Environmental and Animal Issues

23 May 2010

Sarah Clement, Animal Rights Advocates, Inc.

www.ara.org.au

Overview• Introduction and about ARA

• Setting the Scene:

– Brief overview of animal rights and environmental philosophy

– Environmental impact of animal agriculture and feral animals

• Examples

• Break

• Questions and Open Discussion

About Us• Volunteer not-for-profit organisation that campaigns for

the abolition of animal exploitation

• Education and Behavioural Change

– Resource production and distribution

– Skill-building

– Media

• Lobbying

– Political Lobbying

– Lobbying other organisations

• Other events this year: Animal Activist Law, Animal Rights + Human Rights, Cruelty Free Festival, Release of Vegan in Perth Guide, Launching Vegan Mentoring program, Art exhibition

Our Values: Integrity Non-Violence Sustainability Collaboration Equity and Social Justice

Why are we doing this?• ARA is an abolitionist organisation, and as such we recognise the

similarities between speciesism and other 'isms'.

• We also recognise that the same root causes causing animal suffering are causing environmental degradation.

• Linking with other causes offers benefits for all involved, and helps us all better understand the connections.

• Overlap between issues – important to highlight those links and discuss the challenges, as well as the natural connections.

Environmental Philosophy Relevance and importance

Some key questions it seeks to answer:– Does nature have intrinsic value, or is it valuable on

because humans deem it to be so

– What uses of the environment to fulfil human needs are appropriate? Which aren't?

– What responsibility do we have to conserve the environment for future generations?

– Should a particular place or species be protected? Why or why not?

Environmental Philosophy• Many names and ways of describing environmental philosophy, but are sometimes broadly divided into three categories (overlap):

– 'Radical' ecophilosophy (e.g. deep ecology, ecofeminism, social ecology)

• Need for a paradigm shift, not reform.

• Roots: anthropocentrism, patriarchy,social hierarchy

– Environmental ethics (e.g. weak anthropocentrics, ecohumanists, conservationists, libertarian and ecological extension, etc.)

• Extend moral consideration into the non-human world• Roots: anthropocentrism, dualism• Peter Singer, Aldo Leopold, James Lovelock

Environmental Philosophy• Anthropocentric reformism

– Law and policy reform,land ownership, education and awareness

– Roots: shortsightedness, ignorance, greed, etc.

– The mainstream environmental movement largely falls under this umbrella.

Often depicted as a spectrum, from anthropocentrism to non-anthropocentrism (or biocentric or ecocentric, etc).

Animal Rights Philosophy• Some key questions:

– Are humans superior to non-human animals? Do we have special moral status?

– Should animals be considered in our moral considerations?

– Do animals have rights? What rights? – Do we have the right to use and own

animals? If so, for what purposes and under what circumstances?

– Are there justifications for inflicting suffering on non-human animals? If so, what are they?

Animal Welfare and Animal Rights• As before, there are many ways of describing categorising

the various philosophies

• Animal liberation movement – includes non-human animals in our moral considerations

– Tom Reagan: ascribes inherent value, and thus moral rights, to non-humans, but not equal consideration

– Peter Singer: utilitarian – greatest happiness to greatest number

– Gary Francione: abolitionist animal theory of animal rights

• Currently, debate focuses largely on animal welfare versus animal abolitionism

– Welfarists advocate for stronger laws preventing cruelty and requiring humane treatment

– Abolitionists oppose and and all human use of animals

Abolitionist Animal Rights Philosophy• Root cause of problem: Animals as property

– The most basic right of a sentient being, whether they are human or any other animal, is the right to not be someone else's property.

– Human and non-human animals are sentient and have an interest in avoiding pain, suffering, and death.

– Using animals as resources causes pain, suffering and death. We have a moral obligation to not inflict unnecessary suffering on non-humans.

– All sentient beings have an interest, and the right, not to be treated as property.

– These interests are morally significant, even if they are different than those of humans.

Overlap• Similar attitudes lead to similar problems (e.g. anthropocentrism, social structures, patriarchy) lead to domination over nature, including nonhuman animals.

