Planetary Health has Arrived at NOSM U
Originally published in The Sudbury Star https://www.thesudburystar.com/opinion/columnists/blacklock-planetary-health-has-arrived-at-nosm-university
Over the last two years, I’ve repeatedly made the point that climate change is a health issue because:
1) It’s an immediate and long-term threat to human health
2) By phasing out fossil fuels, we could immediately start saving millions of lives each year from cleaner air and other health co-benefits
3) Canada’s health care system is responsible for 4-5 percent of Canada’s total greenhouse gas emissions and tons of non-recyclable waste!
The health impacts of climate change, air pollution, etc. can be tricky to discern in individual patients, but they are often glaringly obvious at the community or population level. Thus, it’s not surprising that the new(ish) health discipline we call “Planetary Health” had its origins in the work of far-sighted environmental epidemiologists.
So what is Planetary Health, and why is NOSM University embracing it? For starters, here’s a definition I like from the Planetary Health Alliance:
Planetary health is a solutions-oriented, transdisciplinary field and social movement focused on analyzing and addressing the impacts of human disruptions to Earth’s natural systems on human health and all life on Earth.
Planetary health is not just about climate change. It’s about all the ways we humans are disrupting the planet.
Planetary health is not just about human health. It’s about all life on Earth.
Planetary health is about recognizing that human health depends on a healthy planet.
Planetary health is not just the business of super-specialized academics. It encompasses a myriad of disciplines and speaks directly to the clinical practices of physicians, nurses, and other health professions.
Planetary health is not just a body of knowledge. It’s about how we think and act as a result of that knowledge, as individuals, as health professionals, as hospital and universities, as cities, as societies, and as nations.
Planetary health is not just about describing. It’s about seeking solutions actively and urgently.
Planetary health is not just for individuals. It’s a social movement within the health professions specifically, and it’s growing.
We often hear that climate change and other environmental issues disproportionately affect the very people who have contributed the least to global emissions: the poor, people of colour, indigenous peoples, lower income countries, northern regions, etc. As a result, Planetary Health is not just an environmental health issue; it’s a social justice issue, and that is of great relevance to an institution like NOSM University.
So when I say that Planetary Health has arrived at NOSM, what do I mean? What exactly is NOSM doing? Well, here are a few things that are happening:
1) Of course, there’s an action committee dedicated to making things happen!
2) NOSM is seeking expert guidance to evaluate its overall carbon footprint and reduce it as quickly and significantly as possible.
3) Initiatives are underway to reduce travel emissions specifically.
4) Dedicated lectures are being provided to all learners, and work is underway to thread Planetary Health knowledge and thinking into all aspects of health professional curriculums so that NOSM graduates can practice skillfully in the 21st century, teach their colleagues and learners, and become strong advocates for patient health and social justice through action on climate change and other environmental issues.
5) NOSM University has joined the Global Consortium on Climate and Health Education
6) Funding has been made available to support climate-health research in Northern Ontario
7) A Planetary Health Lead position will soon be in place
I mentioned above that Planetary Health is not just a medical discipline, it’s a movement. Movements need leaders and champions, and they need to grow. We doctors and nurses, who spend our days and nights promoting health and caring for sick patients, need to expand our sense of vocation. We must become teachers and practitioners of Planetary Health, and powerful advocates for political action on health threats like climate change. It’s what the 21st century demands of us.
And that’s why NOSM is embracing Planetary Health.