
ISSUE ADDRESSED Health promotion has adopted the planetary health perspective to address the threats posed by climate change, environmental degradation and environmental deprivation. Nature is a setting for health promotion that can produce co-benefits for human health and the protection of the environment. This paper presents the findings of a New South Wales (NSW) study of peoples' motivations for, and co-benefits of, environmental volunteering. METHODS This paper combines the findings of a literature review and qualitative data from a larger mixed-methods study of environmental volunteering (eg administration and co-ordination, bush regeneration, advocacy, tour guiding) in NSW. A review of international literature from 2005 yielded 100 documents for analysis. Maximum variation and stratified purposeful sampling strategies were applied to engage 12 environmental volunteers and 30 employees of environmental organisations in a series of focus groups (n = 2) and interviews (n = 22). Qualitative thematic analysis techniques were applied and data triangulated. RESULTS Motivations for environmental volunteering include the following: personal, for example, new skills or knowledge, environmental, for example, improve the environment and social/community, for example, forming connections. Environmental volunteering offers a range of benefits for individuals, environmental organisations and the natural environment. These include enhanced mental and social health, and connection to place and learning about the environment. CONCLUSIONS Environmental volunteering has the potential to address key determinants of health - social inclusion, employment and education. From a planetary health perspective, there are multiple co-benefits of human-environmental interaction arising from environmental volunteering. Environmental volunteering is a planetary health strategy that could be incorporated into community-based health promotion. SO WHAT?: Health promotion has a mandate to act on ecological determinants of health. Environmental volunteering is an untapped resource for community-based health promotion and for achieving planetary health goals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Patrick
- Health Nature Sustainability Research Group, School of Health and Social Development, Faculty of Health, Deakin University, Burwood, Australia
| | - Claire Henderson-Wilson
- Health Nature Sustainability Research Group, School of Health and Social Development, Faculty of Health, Deakin University, Burwood, Australia
| | - Matthew Ebden
- Health Nature Sustainability Research Group, School of Health and Social Development, Faculty of Health, Deakin University, Burwood, Australia
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