August 7, 2023 — A new bill in Congress would establish special advisors across federal agencies to specialize in U.S. territories and certain Pacific nations.
The move could be especially important for those island communities as climate change exacerbates coral bleaching, sea level rise, worsening storms, and other environmental threats that require federal support to address.
“The standards that work at a national level just often don’t make as much sense in each of the territories, and so there can be different impacts that are negative, even if well-intentioned,” said Neil Weare, co-founder of the organization Right to Democracy that advocates for the rights of people in U.S. territories. “Having some sensitivity to addressing those unique needs, I think will be better for the people in the territories, but also then better for the goal of environmental protection.”