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Planetary Epidemiology: Towards First Principles
Colin D Butler1,2,3
1Health Research Institute, University of Canberra, Canberra, Australia. colin.butler1955@gmail.com.
Current Environmental Health Reports
|October 15, 2018
Summary
This study introduces planetary epidemiology, integrating evolutionary principles with limits to growth models to address global health threats like climate change. It proposes quantitative methods to explore population health for enduring well-being.
Area of Science:
- Epidemiology
- Ecology
- Evolutionary Biology
Background:
- Climate change and other threats pose significant risks to civilization.
- Planetary health is a growing field, but its impact on epidemiology is limited.
- There is a need for principles guiding Earth system human epidemiology.
Purpose of the Study:
- To establish principles for a new sub-discipline: planetary epidemiology.
- To combine evolutionary theory (competition, cooperation) with limits to growth models.
- To suggest methods for quantifying key principles of planetary epidemiology.
Main Methods:
- Integration of evolutionary principles with limits to growth models.
- Development of six core principles for planetary epidemiology.
- Proposal of quantitative approaches for four of these principles.
Main Results:
- Six foundational principles for planetary epidemiology have been generated.
- Four principles have specific suggestions for quantification.
- The framework aims to link ecological, social, and technological factors to population health.
Conclusions:
- Planetary epidemiology offers a novel framework for understanding population health at all scales.
- Quantitative application of these principles can drive research into past, present, and future health trends.
- Urgent reform is needed to prevent a decline in global well-being this century.
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