The Ethical Foundations of Digital Planetary Health

Abstract

<p>Since the Industrial Revolution, human overexploitation has surpassed Earth's regenerative limits, accelerating waste and resource depletion. This fuels intensified extreme weather: heatwaves, wildfires, hurricanes, floods, droughts, tsunamis, causing mass displacement, injury, death, and health woes like disrupted care, psychological distress, substance abuse, suicides, and child vulnerabilities to fossil fuel pollutants harming lungs and hearts.Beyond superficial fixes, digital planetary health leverages AI and digitalisation to slash emissions, improve efficiency, and track impacts. Neural networks enable vegetation forecasting, pollution control, disaster response. Key tools include UNEP's WESR for global data, GEMSA for air monitoring, DestinE's Earth twin; Tuvalu digitises heritage to safeguard sovereignty from rising seas.Digitalisation's energy demands risk amplifying harm and inequalities, widening Global South divides. Virtue ethics: instilling justice, honesty, responsibility, care, prudence, fortitude, must counter biases, ensure equitable access, aligning AI with ecocentric goals, per Lancet studies.In the Anthropocene, interdependent human-planetary thriving demands moral psychology, data justice, collaboration to turn tech restorative.</p>