Effective Policy Applications of Psychological Science: Drawing Parallels between COVID-19 and Climate Change

In 2021, the world continues to face a serious, widespread challenge from the COVID-19 pandemic. Governments and civil society are grappling with unprecedented impacts on healthcare and the economy as well as restrictions of normal social interactions of millions. Still, the climate emergency has not rested. Unless addressed, carbon levels will continue to rise through this pandemic, the development and disbursements of vaccines, and the next pandemic. From a psychological perspective, there are many commonalities between the current COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing crisis of climate change. This whitepaper begins by summarizing the broad similarities between these two crises. From there, we draw parallels between COVID-19 and climate change across four domains of psychological research. In doing this, we identify evidence-based approaches that policymakers and other key decision-makers can adopt to holistically respond to the two global crises of climate change and public health. We conclude with a broad discussion on the role of psychological science (and other social and behavioral sciences) in policy.

Restoration Through Regeneration: a Scientific and Political Lens into Regenerative Agriculture in the United States

The current agricultural system in the U.S., commonly referred to as industrial agriculture, is a system where the main goal is to produce the highest possible yield of crops at the lowest cost, for both human and livestock consumption, and relies heavily on manipulation of the land with monocropping, tillage, synthetic pesticides, and fertilizers. These practices compromise biodiversity, soil health, ecosystem health, and ultimately human health. It is becoming increasingly clear that we cannot sustain conventional practices if we wish to provide a healthy food system to future generations. An alternative, known as regenerative agriculture, produces high yields while also building soil health, increasing biodiversity, improving water cycles, and sequestering carbon. To achieve these goals regenerative agriculture utilizes a core set of techniques which include no-till farming, cover cropping, increased crop diversity, integration of livestock, and the reduction or elimination of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers. Such practices have been shown to be more productive in the long term and more resilient when faced with severe weather events. Currently, there is a need for policies to help farmers implement regenerative agriculture principles, but conventional agriculture has become both politically and economically embedded in the U.S. food system. Not only do our current policies fail to adequately assist regenerative agriculture systems, they also actively support conventional agriculture through, for example, subsidy programs. This document serves as a comprehensive overview of the scientific understanding of agriculture, history of U.S. agricultural policy, key stakeholders in the field, and policy recommendations to expand regenerative agriculture.

Fish Consumption Advisory Programs: Opportunities and Challenges for the Protection of Human Health in Canada and the United States

Fish consumption advisories provide valuable information on the protection of human health from contaminated fish consumption, yet are rarely conducted comprehensively nor communicated widely. Environmental policies that fail to adequately develop and implement fish consumption advisory programs are largely to blame. This policy analysis delves into the strengths and weaknesses of current fish consumption advisory programs in the United States and Canada. To compare between these countries, fish consumption advisory programs were broadly described across all 50 US states and 13 Canadian provinces/territories. Two case studies were chosen to provide a more detailed look into the complexities of fish consumption advisory programs (Arizona and Nova Scotia). It is apparent from this research that fish consumption advisory programs and policies do not comprehensively address human health and environmental justice concerns in either country suggesting policy changes are necessary. Opportunities for and barriers to regulatory change in both countries were identified, and suggestions on sharing strong policies were provided. Finally, international frameworks aimed at improving fish consumption advisory programs were explored, mainly those used by the European Union. Environmental justice and human health concerns will only increase given changing environments and emerging toxicological issues; therefore, increased focus on fish consumption advisory programs is warranted. This focus should consider policy change in particular because it can codify human health and environmental justice protections upon which stronger fish consumption advisory programs can be built.

Expanding State Research Capacity in Child Welfare: The Need for State Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

In 2018, funding for child welfare programs drastically changed under the Bipartisan Budget Act: Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA). To pull Title IV-E funding for prevention programs, all states must evaluate outcomes of children and families involved in child welfare. To meet these guidelines, state agencies need research structures, including internal Institutional Review Boards (IRBs). IRBs allow state governments to conduct ethical research, and expand research within the discipline. As researchers pursue careers outside of academia, these structures are pivotal and lead to policy contributions and knowledge in the discipline. This study evaluates the following in all 50 US states: How many states have internal IRBs? How many states have IRBs that are accessible to the state’s child welfare agency? How have states set-up internal IRBs to function within a government context? The analysis found 34 states have at least one federally registered IRB of which 31 appear active within the state. However, only 11 of the 31 states have an IRB accessible to child welfare departments. These 11 states provide a blueprint for how to establish and maintain an IRB that supports child welfare agencies. Three distinct set ups emerged: holistic multi-department IRB, singular department/agency IRB, or those governed by an inter-agency sharing agreement. These findings show multiple states use an internal IRB to support state researchers. However, these IRBs are not currently accessible to the child welfare agency. For agencies to meet the requirements of FFPSA, IRBs must be expanded to the child welfare agency or built within the state.

