Thoughts on the Future
When looking to the past, we see that civilizations that were strong and thriving appear to have died suddenly and without warning. What common thread is there that led to the downfalls of these civilizations and what do we need to be looking out for now? Are we on an imminent fall as well?
With so many factors contributing to one’s health including environment, food, money, and customs, it would be fascinating to discover what specific aspects of these elements contributed to the downfall of the great civilizations of the past, and what the 6.2 billion people of the world should worry about for today.
We are all aware that climate change is occurring. The data is inarguable, the temperatures are rising, the CO2 levels are increasing, and the distribution of rainwater is changing. Areas around the world that at one time had free flowing rivers and full lakes, are now dried up and arid while other areas are so flooded that lives are at risk with disentary, untreated water, and other water-borne diseases.
A November 1993 Lancet article evaluates the potential effect of climate change, induced by greenhouse gases on crop yield. Overwhelmingly, the potential staple crop yields of wheat, rice, maize, and soybean decreases as both CO3 levels and temperatures increase.
We tend to forget where our food comes from, that conditions for growing food need to be just right. We always assume that our food will have an endless supply, and it will always be there when we want it and need it. Unfortunately, the environment does not work to our will.
By studying what is happening in the environment and the approaches that can be taken to reverse some of these changes on a global scale, much can be done to save the food supply. By studying the way civilizations have reacted to and adapted to climate changes in the past whether by migrating, changing their eating habits, or changing their cultural habits, we can determine what key characteristics the civilizations that survived had and project that onto key characteristics that people will need today to maintain their nutritional and health statuses.
We do not live in a vacuum, what effects one country affects another. The climate changes in one area of the world may be exacerbated or alleviated by the effects in another part of the world. As temperatures keep rising, the ability to grow food where it is grown now may decline, as the use of fertilizers increases, insecticide use increases, and the continued use of fossil fuels increases all the while top soil erodes and crop yield erodes.
The rising cost of food is another key factor in nutritional status. As more countries become industrialized, they tend to lose land for growing food in favor of adding more factories to produce more textiles and factories. As land is lost, the ability to grow food is lost, and food must be brought in from other countries. The cost to transport food into the country is far greater than it would have been to grow it for themselves, and this higher cost of food translates into people being able to afford less of it. As food becomes less affordable, children and older adults will be most at risk for nutritional depletion and risks.
So, the reality of the future of public health and nutrition are in fact a focus on preventing further climate change. To do that we must understand the history of the world’s climate, what that means for food production and historical disease risk. As temperatures rise, mosquitos, pine beetles, and other animals also have to migrate and change their living habits to stay alive. All living things are competing for the same resources. What will happen if the temperatures get too high that animals used for farming cannot survive? In poor countries where these animals represent a farmer’s livelihood, the risks are tremendous.
The reality of the future of public health and nutrition in concert with preventing further climate change involve understanding our human history. This goes back to my desire to understand how civilizations of the past either perished or adapted and survived. I recently was on a trip to Central America where I learned about the Mayan culture. I was so fascinated by the wealth, the prosperity, the knowledge, and then the sudden fall of the ancient Mayan civilization. Yet, Maya people do still live, they still speak the language, they still live in family units, and they still retain some of their old customs.
Why is it that the Mayan kingdoms fell, but the Mayan people still live and thrive? So, to improve public health for the future in a world that is rife with environmental change and increasing health risks, we must understand the cultures of history, study them, study their ways of life, and take the lessons we can learn to project to the future.
Finally, the reality of the future of public health and nutrition is to realize that nutrition plays such a key role in the overall health of an individual, a family, a city, a country, and of the world. In order to survive, plants and animals must have enough water and enough energy. The sun provides energy to plants, but they must have enough water to sustain them. Plants provide energy to animals and humans, but without enough plants, animals and humans will not be able to survive.
Our world is a delicate balance, one that is a perfect distance from the sun, has a magnetic field that shields us from the harmful solar winds, one that has so far sustained life as we know it, though there have been falls and mishaps along the way.
Yes, there is the risk that we have reached our growth potential, we have maxed out our resources and that to continue adding people will bring our eventual death. But, as with all human nature, there will be more children born, there will more people added to the world, and the resources we have available to us must last as long as they can. That is why studying climate change and trying to prevent any further damage and reverse what damage has occurred must be our number one priority. That is why studying past cultures and their history can help us predict how climate changes can effect us and use that knowledge to make changes that will protect us.
As a dietitian, I know that food and nutrition are what sustain us, keep us healthy, and keep us alive. I see it on an individual level at the hospital. But, it is my passion for life, for sustainability, for studying people and their cultures, and my own personal interest in green living that I know that I have the ability to do more, that I have the ability to help more people on a global level.
