As the federal government continues to remove the U.S. from international alliances, agreements, and organizations (such as the Paris Climate Agreement, the World Health Organization, and the UN Human Rights Council), progressive minded states are finding ways to move forward with policies that protect their citizens, animals, and the planet.

In response to funding cuts and policy changes at agencies that traditionally focus on public health, such as the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), a group of fifteen governors started the Governors Public Health Alliance.  Described as, “a nonpartisan, non-profit coalition of governors that works together to protect public health,” the alliance is advised by a bipartisan group of well regarded health experts.

States and territories currently in the alliance include Massachusetts, California, Guam, Maryland, Illinois, Rhode Island, Oregon, New York, New Jersey, Colorado, Connecticut, Washington, North Carolina, Delaware, and Hawai’i. The current governor of Hawai’i, Josh Green, is a doctor who used to practice family and emergency medicine, and he says the alliance plans to, “deliver clear, consistent, science-based guidance to the public at a time when we are facing unprecedented public health challenges.”

One of the first goals of this coalition is to strategize around infectious diseases. FOUR PAWS recently released a statement about the early avian influenza surge this past fall, and we have been working to raise awareness about the connection between factory farming and the risk of spreading infectious disease like the avian flu. Human health and animal health are closely connected, and improved animal welfare on farms would also lower the risk of infectious disease outbreaks that impact humans around the globe.

Read more about FOUR PAWS’ suggestions to improve farm animal welfare for better public health

Several states are also taking strides to protect wild animals and biodiversity as the federal government steps back from global agreements and sustainable planning for the future. Massachusetts and California joined the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), which is the, “world’s largest and most diverse environmental network.” The IUCN is also known for maintaining the Red List of Threatened Species, which tracks the risk of extinction for animals around the world. California and Massachusetts are the first states to join the IUCN as subnational government members.

This past fall, representatives from these states attended the World Conservation Congress in Abu Dhabi. Every four years, leaders and decision makers from around the world gather to discuss plans to protect the natural world. Here “governments, NGOs, scientists, business, local communities, indigenous peoples’ organizations and others can work together to solve environmental challenges and achieve sustainable development.”  This years’ Congress put together a plan that focused on “a vision for nature conservation over the next 20 years,” and protecting vulnerable species was at the center of work to combat biodiversity loss and climate change.

FOUR PAWS, whose US office is located in Boston, Massachusetts, is appreciative that our home state is taking strides to address the climate crisis and threats to biodiversity and wildlife by joining this renowned global network.