Planetary Health: The Movement We (desperately) Need #1

G’day mates! 

From Sydney, Australia, I’ll be posting about my time with the University of Sydney’s Planetary Health Platform and a wealth of individuals contributing to the interconnected research of environmental and health changes. This past spring semester I took the HISTSCI course Ecological Visions of Human Disease by Aussie Professor Warwick Anderson. Immediately I became interested in the emerging field of Planetary Health, and its evident roots in indigenous knowledge and prolific thinkers of the 19th-20th centuries. Its urgency in today’s climate made it that more enticing and relevant to our everyday lives. For these and many other reasons I hope to relay in the subsequent posts why I chose to explore the inner workings of the Planetary Health Platform at the University of Sydney alongside its primary champion and director Professor Anthony Capon. 

Before diving into the nitty-gritty parts of this post, I would like to extend my deepest gratitude to Professor Warwick for offering such an intellectually provoking course and advising me while writing the Rosenkrantz proposal. I would also like to thank the History of Science department and the Rosenkrantz grant for affording me this enriching opportunity, as well as Anne Harrington and Julia Reed for their unconditional support. Last but certainly not least, an enormous thank you to Professor Tony for allowing me to learn from you and the Platform, as well as all the professors and researchers who participated in this research. 

Cheers.

On Airs, Waters, and Places
by Hippocrates circa 400 BC.

Dating back to the father of medicine, Hippocrates keenly acknowledged in his work On Airs, Waters, and Places the dynamic relationship between human health and the environment. Fast forward to modernity, this very relationship has suffered from the tugs and pulls of humans’ yearn for consumerism, technology, and energy. We are not only exploiting Earth’s resources to power our daily lives at irreparable rates, but human health and quality of life are simultaneously plummeting. Pointedly, we are wagering the health of our Planet and our own.

In light of these truths, we are left to face an environmentally ominous present and foreboding future but with limited solutions to respond accordingly. Ideally a time machine would relieve us of our hasty and imprudent decisions since the start of the Great Acceleration in the 20th century; however, modern technological advances can only take us so far. Alternatively, we must seek realistic avenues to protect the current and future health of our Planet, and inherently the health of humans. 

Planetary Health, consequently, is a necessary response to restore the health of our Planet, and secure the wellbeing of current and future generations. Although Planetary Health, as an established field, is relatively young at heart, its purpose and ideologies has roots in 19th and 20th century environmentalists, epidemiologists, ecologists, and medical professionals, and dating further back to indigenous culture and knowledge. Planetary Health has sprouted out of the alarming environmental changes on Earth that are inherently affecting the health of humans today, and tomorrow.

Image of The Quadrangle at the University of Sydney

To further understand and study the progress of Planetary Health, I focused my research at the University of Sydney’s (USYD) Planetary Health Platform in Sydney, Australia. Over the course of 10 days, I conducted numerous interviews with university professors, researchers and advocates working in Planetary Health or dedicated to environmental initiatives. I centered my research on the work and academic career of Professor Anthony Capon who is working with the Planetary Health Platform and the School of Public Health in USYD. Fortunately, I also had the opportunity to visit the Environmental Health Australia conference “Turning Up the Heat” chiefly on climate change in Manly Beach, as well as two days in Orange attending multiple Planetary Health meetings. I am deeply grateful for this experience and incredibly motivated to continue exploring work related to the interconnectedness between human health and environmental degradation.

Tony and I at the Quarantine Station in Manly Beach
waiting for a ferry back to the mainland

The First Professor of Planetary Health 

At the forefront of the Planetary Health Platform stands Professor Anthony Capon, the first professor of planetary health and current sitting director for the Platform. Although an esteemed and highly regarded position at the university (and internationally), Prof. Capon is humbly referred to as Tony by colleagues and members of his team. Tony has spearheaded the Platform to become a multidisciplinary and collaborative medium where academics, researchers, and the general public can begin to think about the interconnectedness of natural systems and health. Tony’s vision for the Platform, and equally the Planet, are rooted in his heritage and upbringings as part Māori and Scottish in a sheep farm in New Zealand. From a young age, his family ties to Māori values influenced and piqued his interest in the undeniable connection between people and the environment. It was evident in our interview that his interests in environmental and health sciences stem far beyond academic pursuits, but rather a longstanding acknowledgement and appreciation for the dynamic yet fragile connection between Mother Earth and humans. 

