Environmental Degradation and Sustainable Health: a Review of the Contending Issues

Much discussion on the environment has focused on issues such as global warming, biodiversity loss, and the global effects of environmental degradation. Relatively scant attention has been devoted to the consequences of environmental degradation on human health. This article reviews the evidence on the relationship between unsustainable use of the natural environment and deteriorating health profiles. It explores the interconnections between social values and resource use, and the implications of these interconnections for human health. It points out that materialism and the market-induced craving for wealth not only encourages the unsustainable use of the environment but may also lead to deterioration in human health. Using evidence from precolonial Africa, as well as the experiences of hunter-gatherer societies, the article highlights the salience of lifestyle choices (particularly nutrition, physical activity, and alcohol/tobacco intake) for health profiles. The case of the Pacific island of Nauru is used to illustrate how the transition to “technological living” and a materialist ethos can have grave implications for health and the environment.