Establishing Modern Grid Resilience in the Southeast United States

The electric grid plays a crucial role in the functioning of American households, schools, businesses, and health facilities, as well as national security. Action is needed to address the vulnerability of the grid to natural disasters, which are increasing in frequency and intensity due to climate change. States that are particularly under threat include those in the Southeast, such as Louisiana, Mississippi, and Florida, where hurricanes and severe storms can be especially destructive. States in this region also typically rely on natural gas as a primary source of energy, which upholds a centralized grid structure that is more susceptible to widespread power outages than a distributed structure. Power outages, which disproportionately impact low-income communities, can be detrimental to health and safety during a natural disaster by severing access to communication and necessary medical equipment. Using Louisiana as a case study, we recommend one policy through which the state can transition to a more distributed structure; the Louisiana Public Service Commission should revise the 2019 legislation that financially disincentivizes customers to install solar panels, and instead expand the benefits for these customers. This change will increase the proliferation of solar energy, which can serve as power sources in a distributed grid. Solar panels, coupled with battery storage, can reduce the likelihood of power outages during extreme weather events. Expanding the use of renewable energy in Louisiana could encourage other states in the region to also make this shift, serving as a model for stronger climate adaptation across the country.

The Development of Science and Technology Councils for Members of Congress

Policy decisions should be informed by science, but legislators and their teams have limited capacity to connect with evidence-based resources and the expert community. By strengthening ties between science and policy, these two domains can be more readily integrated when making policy decisions. We established a process for building science and technology councils for Members of Congress, which function as a platform for scientists and legislators to engage. Legislators were selected by gauging the potential for objective, nonpartisan information from scientists to inform their work, as well as their offices’ prioritization of science policy issues. Experts with deep knowledge of these scientific issues were vetted, recruited, and appointed to the councils, and Members of Congress were connected to their designated councils. This bridging of science and policy demonstrates a platform that scientists can utilize to communicate objective, policy-relevant research and analysis as a trusted source of information, leading to more scientifically informed policy decision-making.

Applying Health in All Policies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison

The University of Wisconsin-Madison’s (UW-Madison) response to the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrates how prioritizing health in campus policies is necessary to achieve better health, educational, and workforce outcomes. COVID-19 cases increased on campus as students attended in-person classes at the beginning of the 2020-21 academic year, though dampened as the university ramped up protective measures. Harm may have been prevented had proactive and analytical approaches to policy making, which are foundational to a Health in All Policies (HiAP) approach, been implemented sooner. Specifically, comprehensive and rapid Health Impact Assessments could enhance university leadership’s ability to mitigate the negative effects of existing and future policies. Here, we recognize the COVID-19 pandemic as a justifiable catalyst for implementing a HiAP approach in UW-Madison policymaking. We recommend that the university establish a HiAP subcommittee within the Division of Diversity, Equity & Educational Achievement. This action standardizes the use of tools essential to HiAP across campus while limiting the demand on existing university committees and other administrative offices.

Mitigating Climate Change’s Impact on Tick-Borne Zoonotic Disease Emergence

Disease transmission from animals to humans — called a zoonotic disease — is responsible for nearly 60% of emerging infectious diseases. While zoonotic diseases already pose a major risk to humanity, global climate change and its causal human behaviors are compounding zoonotic disease risk. Dynamic species distributions, increased species overlap, and alterations in human land use increase the risk of disease transmission from non-humans to humans. Ticks, which carry many human disease-causing agents, are a primary example. As 23% of emerging infectious diseases globally are spread by blood-feeding arthropods, such as ticks, managing and monitoring tick distributions and their overlap and potential contact with humans is vital to decrease the risk of zoonotic disease transmission. While some programs are already in place, expanding current and implementing new programs across the globe is pertinent. We propose enhancing international collaboration and communication efforts through intergovernmental organizations such as the United Nations (UN) and the World Health Organization (WHO), to better research, monitor, and mitigate the risk of tick-borne zoonotic disease. By focusing international efforts on ticks, subsequent zoonotic disease-climate change research and monitoring efforts can be done across species.

NIDA’s Funding Policies Contribute to Racial Biases in the Treatment of Drug Use

The electric grid plays a crucial role in the functioning of American households, schools, businesses, and health facilities, as well as national security. Action is needed to address the vulnerability of the grid to natural disasters, which are increasing in frequency and intensity due to climate change. States that are particularly under threat include those in the Southeast, such as Louisiana, Mississippi, and Florida, where hurricanes and severe storms can be especially destructive. States in this region also typically rely on natural gas as a primary source of energy, which upholds a centralized grid structure that is more susceptible to widespread power outages than a distributed structure. Power outages, which disproportionately impact low-income communities, can be detrimental to health and safety during a natural disaster by severing access to communication and necessary medical equipment. Using Louisiana as a case study, we recommend one policy through which the state can transition to a more distributed structure; the Louisiana Public Service Commission should revise the 2019 legislation that financially disincentivizes customers to install solar panels, and instead expand the benefits for these customers. This change will increase the proliferation of solar energy, which can serve as power sources in a distributed grid. Solar panels, coupled with battery storage, can reduce the likelihood of power outages during extreme weather events. Expanding the use of renewable energy in Louisiana could encourage other states in the region to also make this shift, serving as a model for stronger climate adaptation across the country.