• Have similar ideals, even if the goals aren't always identical, e.g. including animals in our moral considerations, challenging human dominance and the use values of nature.

Environmental Impacts of Animal Agriculture

• Livestock: 18 percent of anthropogenic GHG emissions, more than transport. 37% of methane (23 times more potent than CO2)

– Deforestation is a major contributor

• Water pollution: pharmaceuticals, heavy metals, pathogens, fertilisers, pesticides and sediments. One cow's phosphorus output is equivalent to 18-20 humans (grazing at pasture or in a feedlot). Eutrophication, habitat depletion, reduced biodiversity, etc.

Environmental Impacts

• Slaughter:

– Blood (which has a high biological oxygen demand), fat, rumen contents and solid waste (e.g. intestines, hair and horns).

– 100 kg of paunch manure and 6 kg of fat per tonne animal flesh, on average

• Resource Intensive:

– Requires 6 kg plant protein to produce 1 kg animal protein

– 60% of maize and barley is fed to animals, not humans

Some Australian Examples• Agriculture accounts for about two-thirds of water

consumption.

– Of this, livestock, pasture, dairy, and grains account for about 55%

• Major driver of deforestation and biodiversity loss

• About 58 percent of Australia’s land is devoted to agriculture, most of which is for grazing animals and producing animal feed.

– 35 percent of WA modified by pasture, (doesn’t include land devoted to feedlots, dairy operations, poultry production or growing livestock feed)

• Intensive farming is increasingly common, sig. environmental/AR implications

Some Australian Examples

• Feedlots not just abroad: 700 accredited beef feedlots in Australia

– Approximately 40% of Australia’s total beef supply, 80% of beef sold in major domestic supermarkets

– Accounts for most of the growth over the past decade in the beef industry

• 98% of pigs in Australia are reared in intensive conditions.

Animal Rights Perspective

• Impacts

• Overlap with environmentalists

• Conflicts (real and perceived)

Non-native/invasive/pest/feral animals

• Both plants and animals

• Invasives: focus is on non-native species that affect the environment or economy

• Examples

– Rabbits, foxes, camels, cats, dingoes

– Cane toads, house gecko

– Carp, trout, perch

– Fire ants, honey bees, millipedes

– Pigeons, common starling

• Non-native species from other regions can also be problematic

• Native species can also be considered pests

Feral/invasive/pests in AustraliaMethod of introduction: from deliberate (e.g. to hunt or to eradicate other pests) to accidental (e.g. imported)

Our view of 'pests' depends on our perspective and changes over time in society

Native animals have been considered 'pests' and have faced extinction as a result (e.g. Tasmanian devils, spotted quolls)

What makes Australia unique?• Change has been slow: continental drift and geologic

stability

• Climate – El Nino more influential than seasons

• Animals often 'living on the edge'

– Poor soil quality, nutrient poor food sources

• Coevolution and interdependencies

Why are feral animals so damaging? They have few natural predators, and may prey on

native animals

Often can reproduce more quickly than native animals

Compete for resources (e.g. food and habitat) with native animals

Often reproduce more quickly than native animals

May carry disease, to which native animals have no immunity, and destroy habitat (e.g. grazing and erosion)

Damage property (e.g. pigeons)

Control Methods“Conventional”, e.g. baiting, trapping, shooting,

fencing, bashing.

Biological, e.g. predators, parasites, disease-carrying viruses or bacteria

The use of bounties is common in Australia

Problems• Questionable efficacy

• Little protection for feral animals under the law

– Exemption in animal welfare law for killing pests, so long as it's in a way that is 'usual and reasonable'

– Simply have to take 'reasonable steps' to ensure you don't kill other animals in the process

– Code of practice for capture and marketing of feral animals does not include wild animals

– Enforcement issues (e.g. feral pigs)

Problems• Common methods of killing would be considered

inhumane (e.g. 1080/Sodium fluoroacetate)

– Western Shield Program – wild dogs and foxes

– Tension between animal rights and environmental protection?

• Examples