Adopted by the Board of Directors
December 7, 2019 | Washington, DC
Resolution 2019-001

Humanity’s global interdependence is central to the humanist ethic. That interdependence extends far beyond humans and includes the other living beings with whom we share the planet, the water we drink, the air we breathe, and the lands we inhabit. Just as we depend on this planet to sustain us, Earth’s ecosystems depend on us to be good stewards and take responsibility for the impact human activity has on our shared environment. Humanists and all others should make conservation, ecological education, and environmental stewardship top priorities to safeguard against all forms of environmental degradation and ensure a healthy planet.

WHEREAS the beauty of our natural world and the ecological interdependence of life on Earth, including humans, non-human animals, plants, and other living beings, as well as the inorganic natural world, is fundamental to our humanity, and

WHEREAS all life on this planet has intrinsic value and holds the right to access clean air, clean water, and healthy habitats, and

WHEREAS ecosystems rich in biodiversity are healthier, more resilient, and more productive, and

WHEREAS rampant industrialization, overconsumption, urban sprawl, and unsustainable agricultural and manufacturing processes disrupt and destroy habitats and generate unprecedented levels of waste and pollutants, and

WHEREAS pollutants are a direct cause of disease in humans and other organisms leading to higher mortality rates, and

WHEREAS climate change, pollution, and environmental destruction have exacerbated systemic racial, regional, social, environmental, and economic injustices by disproportionately affecting indigenous peoples, communities of color, migrant communities, deindustrialized communities, depopulated rural communities, the poor, low-income workers, women, the elderly, the unhoused, people with disabilities, and youth (referred to in this resolution as “frontline and vulnerable communities”);

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the AMERICAN HUMANIST ASSOCIATION, in support of environmental stewardship and the preservation and cultivation of healthy ecosystems,

AFFIRMS its support for conservation efforts to preserve natural resources and the beauty of our public lands, reduce carbon footprints, clean and rebuild damaged habitats, and protect endangered species and other wildlife, and

AFFIRMS its support for sustainable waste management and the use of non-toxic, biodegradable or repurposable materials in all products and manufacturing processes, and

AFFIRMS its support for businesses to publish supply-chain information relevant to sustainability to help consumers make informed, ethical choices, and

AFFIRMS its support for sustainable agriculture and food consumption, including transitioning toward plant-based diets, developing urban farming and community cooperative initiatives, and researching and regulating pesticides, fertilizers, and chemical runoff, and

AFFIRMS its support for upgrading and retrofitting our transportation infrastructure including developing energy-efficient vehicles, high-speed rail, and green public transit systems, and

AFFIRMS its support for robust, independent environmental impact assessments, open to public comment, for all major development projects, and

AFFIRMS its support for education initiatives for children and adults to learn more about and participate in sustainability, conservation, ecology, and environmental science, and

AFFIRMS its support for aggressive, multinational economic and regulatory action to transition to a green economy, including abolishing fossil-fuel subsidies, creating financial incentives for sustainable energy and production processes, and requiring businesses to bear the full cost of environmental externalities resulting from their activities, and

AFFIRMS its support for environmental justice and equity by preventing future and repairing current and historical oppression of frontline and vulnerable communities;

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the AMERICAN HUMANIST ASSOCIATION calls upon all able people to acknowledge the harmful effects of human activity on the environment and—through personal and collective action—repair environmental damages and cultivate healthy ecosystems on our shared planet. Support—with your voice, vote, time, energy, resources, and participation—the legislation, candidates, campaigns, action groups, and other efforts that promote conservation, sustainability, and environmental justice on our shared planet.