The Lancet Planetary Health launched!

Just became aware that “The Lancet” committee has launched a new journal on “Planetary Health” [1] in April 2017. Well, this is not brand new anymore, but still noteworthy since its selection of topic is direly needed. 20 years ago I would have even called the journal visionary, but in our times of immediate pollution of air (eg major cities in China, India, but also in Germany), water (e.g. plastic pollution), and dramatic decreases in biodiversity, esp. insects, which threaten the basis of human life and health, this journal reflects these paradigmatic shifts in how we should see human health in its relation to the natural resources, plants, animals, eco systems, and the planet as a whole.

Here, a summary from the website [1]:

What is planetary health? And what kind of science will this new journal be seeking? In The Rockefeller Foundation–Lancet Commission on Planetary Health, planetary health was defined as the health of human civilisations and the natural systems on which they depend. To explain this idea in simpler terms we need to think of human beings as a powerful and growing force behind the environmental change that we are witnessing today. Alterations to climate, water, land and ecosystems are challenging all life on our planet, with serious implications for human health. The way we think about the planet needs to be revised, as does the approach we take in interacting with it.

This journal is hopefully getting a lot of academic and media attention in the future …

[1] http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanplh/article/PIIS2542-5196(17)30013-X/fulltext