Indigenous Knowledge: The Environment and Health 

 Photo taken at USYD

It is this very connection that has led him to introduce and engage indigenous understandings and knowledge into the work of Planetary Health. Historically, as Western and high-income countries have imposed their influence and modern lifestyles on our rapidly growing world, the traditions and cultures of indigenous populations have faded into the background. In the process, we have divorced ourselves from a wealth of knowledge and understandings that remain protected by indigenous populations. As emphasized by Tony, knowledge depicting the complex relationship between the environment and humans. Tony’s dedication and commitment to provide a platform for indigenous people is rare but pertinent for the future we desperately need. A future where humans and Mother Earth could coexist, and more importantly live. 

His emphasis and acknowledgement of indigenous knowledge immediately pushed me to ponder about who is considered a scientist. Who can produce scientific knowledge? Who does modernity deem a reliable source of science? The history of science has, undeniably and unfortunately, been heavily eurocentric. We fashion to relate science to the stereotypical white man with a white lab-coat in a state-of-the-art laboratory. Do we seldom think or even acknowledge that indigenous populations are producers of science? As Tony so eloquently and keenly outlines, the realization that the health of the environment is directly intertwined with the health of humans is grounded in indigenous culture - and has been for generations. 

For a moment, please entertain the following relatable tangent. This summer I read Gabriela Soto Laveaga’s’ book Jungle Laboratories which highlights the role and impact of campesinos in rural Mexico to the globalization and production of the Pill. The campesinos and indigenous people living in the southern Mexico were the primary gatherers and producers of Barbasco, a wild yam that would ultimately be chemically altered to produce hormones. Laveaga elegantly depicts and argues the role of campesinos as far more than gatherers but as scientists and legitimate producers of knowledge. Laveaga’s’ book is a keen example of the integral role and influence of indigenous knowledge, and the West’s egregious unwillingness to acknowledge this truth. 

With that, it is our ethical responsibility to acknowledge where the roots of these environmental underpinnings rest, and as the Planetary Health movement gains momentum we must continue to engage indigenous voices to further connect our past, present, and future - to nurture a future where our Planet is not bleeding from our excessive demands but reaping the benefits of a fruitful and spiritual connection between the Planet and humans.

“When I was young, my great grandmother was already in her 80s, she was born in 1891 and I was born in 1960. She was the primary care for us. She was a Māori woman, her spiritually was very much about mother nature and the importance of mother nature to health and wellbeing. I guess that was my first introduction to the ideas [and] underpinnings of planetary health coming from family and indigenous culture.” -Tony

 Breaking out of the silos: A Multidisciplinary space 

As universities and academic settings look to improve their curriculums, many have opted to recognize the benefits of multidisciplinary research and education. And Tony’s work with the Platform certainly did not lag behind. From the launch of the Platform in December 2017, there has been a clear vision and emphasis for multidisciplinary collaborative work that spans across the university and traditional academic silos. Similar to Harvard University, the University of Sydney is a longstanding, traditional university that applauds the progress and success of individual departments. As a result, research and work has remained trapped in its traditional academic silos - and along with it professors, researchers, and students. 

However, as aforementioned, Tony has been passionately and diligently working to break down silos and expand the work of the Platform across the university setting to transgress traditional academic barriers. The first steps towards a collegiate academic setting was the installment of the Planetary Health Platform; however, at first its respective name was not Platform.

“We thought if we should call it a center or institute, but we decided to call it a Platform because we did not want it to be competing with other centers but rather collaborating.” -Tony

With the presence of dozens of environmental organizations and institutional programs focused on particular aspects of health or the environment, the novel Planetary Health Platform could not wither into the background. The work began by simply choosing a strategic title that would entail and promote collaborative work within the university, and beyond. It needed to make a stand and be the platform that would enable established organizations to convene and have the necessary conversations to engage in collegial work benefiting the overall wellbeing of the Planet and humans. 

“There are other institutes and we felt that the platform could bring together the work of everyone ... center or institute would be another one.” -Tony 

Let Earth be heard! The case for Advocacy and Research 

While on my way to a meeting in USYD,
there was a strike led by students
and the poster reads:
STRIKE FOR THE CLIMATE.
SEPTEMBER 20.
Demand 100% Renewables,
Climate Jobs, No New Coal and Gas.

