Caring for the health of people and the planet

World Environmental Health Day is celebrated each year on September 26 to increase recognition of the interconnectedness of human health and the environment. The International Federation of Environmental Health’s 2025 theme is “Clean Air, Healthy People” — promoting awareness and action on the impact of clean air on public health.

Teddie Potter, director of the Center for Planetary Health and Environmental Justice and a clinical professor in the University of Minnesota School of Nursing, is available to discuss the consequential relationship between human and environmental health and how the planetary health movement seeks to address it. 

Teddie Potter, Ph.D.

“Human and environmental health are deeply interconnected — we cannot have one without the other. Yet human behaviors are causing climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution, which threaten the wellbeing of people and life on Earth.

The planetary health movement is a growing, solutions-focused transdisciplinary effort to protect Earth’s natural systems so that future generations can survive and flourish. The University of Minnesota’s Center for Planetary Health and Environmental Justice understands that when we create the right environment, nature not only can heal itself, but is an essential partner in human health.

Through a planetary health foundation, our nurses are equipped to address both mitigation (prevention) and adaptation to issues like air quality. Nurses advocate for local and federal policy changes, promote sustainability practices in their work and educate the public on how air quality can impact their health. They also help their patients adapt to the reality of a world where poor air quality contributes to an estimated 7 million deaths each year. They can recommend adaptation strategies for vulnerable populations and suggest tools — like air purifiers or masks — to address the health effects of poor air quality due to wildfire smoke. They teach individuals and families how to modify outdoor activities on days when the air quality is dangerous for everyone. For World Environmental Health Day, we invite everyone to join the planetary health movement to protect both our Earth and its people.”

Teddie Potter is the director of the Center of Planetary Health and Environmental Justice at the School of Nursing and fellow in the Institute on the Environment at the University of Minnesota. She is a board member of the Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments, a member of the American Academy of Nursing Environment and Public Health Expert Panel and is on the steering committee of the Planetary Health Alliance. She serves on the National Academy of Medicine’s Action Collaborative on Decarbonizing the U.S. Health Sector and on the Climate Crossroads committee of National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine.

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About the School of Nursing

Founded in 1909 and recognized as the birthplace of university-based nurse education, the University of Minnesota School of Nursing continues to lead the profession into the future. With a mission to generate knowledge and prepare nurse leaders who create, lead and participate in holistic efforts to improve the health of all people, the school and its research are addressing health issues across the life span with a focus on health promotion among vulnerable populations, prevention and management of chronic health conditions, symptom management and health/nursing informatics and systems innovation. The school is ranked among the top programs in nursing informatics and is internationally renowned for its efforts to improve health and health care through the use of big data. Learn more at nursing.umn.edu.

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