An Introduction to Planetary Health

Harvard HSPH

Over the past half century, the collective impact of humanity on the structure and function of Earth’s natural systems has increased exponentially changing the biophysical conditions that support human life. As a result, we have entered a new epoch called the Anthropocene. Very rapid human population growth combined with even more rapid growth in per capita consumption are driving an extraordinary transformation of most of Earth’s climate system, its oceans, land cover, biogeochemical cycles,…