Letters: Spring/Summer 2025
Readers respond to our reporting on planetary health, the focus of our Fall/Winter 2024 special issue.
In our last issue, our writers explored how humans have transformed Earth’s natural systems to the detriment of human health: rising infectious disease risks associated with disrupted ecosystems, nutrition deficits caused by increased CO2 levels, the real costs of industrial food animal production, and the mental health toll of higher temperatures. They also highlight ways to repair the harm, such as reducing food waste, bringing planetary health to med school, and constructing sustainable cities.
Terrific piece. It would be even better if you added information about the inhumane treatment of workers in the poultry slaughterhouses. From high rates of amputation and injury to stunningly high rates of musculoskeletal disorders, the poultry industry is one of the harshest industries in the U.S. Because it is so dangerous, turnover in poultry plants ranges from 60%–150% a year. They only hire the most vulnerable workers who are often too scared to speak up. [In 2023], a 16-year-old illegally hired by a major poultry company was killed on the job when the company failed to provide safe conditions. [In September 2024], a chicken catcher was killed on the job on a contract poultry farm. —Debbie Berkowitz, former chief of staff at OSHA, via email, in response to The Many Costs of Cheap Chicken
I found it distressing that the article The Many Costs of Cheap Chicken contained only a passing reference to the horrendous suffering imposed on hundreds of thousands of chickens reared for slaughter in massive poultry houses like the ones pictured. The adverse consequences for animal health and behaviors of rearing chickens packed together densely on their own [excrement], with only dim artificial lighting for 24 hours a day, without fresh air, and without a chance to perch are well documented—one single close-up photograph would have sufficed to bring those home. —Petra Osinski, DrPH ’92, MPH ’84, via email
If young adults, especially those in countries with high rates of consumption per capita, voluntarily chose to immediately have few or no children, CO2 production would collapse in a generation. Why did you not suggest this solution to climate change? —Greg Pearl via web
A story about animal welfare would have rounded this out to a great example of the One Health model. … Animal, human, and environmental interactions are life. The health of one affects the health of another. Equations will find balance. —Erik Meyer, RN, RDN, via LinkedIn, in response to Planetary Health’s Front Lines
Good article, and the points and findings reinforce our experiences in several cities and village downtowns across Vermont. We’ve seen positive results on surveys and testimonials for a sturdy shopping trolley for people who are transit-dependent. Just letting you know that in Vermont, we’re promoting walking, walkable communities, and transit amenities that help people walk for purpose. —Debra Sachs, Net Zero Vermont, via web, in response to Driving Change
I am consistently inspired by the remarkable ways that the Department of Environmental Health and Engineering is amplifying community wisdom, sharing power, and helping communities have greater agency over decisions that impact their health. This is a true testament to the power of partnerships and how they can be important mechanisms for change and the advancement of environmental justice. —Anthony Nicome, MHS ’21, via LinkedIn, in response to CHARMED City
Human behavior is key to all of this! To quote Mike Ryan, deputy executive director of Health Emergencies at the WHO, “The ability of diseases to move has more to do with human behavior than it has to do with any of the bugs we fight.” —Elizabeth Serlemitsos, MPH, MBA, associate in HBS, via LinkedIn, in response to Habitats for Humanity