The U.S. Department of State has created its first ambassador dedicated to diplomacy on behalf of the world’s plants and animals, a so-called Special Envoy for Biodiversity and Water Resources. 

The title goes to Monica Medina, who currently serves as the assistant secretary of state for oceans and international environmental and scientific affairs and is married to the White House chief of staff, Ron Klain. She will take on the animal ambassador duties in addition to her existing remit.

In an announcement about the position, Secretary Blinken said the move comes at what he calls a critical time and reflects the Biden administration’s commitment to resolving the world’s intertwined biodiversity and water crises.

“The months ahead are important for advancing efforts to confront these crises, and enhanced U.S. leadership is essential for raising global ambition and securing a healthier planet for generations to come,” the announcement said.

The months ahead will see a number of meetings organized under the umbrella of the United Nations devoted to global biodiversity. Mr. Blinken’s announcement noted that Ms. Medina will play a critical role in representing American interests at those meetings.

In November, delegates from around the world are scheduled to meet at the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm El-Sheikh for a climate change conference. The following month, many of the same players will gather at Montreal for a Convention on Biological Diversity. The meeting was originally scheduled for 2020 in China, but was postponed because of the pandemic.

Part of Ambassador Medina’s responsibilities, according to the department, will be to coordinate an “all-of-government effort” to address the multitude of environmental crises plaguing the planet, including the climate crises and what were described as crimes against nature, such as illegal logging, mining, land conversion, and wildlife trafficking.

These crises “have deep and detrimental impacts on the biodiversity of our planet and the availability of clean and safe water for human use,” Mr. Blinken’s announcement said. “The two crises are inextricably linked, and the State Department and Special Envoy Medina are committed to addressing the crises holistically.”

In an interview with the Washington Post, Ms. Medina said all the various crises are intertwined with the climate crises and will require countries to set aside almost a third of their land and water area in order to maintain the health of the planet.

“There’s a direct connection between biodiversity loss and instability in a lot of parts of the world,” Ms. Medina told the Post. “It’s not just about nature for nature’s sake. I think it is about people.”

She also noted that the so-called Inflation Reduction Act signed by President Biden in August sets aside billions of taxpayer dollars for conservation efforts.

Mr. Biden’s package includes $386 billion in spending on environmental initiatives, mainly for new and expanded tax credits to promote clean energy projects, conservation efforts both at home and abroad, and credits to encourage people to abandon gasoline-powered vehicles in favor of electric ones. About $60 billion of that figure is earmarked for spending to address “environmental justice” in underserved communities confronting pollution.

The notion of an ambassador for plants and animals harkens back to the Doctor Dolittle character created by author Hugh Lofting in a series of children’s books published in the 1920s. The fictional doctor — later played in films by actors Rex Harrison in 1967, Eddie Murphy in the late 1990s, and Robert Downey Jr. in 2020 — had the ability to speak with animals.