Achievements in terms of economic and population growth have come with a price on the environment and our planet. Today, more than 90% of the world´s children breathe toxic air every day and the climate crisis causes unacceptable health effects. Climate change not only leads to direct health effects due to heatwaves, wildfires, storms and floods, but also to indirect effects related to e.g. lack of drinking water and insufficient food supply. The Paris Agreement on climate change was agreed upon in 2015. This is a legally binding international treaty and its goal is to limit global warming to well below 2°C, preferably to 1.5 °C, compared to pre-industrial levels.

The figure below shows a health map from Barton and Grant developed from Dahlgren and Whitehead's model (1991). The figure illustrates various levels of health determinants, such as the ecosystem, the natural and built environments, community and lifestyle.

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How to save our planet

Many scientists now consider that we have entered a new geological epoch called the Anthropocene in which we as humans significantly impact on Earth's geology and ecosystems. This has also led to the ”sixth mass-extinction” of other species and thus a severe biodiversity loss. In this film, Sir David Attenborough explains how to preserve our economic, social and environmental resources sustainably.

Source: World Wildlife Fund, 2019.

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