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Planetary Health and the Future of Human Capacity: The Increasing Impact of Planetary Distress on the Human Brain

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  • Chong Chen

    (Division of Neuropsychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Yamaguchi 755-8505, Japan)

  • Shin Nakagawa

    (Division of Neuropsychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Yamaguchi 755-8505, Japan)

Abstract

All awareness, thoughts, emotions, perceptions, memories, actions—everything that encompasses our human capacity and reality—are mediated through the biological interface of our brains. While the source of consciousness remains a fundamental and elusive question, it is also inescapable that threats to biological health can compromise any and all aspects of psychological and neurological functioning, from the first moments of life. The effects of environmental threats to specific aspects of individual brain health are well recognized, yet precious little attention is given to the collective effects of planetary-scale environmental damage, and the erosion of numerous planetary systems, on the biology of the human brain. Although, these are likely to vary widely with individual circumstances, it is also inevitable that the ‘dysbiotic drift’ (increasing life in distress) at the planetary scale is reflected at the personal scale, with a collective shift towards increased biological stress of all kinds. Here, we make the case that ‘ planetary distress’ is directly implicated in a collective increase in ‘ personal distress’ , and that multifaceted biological pressures, as well as psychological pressures, are implicated in the mental health crisis and predisposition to numerous disorders in brain development, functioning and aging. In turn, this has implications for every aspect of health, capacity, and the very essence of human experience for generations to come. Viewed on this scale, we call for a quantum shift in efforts to address the many factors affecting brain health, ranging from air pollution to disappearing greenspace. These all stem from ecological imbalance and point to a unifying need to restore planetary health. Ultimately, the future of human capacity depends on this.

Suggested Citation

  • Chong Chen & Shin Nakagawa, 2018. "Planetary Health and the Future of Human Capacity: The Increasing Impact of Planetary Distress on the Human Brain," Challenges, MDPI, vol. 9(2), pages 1-10, November.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jchals:v:9:y:2018:i:2:p:41-:d:184696
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Florian Lederbogen & Peter Kirsch & Leila Haddad & Fabian Streit & Heike Tost & Philipp Schuch & Stefan Wüst & Jens C. Pruessner & Marcella Rietschel & Michael Deuschle & Andreas Meyer-Lindenberg, 2011. "City living and urban upbringing affect neural social stress processing in humans," Nature, Nature, vol. 474(7352), pages 498-501, June.
    2. Helen Berry & Kathryn Bowen & Tord Kjellstrom, 2010. "Climate change and mental health: a causal pathways framework," International Journal of Public Health, Springer;Swiss School of Public Health (SSPH+), vol. 55(2), pages 123-132, April.
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    Cited by:

    1. Jacinta T Ryan & Sandra Jones & Peter A Hayes & Jeffrey M Craig, 2019. "Leadership Evolution for Planetary Health: A Genomics Perspective," Challenges, MDPI, vol. 10(1), pages 1-21, January.

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