[Political ecology, ecological economics, and public health: interfaces for the sustainability of development and health promotion].
This article proposes to focus contributions from political ecology and ecological economics to the field of collective health with a view towards integrating the discussions around health promotion, socio-environmental sustainability, and development. Ecological economics is a recent interdisciplinary field that combines economists and other professionals from the social, human, and life sciences. The field has developed new concepts and methodologies that seek to grasp the relationship between the economy and ecological and social processes such as social metabolism and metabolic profile, thereby interrelating economic, material, and energy flows and producing indicators and indexes for (un)sustainability. Meanwhile, political ecology approaches ecological issues and socio-environmental conflicts based on the economic and power dynamics characterizing modern societies. Collective health and the discussions on health promotion can expand our understanding of territory, communities, and the role of science and institutions based on the contributions of political ecology and ecological economics in analyzing development models and the distributive and socio-environmental conflicts generated by them.
Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública Sergio Arouca, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil. marcelo.firpo@ensp.fiocruz.br
Marcelo Firpo
MF
Porto
Joan
J
Martinez-Alier
D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D004463:Ecology / Q000191:economics*; D004782:Environmental Health; D006293:Health Promotion; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D011634:Public Health; D011640:Public Policy; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors