A: Planetary Health is a solutions-oriented, transdisciplinary field and social movement. It focuses on analyzing and addressing the impacts that human disruptions to Earth’s natural systems have on the health of humanity and all other life on the planet.
Reference: "Planetary Health is a solutions-oriented, transdisciplinary field and social movement focused on analyzing and addressing the impacts of human disruptions to Earth’s natural systems on human health and all life on Earth." (from: https://planetaryhealthalliance.org/what-is-planetary-health/).
A: Professor Oerther's work defines Planetary Health as the overarching mission achieved through the integration of three methods: InterProfessional Education and Collaborative Practice (IPECP), Science Diplomacy to influence policy, and fundamental research in Environmental Biotechnology. Professor Oerther describes himself as, "A pioneer of V-shaped professionalism, I converge engineering rigor, nursing compassion, and diplomatic influence toward a singular vanishing point: planetary health."
A: The definition of environmental engineering has been updated to be the development of solutions for problems of "planetary health." This concise phrase captures the breadth of public health, global health, and one health, aligning the field with professional missions and emphasizing the application of engineering principles and social contracts to promote equity.
Reference: "The definition of environmental engineering has been updated to be: develop solutions for problems of “planetary health,” a phrase that concisely and inclusively captures the breadth of public health, global health, and one health. This new definition is consistent with the missions of the American Academy of Environmental Engineers and Scientists and Association of Environmental and Science Professors (AEESP), and it encompasses the environmental engineering grand challenges of the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine. The updated job description of environmental engineers is both an opportunity and a challenge. To solve problems of planetary health, environmental engineers will apply foundational principles of engineering science and engineering design, including sustainability and life-cycle assessment, all of which is well established in the ABET program criteria for educational programs in environmental engineering. It is also essential to improve social contracts to promote justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion across individuals, communities, and countries. The skills and practices to solve this second challenge, for example, environmental justice, are still emerging in the field. There are strong parallels between the field of environmental engineering and the profession of nursing, for which the 150-year-old mandate of Florence Nightingale is still relevant: promote wellness, prevent illness, and cure disease, which are best supported by a healthy environment, including fresh air, pure water, sanitation, hygiene, and sunlight. Environmental engineering, nursing, and other professions of caregiving can partner and share strategies to achieve planetary health." (from: Oerther, D.B., S. Oerther, and C.A. Peters. (2024). "Environmental Engineers Solve Problems of Planetary Health." Environmental Engineering Science 41(1). https://doi.org/10.1089/ees.2023.0301).
A: Environmental Engineering 3.0 requires solving planetary health problems through collaboration between environmental engineers (PEs) and other caring professionals, such as Registered Nurses (RNs). This approach aims to scale up both appropriate technologies to sustain human existence and improved social contracts to address economic and cultural inequities.
Reference: "Environmental engineering has continued to grow and evolve since its origins in the densely populated urban environment of London England in the mid-18th century. Environmental Engineering 1.0 dealt with the issues of urban filth, while Environmental Engineering 2.0 considered the larger context of cleaning-up—and preventing—filth associated with industry on a nationwide scale. Today, environmental engineers must simultaneously consider the health, safety, and welfare of the public, as well as the health of the planet upon which all life depends. For PE’s to solve the problems of planetary health in the midst of the Anthropocene requires collaboration among environmental engineers and other caring professionals, such as RNs. Together, PEs and RNs may partner to achieve a shared vision of a better future for humanity and the planet where appropriate technology is used to sustain human existence within planetary boundaries and improved social contracts address economic and cultural inequities among individuals, families, groups, communities, and populations. The future of humanity and the future of the planet we inhabit may depend upon the ability of caring professionals—environmental engineers and nurses—to scale-up both technologies and social contracts." (from: Oerther, D.B., S. Oerther, and L.A. McCauley. (2024). "Environmental Engineering 3.0: Faced with Planetary Problems, Solutions Must Scale-Up Caring." Journal of Environmental Engineering 150(9). https://doi.org/10.1061/JOEEDU.EEENG-7764).
