Future Earth—linking research on health and environmental sustainability
BMJ 2017; 357 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.j2358 (Published 01 June 2017) Cite this as: BMJ 2017;357:j2358All rapid responses
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60-75% of research is inaccurate and generally not worth the paper upon which it is written. So why would more research be the answer to any of the world's problems?
Obviously, calls for more research would benefit the researchers?
What we need is action. Action to protect the present environment and restoration of the damage created by human activities, such as forest and wetland restoration. Agricultural practices that maintain the integrity of healthy systems. Pollution control, sensible family planning, railing against corporate and individual greed, governmental inertia and the realisation that healthy environments lead to healthy populations. These are a few of the global problems faced by us all. We have the answers to all of these, but there is a lack of political will, political nous and individual sophistication to rectify the issues.
But let's be honest, man's lack of integrity, especially that of Western world countries, is unlikely to achieve anything of significance, hence Prof. Stephen Hawking's call to populate neighbouring planets, as the world is unlikely to be habitable within the next 100 years. Now if there was anything that desribes human endeavour in such terms of futility, it is Prof. Hawking's statement.
Competing interests: No competing interests
Re: Future Earth—linking research on health and environmental sustainability
This is the evolution of life on our planet. There is no doubt we had some achievements in other fields with great success and benefits to the nation like electricity utilized on large scale in transport and industry; another great achievement was the computer in education and saving the data in all departments. What we are aiming for now is to use another source of energy like solar energy and electricity for cars, which contribute a huge ampunt to air pollution. Next, hopefully will come the role of atomic energy when the use of petrol will start to recede.
M E Tageldin
Competing interests: No competing interests