Biosensitivity: the practical pathway to planetary health

• Published in: Australian and New Zealand journal of public health Vol. 42; no. 6; p. 589
• Main Author: Tait, Peter
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Australia Elsevier B.V 01-12-2018; Elsevier Limited; Elsevier
• Subjects: Behavior; Biodiversity; Cultural change; Cultural heritage; Cultural property; Cultural resources; Culture; Ecological Parameter Monitoring; Ecology; Economic conditions; Economic development; Economic sectors; Ecosystem; Ecosystems; Employment; Fresh water; Health care; Housing; Human behavior; Human ecology; Human security; Humans; Justice; Leisure; Nature; Neighborhoods; Planets; Public health; Recreation; Security; Social capital; Social change; Social interactions; Society; Species; Theory; Urban areas; Urban development; Urban planning; Water pollution; Water quality; Water supply
• ISSN: 1326-0200; 1753-6405
• DOI: 10.1111/1753-6405.12841

Human civilisation is at a crossroads. We are aware that we need to change how we are affecting the ecosystems on which we depend. However, we have paid too little attention to the processes of change itself and this is part of the reason we have failed to take necessary action. Two emerging ideas, biosensitivity and planetary health, offer new ways for the public health movement to approach action. While planetary health is a goal, introducing biosensitive practice is the means to reach that goal. This article briefly describes biosensitive practice and how it can help us move forward.Biosensitivity is the idea that we live our lives respectfully in tune with the natural world, other species and the ecosystem processes on which our wellbeing stands. It can be a theoretical model but, to be useful, it is actually a set of practices about how we live, work and play every day. These biosensitive practices are often what we would prefer to do but our actual lives are at odds with them, driven by the culture in which we live,1 Biosensitivity underpins a new way of thinking about the place of humans in nature that recognises the primacy of nature and recognises humans as a part of nature.