The Lancet: Planetary health in the Anthropocene
Editorial Board

“In May, 29 of 34 members of the Anthropocene Working Group voted to recognize the Anthropocene as the geological epoch entered in the 20th century, characterized by human activity rapidly shaping our planet. … Our 2015 Rockefeller Foundation-Lancet Commission on planetary health recommended an urgent expansion of the interdisciplinary scope of research and capacity. Departments of planetary health and academic initiatives and alliances are now taking shape in universities around the world … We applaud the convergence of disciplines and global academic leadership that is bringing this new community to life, but there is more to do. There remain gaps in securing political will to address the multiple human-caused challenges that threaten all life on Earth. This is visible in relation to global progress in achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); such as SDG 2 — zero hunger, and SDG 3 — good health and wellbeing. That we still read news headlines of 60 million children suffering hunger in Africa illustrates such disconnect. Governments now need to be held to account to take political action that supports the evidence emerging around planetary health. The new wave of academia could set its next sights on that goal” (6/8).