Population and Planet Health: An Eco-Enlightened Approach for Practice

You cannot have healthy people without a healthy planet.

Eco-enlightenment is a concept informed by science and evidence that while the climate crisis is real, it does not need to be a doomsday prophecy. Eco-enlightenment encompasses human awareness, understanding, and action to transform our world into a resilient global society with improved quality of life and better health for all beings, respect, and restoration of natural systems, as well as the ability to sustain human and planetary well-being over the long term.

This presentation will examine major environmental and health issues at the macro, meso, and micro levels and how these can be contextualized as whole person, whole community, whole society, or whole planet health and the implications for case management. We will explore how case and disability managers as advocates can lead the shift from the status quo of policies, practices, and products that are harmful to people and the planet (including how US health care contributes to the problem) and discuss a new paradigm that embodies and exemplifies eco-enlightened practice.

Participants will have the opportunity to create an intention/action that represents eco-enlightenment in their own professional practice. The session will conclude with a brief meta (loving-kindness) guided meditation for people and the planet.