With so many factors contributing to one’s health including environment, food, money, and customs, it would be fascinating to discover what specific aspects of these elements contributed to the downfall of the great civilizations of the past, and what the 6.2 billion people of the world should worry about for today.
We are all aware that climate change is occurring. The data is inarguable, the temperatures are rising, the CO2 levels are increasing, and the distribution of rainwater is changing. Areas around the world that at one time had free flowing rivers and full lakes, are now dried up and arid while other areas are so flooded that lives are at risk with disentary, untreated water, and other water-borne diseases.
A November 1993 Lancet article evaluates the potential effect of climate change, induced by greenhouse gases on crop yield. Overwhelmingly, the potential staple crop yields of wheat, rice, maize, and soybean decreases as both CO3 levels and temperatures increase.
We tend to forget where our food comes from, that conditions for growing food need to be just right. We always assume that our food will have an endless supply, and it will always be there when we want it and need it. Unfortunately, the environment does not work to our will.
By studying what is happening in the environment and the approaches that can be taken to reverse some of these changes on a global scale, much can be done to save the food supply. By studying the way civilizations have reacted to and adapted to climate changes in the past whether by migrating, changing their eating habits, or changing their cultural habits, we can determine what key characteristics the civilizations that survived had and project that onto key characteristics that people will need today to maintain their nutritional and health statuses.
We do not live in a vacuum, what effects one country affects another. The climate changes in one area of the world may be exacerbated or alleviated by the effects in another part of the world. As temperatures keep rising, the ability to grow food where it is grown now may decline, as the use of fertilizers increases, insecticide use increases, and the continued use of fossil fuels increases all the while top soil erodes and crop yield erodes.
The rising cost of food is another key factor in nutritional status. As more countries become industrialized, they tend to lose land for growing food in favor of adding more factories to produce more textiles and factories. As land is lost, the ability to grow food is lost, and food must be brought in from other countries. The cost to transport food into the country is far greater than it would have been to grow it for themselves, and this higher cost of food translates into people being able to afford less of it. As food becomes less affordable, children and older adults will be most at risk for nutritional depletion and risks.
So, the reality of the future of public health and nutrition are in fact a focus on preventing further climate change. To do that we must understand the history of the world’s climate, what that means for food production and historical disease risk. As temperatures rise, mosquitos, pine beetles, and other animals also have to migrate and change their living habits to stay alive. All living things are competing for the same resources. What will happen if the temperatures get too high that animals used for farming cannot survive? In poor countries where these animals represent a farmer’s livelihood, the risks are tremendous.
The reality of the future of public health and nutrition in concert with preventing further climate change involve understanding our human history. This goes back to my desire to understand how civilizations of the past either perished or adapted and survived. I recently was on a trip to Central America where I learned about the Mayan culture. I was so fascinated by the wealth, the prosperity, the knowledge, and then the sudden fall of the ancient Mayan civilization. Yet, Maya people do still live, they still speak the language, they still live in family units, and they still retain some of their old customs.
Why is it that the Mayan kingdoms fell, but the Mayan people still live and thrive? So, to improve public health for the future in a world that is rife with environmental change and increasing health risks, we must understand the cultures of history, study them, study their ways of life, and take the lessons we can learn to project to the future.
Finally, the reality of the future of public health and nutrition is to realize that nutrition plays such a key role in the overall health of an individual, a family, a city, a country, and of the world. In order to survive, plants and animals must have enough water and enough energy. The sun provides energy to plants, but they must have enough water to sustain them. Plants provide energy to animals and humans, but without enough plants, animals and humans will not be able to survive.
Our world is a delicate balance, one that is a perfect distance from the sun, has a magnetic field that shields us from the harmful solar winds, one that has so far sustained life as we know it, though there have been falls and mishaps along the way.
Yes, there is the risk that we have reached our growth potential, we have maxed out our resources and that to continue adding people will bring our eventual death. But, as with all human nature, there will be more children born, there will more people added to the world, and the resources we have available to us must last as long as they can. That is why studying climate change and trying to prevent any further damage and reverse what damage has occurred must be our number one priority. That is why studying past cultures and their history can help us predict how climate changes can effect us and use that knowledge to make changes that will protect us.
As a dietitian, I know that food and nutrition are what sustain us, keep us healthy, and keep us alive. I see it on an individual level at the hospital. But, it is my passion for life, for sustainability, for studying people and their cultures, and my own personal interest in green living that I know that I have the ability to do more, that I have the ability to help more people on a global level.
posted by Dana M. Ellis, MPH, R.D. @ 1:07 PM
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