One of my top favorite quotes from Tony is, “we need to just get on with it.” In all honesty, I did not need more than a day to understand Tony’s realistic and immediate focus on advocacy, and dedication to environmental policy change. Working under institutional policies can naturally restrict the work of its researchers and professors to advocate; however, Tony has managed to find a difficult and fragile balance between advocacy and research that is leading the Platform into uncharted territory. As Tony relays, we have sufficient research and understandings to evidence the effects of environmental degradation to human health, so the obvious next step is to advocate for the protection of our natural systems. In my eyes, he is treading a line that not many academics can fathom navigate so gracefully and strategically. 

Tony speaking at the University of Technology, Sydney
before a crowd of undergraduate students
 learning about local environmental initiatives

The Platform simultaneously works to promote revolutionary research by professors at USYD while engaging its community. During my visit, I joined Tony at a visit to the University of Technology, Sydney (UTS) where Tony delivered a talk to students about Planetary Health at the local level and their potential impact in the field as future engineers and students of technology. This was a perfect example of Tony’s dedication to his community and reaching beyond any pre-existing academic barriers. Students at the talk had the opportunity to learn from Tony and explore various topics relating to the interconnectedness between health and the environment. Education and community engagement is another integral element for the Platform that will catapult us into the future of Planetary Health. Tony’s vision for the Platform encapsulates the participation of students, academics, and people from diverse backgrounds that can contribute to its momentum and growth. 

The University of Technology, Sydney
or commonly referred to as UTS.

While visiting Orange, the article “Human Health on an Ailing Planet - Historical Perspectives on our Future” was published in the New England Journal of Medicine by an astute list of academics one of them being Tony. I urge anyone reading this to carefully and wholeheartedly read this article. And spoiler alert it presses its readers to realize the urging need for advocacy in a world heavily powered by research. It is not to say that we need to debunk research but rather integrate it into our daily lives. Research should have a narrative whether it’s through statistical measures or anthropological methodologies. In essence, conclusions should have real-world applications and, more importantly, environmental research should have a space in advocacy.

Historical Connections 

Boyden's triangle detailing the dynamic relationship
between the Planet and humans in relation to
Anthropogenic activities.
In ecology, the phrase "Human activities"
is used commonly to reference our actions.

When Tony was in his 40s, he moved to Canberra to work with Tony McMichael - a prolific Australian epidemiologist during the 20th century and a mentor to Tony. In 1993, McMichael published his book Planetary Overload which greatly influenced the field of Planetary Health and marked the first uses of the term Planetary. McMichael was an important inspiration for the 2015 Lancet Commission Report on Planetary Health where there is a strong reference to McMichael’s work. Tony was also a commissioner for the Lancet Report. McMichael introduced Tony to Stephen Boyden - trained in human ecology and human bio-history after spending a significant amount of time as an immunologist in the laboratory. Boyden wrote the book The Biology of Civilisation: Understanding human culture as a force in nature and it is an important reference in published pieces by Richard Horton who is the editor of the Lancet. Boyden developed a triangle that clearly outlines our dynamic relationship to earth in the Anthropocene. I think that Boyden’s foresight to integrate and recognize the importance of culture is pertinent to the current work of Planetary Health. This relates back to indigenous and local knowledge, and our ability to ethically include their longstanding understandings of the relationship between the Planet and humans. 

Tony's personal copy of Boyden's book

“While the main threats of a consequence of the human aptitude for culture and technology our only hope to overcome is rethinking how we live” - Richard Horton referring to Boyden 

“‘Human ecology’ as a way of understanding patterns of human health; alongside ‘epidemiology’ as a core method of health promotion” - Boyden in The Biology of Civilisation

“Here [Planetary Overload] he started using the term Planetary in the 1990s and then we started using the term.” - Tony

Lingering thoughts

Life in the metropolis has divorced us from our primitive and fundamental connections to the land. We have forgotten how intertwined we are to our environments - that is the air we breathe, the soil we walk on, the water we drink, and the food we indulge. It is time we look in retrospect and acknowledge our roots in relation to the damage we have instigated. Only then can we move towards a more sustainable connection to the Planet.