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Think Globally, Act Locally Public Health and the Anthropocene Evidence Review

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Think Globally, Act Locally Public Health and the Anthropocene Evidence Review Think Globally, Act Locally Public Health and the Anthropocene Evidence Review Dr. Trevor Hancock, Hon FFPH Retired Professor and Senior Scholar School of Public Health and Social Policy, University of Victoria Prepared For: The Public Health Agency of Canada Contract No: 4500412213 Date: September 4, 2020 PUBLIC HEALTH ASSOCIATION OF BC | #550-2950 Douglas Street, Victoria, BC, V8T 4N4 Phone: 250-595-8422 | Email: [email protected] | Website: phabc.org This publication was produced by PHABC with funding from the Public Health Agency of Canada. The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors/researchers and do not necessarily reflect the official views of the Public Health Agenc y of Canada. Think Globally, Act Locally Public Health and the Anthropocene Evidence Review Table of Contents Preamble ................................................................................................................................................................................................... 2 1. Welcome to the Anthropocene ........................................................................................................................................................... 4 a) The Anthropocene as a Geological Phenomenon ............................................................................................................................ 4 b) The Anthropocene as an Ecological Phenomenon ........................................................................................................................... 5 c) Climate and Ecosystem Tipping Points ............................................................................................................................................ 7 d) The Anthropocene as a Socio-Cultural Phenomenon ...................................................................................................................... 8 e) Inequity in the Anthropocene ........................................................................................................................................................... 9 f) The Health Implications of the Anthropocene ................................................................................................................................ 11 g) Emerging Diseases in the Anthropocene ....................................................................................................................................... 13 h) Health Inequity in the Anthropocene ............................................................................................................................................ 14 i) The Anthropocene as an existential threat ..................................................................................................................................... 16 2. Transformative Change .................................................................................................................................................................... 19 a) Paradigms and Paradigm Shift ...................................................................................................................................................... 21 b) Cultural Evolution and Value Shift ................................................................................................................................................ 22 c) Social Norms, Social Tipping Points and Virtuous Cascades ........................................................................................................ 24 d) Folk-bildung ................................................................................................................................................................................... 25 e) Indigenous Values, Beliefs, Worldviews and Knowledge .............................................................................................................. 26 f) Legal Approaches: The Right to A Healthy Environment and More ............................................................................................. 29 g) An Economics Fit for Purpose in the Anthropocene ..................................................................................................................... 31 h) Nature Contact ............................................................................................................................................................................... 35 i) Recovering Reverence for Nature ................................................................................................................................................... 36 j) Connecting to Nature Through the Arts ......................................................................................................................................... 37 k) Finding hope and seeing opportunity in the Anthropocene ......................................................................................................... 38 l) Governance for sustainable, equitable human development ......................................................................................................... 39 m) Values in the Time of COVID ........................................................................................................................................................ 40 n) Practising Health Promotion 2.0 in the Anthropocene ................................................................................................................. 42 3. Creating Healthy, Just and Sustainable Communities: One Planet Communities and the Challenge for Local Public Health Action ......................................................................................................................................................................................... 43 a) One Planet communities and their health co-benefits .................................................................................................................. 43 b) Creating the Conversation ............................................................................................................................................................. 46 c) Alliances and Partnerships – Usual and Unusual .......................................................................................................................... 47 References .............................................................................................................................................................................................. 49 1 Think Globally, Act Locally Public Health and the Anthropocene Evidence Review Preamble This Evidence Review is based on the theme and topics at the Public Health Association of BC’s 2020 Public Health Summer Institute. It also draws from several of my recent or soon to be published works, in particular “Beyond Science and Technology: Creating Planetary Health Needs Not Just ‘Head Stuff’ but Social Engagement and ‘Heart, Gut and Spirit’ Stuff”” (Hancock, 2019a) and “Gaia: The Ultimate Setting for Health Promotion” (Hancock, submitted April 2020), but also “Ecological Economics and Public Health” (Hancock, 2019b). The theme of the 2020 Summer Institute program, which was fully online and accessed by over 200 participants from not only BC but several other provinces and territories, was Think Globally, Act Locally: Public Health and the Anthropocene. On Day 1, the Institute was focused in the morning on thinking globally, considering both the massive and rapid global ecological changes underway and their global and local health implications. In the afternoon, the focused shifted to how widespread value shift and cultural evolution can occur, as a prerequisite for the massive and rapid societal transformations required if we are to successfully navigate the challenge of the Anthropocene. On Day 2, the focus shifted to acting locally, with a particular focus on the concept of healthy communities that are also ‘One Planet’ communities. Participants were asked to consider how local action to create such healthy and sustainable communities could be undertaken in their roles as both professionals and citizens, what their public health or other organisations’ role should be, and the partners they would need to work with. This Evidence Review is not a summary what was presented or shared at the Institute but is to some extent informed by that. The Institute’s videos, discussions and presentations can be accessed at https://phabc.org/presentation/public-health-summer-institute-2020/. A perspective on the COVID-19 Pandemic and the Anthropocene In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, with its major health, social and economic ramifications (particularly for structurally disadvantaged communities), it can be hard to appreciate that this and similar pandemics are in part a symptom of our growing intrusion into nature. It can also be hard to recognise that while the pandemic has these significant impacts, they pale in comparison with the projected health, social and economic consequences – especially for those same disadvantaged communities - of a far larger set of massive and rapid, human-induced global ecological changes currently underway. Given that the drivers of these changes are human made, this era is referred to as the Anthropocene, anthropos being the Ancient Greek for human. 2 Think Globally, Act Locally Public Health and the Anthropocene Evidence Review The massive and rapid global ecological changes that constitute the Anthropocene are arguably the greatest threat
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