Degradation of Earth resources threatens humans’ health gains: study

The overexploiting of the Earth’s natural resources coupled with climate change can put at stake much of what humans have gained in their health enhancement efforts over the last 150 years, new study says.

The results of a study conducted by 15 leading scientists, published in the peer-reviewed medical journal The Lancet on Thursday, reveals that humans “have been mortgaging the health of future generations to realize economic and development gains in the present.”

“Health effects from changes to the environment including climatic change, ocean acidification, land degradation, water scarcity, overexploitation of fisheries, and biodiversity loss pose serious challenges to the global health gains of the past several decades and are likely to become increasingly dominant during the second half of this century and beyond,” the 56-page report further warns.

The report calls for an urgent action in a bid to both save and increase “planetary health” and “global health” through making a shift in the way we understand the relationship between human health and our environmental, economic or social progress.

“Solutions lie within reach and should be based on the redefinition of prosperity to focus on the enhancement of quality of life and delivery of improved health for all, together with respect for the integrity of natural systems,” the report added.