As global temperatures continue to rise, scientists predict that environmental shifts will impact the ability of medicinal plants to grow and thrive in affected regions. Botanists across the world are shining light on the ways that climate change could fundamentally alter the practice of holistic medicine.
Many efforts to combat climate change prioritize the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. But cutting emissions is only part of the equation. To truly mitigate the harmful effects of carbon emissions, we need to look not at the skies, but at the dirt beneath our feet.
“We deserve a safe future. And we demand a safe future. Is that really too much to ask?”
Greta Thunberg posed this blunt question to the world during her brief but forceful speech at the New York City climate strike on September 20.
To thunderous applause and fervent chanting of her name, the celebrated–and vilified –Swedish eco activist voiced the fears, rage, and hopes of her generation.
The troubling truth is, Greta’s demand really might be too much to ask.
While there have always been medical voices calling attention to the perils of unchecked environmental degradation, for the most part the healthcare mainstream has kept quiet. It is only recently that major medical organizations have begun to publicly acknowledge the health risks posed by climate change.
Patients concerned about glyphosate contamination can now check their food and water for traces of the toxic weed killer with a new home test kit.
Healthcare—with its reliance on single-use disposables—is one of the world’s biggest polluters. And the natural products and dietary supplements industries—despite their “clean, green, and healthy” values—do contribute to the deluge of trash and pollution. Fortunately, eco-conscious companies in the natural products sector are responding to the crisis, and leading the charge toward ecological sustainability.
Holistic Primary Care’s 2018 Practitioner Survey included a question about the rapidly emerging methods of Synthetic Biology (SynBio) and the entry of SynBio ingredients into the food and dietary supplement supply chains.
Once the stuff of science fiction, modern scientists are now using the techniques of synthetic biology to generate a vast range of useful compounds – including a growing number of ingredients and raw materials that end up in dietary supplements.
Microbiologists in New Zealand have discovered yet another reason to be concerned about the herbicide glyphosate: It can induce antibiotic resistance in common human pathogens, including Salmonella and Escherichia coli.
Citing gaps in existing organic certification criteria, the founders of the Detox Project—a consumer advocacy group–have launched a new Glyphosate Residue Free (GRF) seal for food makers concerned about the toxicity of the widely used herbicide.
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