Links between humans and ecosystems: The implications of framing for health promotion strategies

Abstract

To explore potential links between ecosystems and human health, we set out three ways of seeing or frames: environmental hazards and burden of illness; ecosystem conditions and human well-being; and environmental justice and human core values. Each frame provides a basis for making connections but also poses certain challenges: expanding research methods, linking with other conditions of human well-being and clarifying value bases. We discuss actions which build on the strengths of the different frames to deal with the challenges: linking with those seeking greater ecosystem protection, focusing on clean production strategies, emphasizing environmental degradation as one aspect of social justice and building on concerns such as repoduction which are closer to human core values. Health promotion practitioners and policy makers can flexibly use the frames in arguing for the betterment of both ecosystems and humans.