The Planetary Dysregulation
The Physiological Link Between Planetary Dysregulation and Human Health
a report by Elahi Hossain, Araceli Camargo, Jake Robinson, with visual design by Josh Artus
Before reading this report please note that we are a non-profit grant and citizen supported programme, we use our funding to create free scientific reports, which provide foundational knowledge about health, health inequities, and health justice. We prioritise the hiring of scientists and researchers from marginalised communities to ensure that the lived experience is covered in an ethical, inclusive, and accurate manner.
Our goal is to be an open lab that is “for the people by the people”. Your contribution helps make that happen.
INTRODUCTION
There is now robust evidence from academic science that human health is intrinsically linked to planetary health.
Whether it is through the exposure to the external microbiome, which nourishes and regulates our internal gut environment or the influence natural terrain has on the function and development of our muscular-skeletal systems.
More significantly is Indigenous Peoples have understood this link for thousands of years (source, source) and continue with this knowledge template to this day. Most recently, the Indigenous led campaign for clean water at the Standing Rock Reservation showed the world that Water is sacred, because Water is Life. In other words, the health of every ecosystem and person on this planet is tied to clean Water.
We cannot talk about what is happening to our planet without speaking about health and environmental justice. Therefore this report will focus on the pathways that are contributing to planetary dysregulation and their impacts on human health. With the purpose of updating policies that will support the work of environmental and health justice practitioners.
This report will focus on three key learnings:
Identify the various cultural and biological pathways that have led to the phenomenon we are currently facing.
Arrive at an updated understanding of the planetary crisis which includes its effect on human health.
Introduce Indigenous Knowledges as solutions to the crisis.
Before reading this report please note that we are a non-profit grant and citizen supported lab, we use our funding to create free scientific reports, which provide foundational knowledge about health, health inequities, and health justice. We prioritise the hiring of scientists and researchers from marginalised communities to ensure that the lived experience is covered in an ethical, inclusive, and accurate manner.
Our goal is to be an open lab that is “for the people by the people”. Your contribution helps make that happen.