The lungs of the world

Abstract

‘The Lungs of the World’ begins by questioning the values and actions that have led to a world in which deforestation, carbon emissions, greed, the misuse of power and the pursuit of profit that have worsened air pollution even more than today. Leaving these behind, the story describes a global shift in values towards collaboration and genuine care for human, plant and animal life alike. ‘The Lungs of the World’ reminds us that environmental problems will affect the health and wellbeing of healthcare professionals and patients alike, and so require us to work together beyond these boundaries. In this story, understanding and celebrating the intertwined relationships between all people, anatomy, physiology, today’s social and environmental problems, seems to release a new energy, creativity and novel opportunities. It feels as though thinking and acting at much larger scales than the individual body enables dealing with well-known problems in entirely new ways and doing so with a strong sense of purpose and meaning.