Exploring the critical connection between environmental sustainability and justice system transformation through scientific evidence and innovative approaches.
Explore the ConnectionImagine a world where we meticulously care for our natural environment while simultaneously operating a justice system rooted in prescientific ideas of blame and punishment. This isn't a hypothetical scenario—it's our current reality. Despite planetary health's broad emphasis on justice, equity, and evidence-based policies, one critical area has been conspicuously overlooked: the criminal justice system. This gap represents a profound contradiction in how we conceptualize health, justice, and our interconnectedness.
"The criminal justice system—perhaps one of the clearest sites where systemic injustice plays out—has been largely overlooked within the planetary health paradigm." 1
The emerging field of planetary health recognizes that human health is inextricably linked to the health of our natural systems. Yet, as researchers from the Nova Institute for Health point out, this holistic framework has largely ignored the criminal justice system 1 . This oversight becomes even more striking when we consider that the sprawling prison-industrial complex is resource-intensive and energy-hungry, significantly contributing to the global carbon footprint while simultaneously causing tremendous human suffering 1 .
The stakes are incredibly high. Climate change-associated weather events are projected to lead to millions of additional crimes worldwide, creating a feedback loop that further strains justice systems 1 . Meanwhile, our courts and prisons continue to operate on what many scientists now consider outdated assumptions about human behavior—folk psychology beliefs in willpower, moral fiber, and unencumbered free will that stand in stark contrast to contemporary understandings of human biology, psychology, and social determinants of behavior 1 .
Planetary health represents a transformative way of understanding the connections between human health and the natural systems that sustain life on Earth. The field emphasizes evidence-informed policies and maintains a stated commitment to "honesty, fairness, kindness, humanity, wisdom, and justice" 1 .
This holistic approach dissolves artificial boundaries between personal wellbeing, community health, and environmental sustainability, recognizing them as deeply interconnected.
Despite planetary health's broad justice emphasis, the criminal justice system has largely escaped scrutiny within this framework. This omission becomes particularly puzzling when we consider that justice-involved individuals—especially those from marginalized communities—often experience multiple forms of environmental injustice alongside their encounters with the legal system.
| Aspect | Traditional Retributive Model | Public Health Quarantine Model |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Focus | Punishment for past crimes | Prevention of future harm |
| Theoretical Basis | Folk psychology, moral responsibility | Neuroscience, social determinants of health |
| View of Human Behavior | Free will, rational choice | Constrained by biology, psychology, environment |
| Key Mechanisms | Blame, punishment, incarceration | Risk assessment, rehabilitation, support |
| Alignment with Planetary Health | Low - focuses on individual moral failure | High - recognizes interconnected systems |
In response to this concerning gap between planetary health principles and criminal justice practices, the Nova Institute for Health convened a unique transdisciplinary roundtable to explore the need for fundamental reform 1 . This gathering brought together experts from diverse fields—including neurobiology, law, criminal justice, ethics, and public health—to engage in what they termed a "thought experiment" about how justice might be reimagined using contemporary scientific understanding.
If willpower and moral fiber are illusory concepts, or at least strongly constrained by biopsychosocial factors, what would public safety look like? 1
How are advances in neurobiology and omics technologies challenging prescientific assumptions about behavior? 1
Why do folk psychology beliefs in willpower and moral fiber maintain such sway in legal systems? 1
The roundtable discussions yielded several provocative insights that challenge conventional approaches to justice. Participants noted that while Global North countries differ in their rehabilitation ideals and investments, retributive punishment often guides decision making, particularly in the United States 1 . This approach is underpinned by the idea that humans are rational actors endowed with free will and what the Supreme Court of the United States has described as the ability "to choose between good and evil" 1 .
| Scientific Field | Finding Relevant to Justice | Challenge to Traditional Legal Concepts |
|---|---|---|
| Neuroscience | Brain architecture and function are shaped by genetics, experiences, and environment | Challenges notion of unencumbered free will |
| Behavioral Genetics | Genetic factors influence predisposition to certain behaviors | Undermines simple concepts of moral responsibility |
| Exposome Science | Lifetime environmental exposures shape health and behavior | Highlights importance of social determinants |
| Microbiome Research | Gut-brain axis influences mental health and behavior | Complicates individual responsibility models |
| Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD) | Early life experiences shape lifelong health and behavior | Suggests need for early intervention over punishment |
"If a court truly considered 'the causes of the causes' of behavior—from immediate triggers to transgenerational factors intersecting with genetics and current brain architecture—'there's not a single crack of daylight to shoehorn in free will'." 1
The transformation of criminal justice through a planetary health lens requires sophisticated tools and approaches. Researchers in this emerging field draw on a diverse set of methodologies and technologies to better understand the complex interplay between biology, environment, and behavior.
These include genomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and other approaches that identify biological molecules involved in behavior. These technologies allow researchers to understand how biological factors interact with environmental influences to shape behavior 1 .
Advanced imaging technologies like fMRI and PET scans allow scientists to study how brain structure and function relate to behavior. These tools help reveal how trauma, poverty, and environmental stressors physically alter the brain 1 .
This approach involves measuring all environmental exposures throughout a person's life and how these exposures relate to health and behavior. The exposome concept helps researchers understand how environmental factors contribute to behavioral outcomes 1 .
| Research Tool | Primary Function | Application in Justice Context |
|---|---|---|
| Polygenic Risk Scores | Calculate genetic predisposition to certain traits | Assess aggregate genetic influence on behavior |
| Metabolite Profiling | Identify chemical fingerprints of cellular processes | Discover biomarkers associated with behavioral patterns |
| Microbiome Sequencing | Map microbial communities in human body | Understand gut-brain axis influences on mental health |
| Epigenetic Clocks | Measure biological aging through DNA methylation | Study how stress and adversity accelerate aging |
| Environmental Sensors | Track exposure to pollutants, noise, other stressors | Measure cumulative environmental burden on communities |
The growing dialogue between planetary health and criminal justice represents more than an academic exercise—it signals a potential paradigm shift in how we conceptualize justice, responsibility, and health in an interconnected world. The research emerging from this intersection suggests that tinkering around the edges of justice reform may be insufficient; instead, we may need fundamental reimagining of how we approach harm, safety, and accountability.
"Things in need of significant repair do not get fixed by being left alone." 1
As the Nova Institute researchers argue, "things in need of significant repair do not get fixed by being left alone" 1 . The planetary health concept, with its emphasis on root causes and interconnected systems, offers a framework for addressing what they describe as "injustices that represent a threat to justice everywhere" 1 .
This perspective aligns with broader movements toward recognizing the interconnections between various forms of justice. For instance, green criminology has emerged as a field examining environmental harms and crimes, exploring the conceptual compatibilities between ecological and criminal justice 7 . Similarly, discussions of interspecies justice ask us to consider our ethical obligations beyond humans to include other species and ecosystems .
The challenges ahead are substantial. Transforming deeply entrenched systems requires confronting powerful narratives about punishment, responsibility, and human nature. It demands that we integrate sophisticated scientific understanding with compassionate policy-making. Most of all, it asks us to expand our circle of concern to include not only the natural world but also those who have been harmed by and caught up in our justice systems.
As we face a future of environmental uncertainty and social change, the integration of planetary health and criminal justice may prove essential to creating a society that is not only sustainable but truly just—one that recognizes our fundamental interconnectedness while responding to harm with wisdom, evidence, and compassion.