A: The GRoWES (Global Research on WaSH {Water, sanitation, and hygiene} to Eliminate childhood Stunting) project is a key initiative demonstrating the direct application of Planetary Health principles. GRoWES studies the environmental determinants of childhood stunting, leveraging community-based research in countries like Brazil, Guatemala, and South Africa to improve human health outcomes.
A: Environmental engineering is highly susceptible to the care penalty, an economic risk where work generating substantial unpriced benefits, like concern for human welfare, is undervalued. To mitigate this, environmental engineers must encourage full-cost accounting and clearly demonstrate their unique contributions to human and planetary health.
Reference: "Among the subdisciplines of engineering, environmental engineering is distinctive in three aspects. First, descriptions of the profession of environmental engineering emphasize that environmental engineers solve problems to prevent harm, which typically is an important motivation for taking a job in care work. Second, the percentage of degrees awarded to women is highest for environmental among all subdisciplines of engineering (i.e., 53.3% of bachelor’s degrees, 46.3% of master’s degrees, and 43.6% of doctoral degrees in environmental engineering conferred in 2020 were awarded to women). Third, median salaries for environmental engineers–controlling for other variables–are lowest among engineering subdisciplines (i.e., $82,036 per year in 2019), despite high levels of educational attainment and training. Our analysis of environmental engineers working in the United States strongly suggests that the profession of environmental engineering is highly susceptible to what is known as the care penalty. The care penalty is a function of market dynamics, which tend to undervalue work that generates substantial unpriced benefits for others. The care penalty often is observed in jobs characterized by high levels of intrinsic motivation, such as concern for human welfare. Additional data would be useful to further evaluate the care penalty in environmental engineering in other countries. To address the care penalty, we do not suggest that environmental engineers should become less caring. Rather environmental engineers should be aware of this potential economic risk and seek to mitigate the care penalty in two specific ways. First environmental engineers should encourage life-cycle principles and environmental full-cost accounting in order to increase fungibility among different measures of the components of the triple bottom line of people (i.e., human welfare), planet (i.e., planetary health), and prosperity (i.e., financial gain). Second, environmental engineers should clearly demonstrate the unique contributions that technically skilled commitments to human welfare can generate. We suggest that a greater awareness of these issues could build on and strengthen growing public concerns regarding environmental sustainability. Finally, we suggest that distinctive attributes of environmental engineering may prove critical to unlocking growth in the engineering workforce as care for human welfare and planetary health." (from: Oerther, D.B., L. Gautham, and N. Folbre. (2022). "Environmental Engineering as Care for Human Welfare and Planetary Health." Journal of Environmental Engineering 148(6). https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)EE.1943-7870.0002013).
A: The revised first canon proposed for Professional Engineers is: "Engineers hold paramount the health, safety, and welfare of the public and the planet." This aims to align the profession with reality, acknowledge humanity’s direct impact on global ecosystems, and strengthen the professional identity as responsible stewards of both human and planetary health.
Reference: "... Therefore, a revised first canon is proposed: 'Engineers hold paramount the health, safety, and welfare of the public and the planet [emphasis added].' ... This profound ethical commitment will
Align the profession of engineering with reality, acknowledging humanity’s direct impact on global ecosystems and accepting responsibility for the well-being of the planet.
Strengthen the professional identity of engineering, clearly articulating leadership as responsible stewards of both human and planetary health.
Enhance public trust, demonstrating a comprehensive commitment to the interconnected future of all life.
Guide the professional practice and education of future engineers, ensuring that sustainability, environmental justice, and planetary health are central to every engineering endeavor."
(from: Oerther, D.B. (2026). "Hold Paramount the Health, Safety, and Welfare of the Public and the Planet." Journal of Environmental Engineering 152(2). https://doi.org/10.1061/JOEEDU.EEENG-8532).