US Appoints First Diplomat For Animals and the Planet
The new Special Envoy for Biodiversity and Water Resources will tackle global environmental issues to help reverse the loss of biodiversity and promote water security.
The U.S. has created a new diplomatic role that will tackle threats to animals, plants and water.
Monica P. Medina has been named as the United States’ first-ever Special Envoy for Biodiversity and Water Resources, as part of President Biden’s commitment to resolving the world’s intertwined biodiversity and water crises.
“The loss of nature and rising water insecurity are global health threats that must be confronted together,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a tweet announcing the new role.
The Special Envoy will work with resources across federal government departments to collaboratively tackle so-called environmental stressors, such the climate crisis, and nature crimes like illegal logging, mining, and wildlife trafficking. The government says these environmental stressors have deep and detrimental impacts on the biodiversity of the planet and the availability of clean and safe water for human use, which is why the role aims to strengthen both biodiversity and water resources in unison.
Describing her new appointment to The Guardian, Medina explained that “we use nature for free essentially, but it’s not free. We know it’s not free. We know there are costs to the way that we’ve been extracting from nature. And now we need to find a way to make sure we account for that today and in the future.”
Medina will take on the Special Envoy role in addition to her current position as the Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs.
Animals, plants, and water resources at risk
Conservationists have consistently warned governments of the alarming rate at which nature is being destroyed. A recent landmark report on the planet’s health and biodiversity by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) found that around two-thirds of the world’s wildlife has been wiped out since 1970.
One of the leading drivers for the loss of biodiversity is the conversion of natural spaces like rainforests, grasslands, and mangroves, into land used for agricultural systems.
Around half of the world’s habitable land is already used for agriculture, with 71 percent of that land used for livestock, animal grazing or to grow animal feed. Animal agriculture’s huge and intensive environmental footprint means that, despite using so much of the world’s land supply, the end product - meat and dairy products - only make up 17 percent of global caloric supply.
Leading conservationists and environmentalists from David Attenborough to Greta Thunberg, have called for a global shift away from meat and towards plant-based diets to increase the yield of the land, and in turn help stop deforestation, and protect biodiversity and global water resources.
While it is not yet known if the Special Envoy for Biodiversity and Water Resources will use the role to encourage the uptake of plant-based diets, councils and institutions are already taking matters into their own hands by introducing initiatives to cut animal products and promote more climate-friendly foods. Berkely for example recently became the first U.S. city to commit to phasing out meat and dairy products at council-run public events and in city buildings.
Our choices matter to animals. Do you think you could embrace plant-based living for 30 days? We do. This October, sign up for the Species Unite 30-Day Vegan Challenge to discover a whole new world, from recipes that will trick your most carnivorous friends to shoes, boots and bags made from some of the most magical plants on the planet. Take part here!
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