Common sense tells us that a sound environment is important to human health. However, only in recent years have science and technology provided us with ways to measure the correlation between a healthy environment and a healthy body. Advances in the field of environmental health have taught us much about human health hazards; for example, air pollution can cause respiratory disease, heavy metals can cause neurotoxicity, global climate change is likely to fuel the spread of infectious diseases. However, we also have limited resources for identifying and understanding challenges to health or implementing intervention strategies. Another central issue is the reduction and disposal of waste. Clearly, we cannot continue to produce waste at a rate that outweighs our ability to assimilate it back into the ecosystems without negative impacts.
– Lisa James