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“We have to stir up a mental revolution in terms of ecology, society and health”

Joan Benach is a lecturer in the Department of Political and Social Sciences and director of the Health Inequality research group - Employment Conditions Network (GREDS-EMCONET), which specializes in public health.
31.03.2017

 

Joan Benach is a lecturer in the Department of Political and Social Sciences and director of the Health Inequality research group - Employment Conditions Network (GREDS-EMCONET), specializing in public health. He is also co-director of the JHU-UPF Public Policy Center. We are speaking to him to find out about the transversality of the environment and its connection with disciplines such as public health or the economy. 

 

- What disciplines study public health?

Health is a megadiscipline that depends on biomedicine, psychology, sociology, politics, law, the environment, etc. To understand the health of the population properly there must be an integrated vision of the different disciplines. Unfortunately, today many studies and many analyses are too “reductionist” and, therefore, not enough to understand global and systemic problems in which the causes are interrelated. More complex transdisciplinary research is needed.

- Do studies exist that directly relate the environment, society and public health?

The environment has to do with the surroundings we live in: the food we eat, the air we breathe, the water we drink... And each of them is related to social, economic and political factors. So, when we speak about the environment, rather than speaking about ecology we should talk about socioecology, because in the real world it is very difficult to separate it. This can be seen clearly when we think of the serious socioecological crisis that humanity is facing this century. Even so, due to its complexity, scientific research often tends to simplify, either from a micro- point of view, such as the chemical contamination of certain workers or settlements, or at a more macro- level, as is the case of the ecological destruction of the coast.

We must transcend the myth of GDP growth as the supreme goal of economic policy, which ignores the socioecological costs of the production of goods

- And what role does the economy play in all of this?

The economy is an essential science to understanding health and the world we live in. However, there is not one economy but many, and for me the economy cannot be understood as a separate science from sociology, politics or history. In fact, in the 17th century the term political economy was coined. Today however, the hegemonic economy turns its back on critical visions like that of eco-friendly economists, who point out that the production of goods and services cannot ignore thermodynamics or overlook issues such as energy, raw materials, the generation of waste or the ecological impact. We must transcend the myth of GDP growth as the supreme goal of economic policy, which ignores the socioecological costs of the production of goods. In fact, GDP only measures economic activity and this can be good, regular or bad, like when forests are destroyed or weapons are manufactured. Therefore, it is crucial for economic policy to adopt a socioecological vision with equity and social justice as key terms that will translate into health and less inequality.  

- Speaking of issues closer to home, how is the current pollution in Barcelona affecting people’s health?

The pollution of cities like Barcelona is a serious problem of public health whose origin is sociological, since transport plays a key role in it. Today perhaps four-fifths of the population of Barcelona breathes in polluted air that causes cancer, heart attacks, strokes and cognitive problems in children, among other health problems. And the more pollution, the worse our health.

What do we need to do? As the population’s health is at stake, first of all we must refuse to accept silent but very real deaths and diseases. And second, we must raise social awareness and be bold in making environmental policies that are as daring, consensual and democratic as possible.

The pollution of cities like Barcelona is a serious problem of public health whose origin is sociological

- What public policy would you propose to improve the current situation of the city?

Rather than “policy” it would be better to speak of “policies”. We have to intervene in various ways: socially, fiscally, legally, educationally, culturally, with regard to communication... Why should we resign ourselves to living worse and dying because we breathe in polluted air? We cannot accept that. The goal is for the people to understand that we have to change our way of life, we have to adopt habits of mobility, production and consumption that under capitalism tend to be unsustainable and unhealthy. We have to stir up a mental revolution in terms of ecology, society and health.

- And on a more global level, what is the situation of the environment?

The current situation is really worrying. Many scientific studies show that we are facing a huge global ecological crisis. It is not just climate change, but also the loss of biodiversity, soil erosion, chemical pollution of the air, water, soil and food, and also the loss of fossil fuels and raw materials that make up the basis of today’s economy. On an unsustainable Earth it is difficult to imagine that we can be healthy and that there is equity and social justice. 

Why should we resign ourselves to living worse and dying because we breathe in polluted air? We cannot accept that

- What is your personal view of the current situation? Is there any hope of reversing the situation?

There’s always hope because, by definition, the future is uncertain. However, the trends that we are observing are not optimistic. In a finite biosphere there cannot be indefinite economic growth like now. And I believe that you cannot build a sustainable society without radically questioning the structures of power and property, nor without tackling the commercial interests of the major transnational corporations or the neoliberal policies of governments that damage our health and the environment. To change it we will have to experiment with new ways of life, alternative means of production and consumption. We must create a far more deeply rooted democracy than the democracy we have today.

Video presentation of GREDS-EMCONET

*Interview by UPF Sostenible

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