Breaking free from tunnel vision for climate change and health

Abstract

Climate change is widely recognised as the greatest threat to public health this century, but ‘climate change and health’ often refers to a narrow and limited focus on emissions, and the impacts of the climate crisis, rather than a holistic assessment of economic structures and systems of oppression. This tunnel vision misses key aspects of the climate change and health intersection, such as the enforcers of planetary destruction such as the military, police, and trade, and can also lead down dangerous alleyways such as ‘net’ zero, overpopulation arguments and green extractivism. Tunnel vision also limits health to the absence of the disease at the individual level, rather than sickness or health within systems themselves. Conceptualising health as political, ecological, and collective is essential for tackling the root causes of health injustice. Alternative economic paradigms can offer possibilities for fairer ecological futures that prioritise health and wellbeing. Examples such as degrowth, doughnut economics and ecosocialism, and their relationship with health, are described. The importance of reparations in various forms, to repair previous and ongoing harm, are discussed. Breaking free from tunnel vision is not simply an intellectual endeavour, but a practice. Moving towards new paradigms requires movement building and cultivating radical imagination. The review highlights lessons which can be learnt from abolitionist movements and progressive political struggles across the world. This review provides ideas and examples of how to break free from tunnel vision for climate change and health by highlighting and analysing the work of multiple organisations who are working towards social and economic transformation. Key considerations for the health community are provided, including working in solidarity with others, prioritising community-led solutions, and using our voice, skills, and capacity to address the structural diagnosis—colonial capitalism.

Climate change, biodiversity loss, and Indigenous Peoples’ health and wellbeing: A systematic umbrella review

“…Across geographies, this literature signalled a need to consider the historical, political, and geographic contexts of climate change, alongside the structures of power (i.e., Western, colonial, and capitalist worldviews) that constrain climate adaptation and responses and disrupt Indigenous Peoples’ connection to lands and waters. This need to dissect and critically examine the broader context of structural and systemic determinants of climate-health and biodiversity impacts is increasingly the focus of global public health scholarship [ 85 ]. In this light, reviews underscored the need to continue to support, fund, and platform localized, community-led adaptation to climate change and biodiversity loss, while addressing broader sociopolitical constraints to Indigenous Peoples’ community-determination and leadership.…”

Climate-influenced vector-borne diseases in Africa: a call to empower the next generation of African researchers for sustainable solutions

“…These emerging research leaders will need a broader range of transferable and leadership skills, including the ability to work across disciplines and sectors [ 37 ]. These are skills that are not traditionally embedded in standard doctoral or postdoctoral training but will be critical to supporting health in this complex and changing environment [ 38 , 39 ]. By investing in the development and support of this rising generation, African nations can harness the power of local expertise to develop sustainable strategies that ensure the well-being of their people in the face of these challenges.…”

May Artificial Intelligence take health and sustainability on a honeymoon? Towards green technologies for multidimensional health and environmental justice

“…As noted in the table, when AI’s environmental costs are studied, more-than-carbon tunnel vision must be embraced (Deivanayagam & Osborne, 2023 ). Although some authors have concluded that a few AI applications involving telemedicine can reduce the carbon cost of healthcare (Tsagkaris et al, 2021 ), some others remain sceptical about using the carbon footprint as a primary metric (Richie, 2022 ).…”