Sustainability and health: Care of the self, care of the world

John Fitzgerald

“There are numerous examples in the climate change and sustainability literature of people not getting the message, not connecting emotionally with the evidence, and not modifying their behaviours in the face of overwhelming evidence that they need to care for their world, or face catastrophic health consequences.

From the individual and what they choose to consume, to a nation and the taxation policies it may put in place, to a region that may or may not choose to establish sustainable trade agreements, getting people to care about the world is a challenge. The great risk we face is that people fail to make a personal connection between the health impacts of climate change and the world around them …”