Restorative Commons as an Expanded Ethical Framework for Public Health and Environmental Sustainability

Pollution is currently responsible for 16% of premature deaths worldwide and poses the greatest long-term threat to public health due to the effects of climate change. The current framework of public health cannot justify sustainability measures at an appropriate scale and timeframe to prevent further irreversible damage to the environment. To handle the issue of environmental degradation and its effect on humans, a revised framework for public health that gives more thought and consideration to the non-human environment is required. Restorative Commons theory can bridge environmental ethics and medical ethics by emphasizing the mutual benefits of environmental stewardship to nature and humans. This reflects an expansion of the environmentalist land ethic to a new 'global health ethic'. In light of this, medicine should engage with the community and the environment, in addition to treating individuals.