Arq. Bras. Cardiol. 2023; 120(7): e20230119
The Environment and the Heart
Antonio Eduardo Monteiro de Almeida
, Ricardo Stein
Our planet is facing an unprecedented crisis related to climate change and the loss of biodiversity, and there is evidence that this crisis has threatened the health of our ecosystems and communities, in addition to modifying the lifestyle of living beings on Earth. Moreover, multiple scientists have stated that “we have years rather than decades to fight this crisis.”
Since elementary school, we learn about the importance of oxygen for human life. It is estimated that 50% to 80% of the oxygen on Earth is produced in the oceans (“the planet’s lungs”), which is also the largest means of absorbing carbon, playing a fundamental role in regulating the global climate. , Forests and other ecosystems produce the rest of the oxygen we use. Going against the dichotomy of producing oxygen and absorbing carbon, the destruction of these environments increases the degree of pollution; the consequences are severe and can be even more detrimental.
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