Our current geological epoch has been termed the Anthropocene—a new period in the history of Earth where humans have deep and transforming impacts on life and the environment. These transformations have produced a myriad of benefits to individuals and societies, including amazing developments in the arts, technologies, science and medicine. However, the exponential human proliferation on the planet is not without conflict, and not entirely secure. Humans continue to be involved in violence and wars, and have create the ability to anihilate the entire human race with nuclear weapons. While these conflicts and issues are some of the biggest dangers for humans and civilized society, another major issue is how humans treat the output and waste of their own activities.
The rationale for identifying a new "geological era" is the extent of the impact we have on ecosystems, climate, and yes, even to the rocks of the planet. While much recent attention has been paid to climate change due to human activity—an issue seriously discussed at least since the 1890s by Svante Arrhenius, and correctly predicted since the 1970s by Exxon researchers—we seem to be having serious adverse impacts on our own bodies with our chemical output. Output from our productive activity is changing the entire climate system of the planet, and ecosystems of animal and plant life. These environmental systems are external to ourselves. But we are also changing our own bodies in negative ways, which means drastic changes to our quality of health and even survival
There are optimistic views. Some note extreme progress in human intellectual development, a satisfying comfort in the automated washing and drying of clothes in minutes, and life extension from modern industrial practices and medicines. But there is a stupendous challenge with the impact that our modern products, and the output from our productive activities, have on the environment and consequently on our health. It is important to recognize that shampoos and harsh cleaning chemicals drain into rivers from which we get our drinking water. We continue to spray large amounts of pesticides associated with various adverse health effects on the food we eat, and continue to use compounds such as PFAS and phthalates that are strongly associated with various serious negative health outcomes, including obesity, allergies and infertility.
The Lab for Health, Environment and Informatics was developed to bring attention to these issues, and help bring awareness of the relationship between environmental health and human health. Much academic work on information and communication technologies (ICTs) is geared toward the development of more ICTs to facilitate work, bring efficiencies and make income. While this is good, there is a lack of research and development for ICTs to play a role in the education of environmental issues, to reduce the potential dangers of certain foods and consumer products, to assist in the location of areas of higher or lower toxic chemical releases, or in helping understand the progress we are making (or not) in eliminating these substances from our bodies and environments. This lab was created to support research on the impact of environmental toxicants on human health, and support policies and information for individuals, companies and governments to make better decisions for all of us.
