Documentary
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
The science of junk food
A must read: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/24/magazine/the-extraordinary-science-of-junk-food.html?hp&pagewanted=all&_r=1&
Friday, February 22, 2013
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Sunday, February 17, 2013
Animal experimentation
I'm reading "Animal Liberation" by Peter Singer and finding it an extremely compelling read. He writes very clearly and his arguments are very accessible for an ordinary person like myself. I haven't read much about animal experimentation so have found his chapters on the topic utterly devastating. The horrors, the innumerable torture and cruelties that we have devised to administer to countless millions of animals in the name of science and human well being astonishing. Most of these studies are clearly pointless, poor science, loaded with contradiction, irrelevant and repetitive. Peter Singer seems to say that things are better for animals, but I wonder. I think more experiments are being done on mice and rats than ever. It's truly horrible.
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
A response to cultural practices
Yes culture does matter as it shapes what is perceived as normal.So acts that we would believe are amoral are completely acceptable to them. However, we cannot deny that the animals who were slaughtered were seriously harmed and wronged, however, well-intentioned (and ethically) the people may be. In many parts of Africa humans, even children and albinos, are still sacrificed for medicine and good fortune! Surely we should not condone this, even if people much better after a child has been killed on their behalf.
That being said, it's very hard to understand and change a culture from the outside. Also, it's quite hypocritical for westerners to focus so much on the abuse of animals by other cultures while ignoring our own practices of animal "raising", slaughter and eating which are so wide-spread. We all have a moral blindness to our own unethical actions which are "nomal". I think we would do better tackling this first, because it's easier to understand and because it's less hypocritical.
Not to say that we should keep silent on other atrocities, but we must be humble and acknowledge our own flaws and lack of understanding of others cultures and circumstances. We need to acknowledge that cultural practices likke this are linked to other important issues such has migration, social injustice, science education, and religious beliefs. Each one of these things needs to be addressed before the practice of ritual slaughter can be effectivel dealt with.
That being said, it's very hard to understand and change a culture from the outside. Also, it's quite hypocritical for westerners to focus so much on the abuse of animals by other cultures while ignoring our own practices of animal "raising", slaughter and eating which are so wide-spread. We all have a moral blindness to our own unethical actions which are "nomal". I think we would do better tackling this first, because it's easier to understand and because it's less hypocritical.
Not to say that we should keep silent on other atrocities, but we must be humble and acknowledge our own flaws and lack of understanding of others cultures and circumstances. We need to acknowledge that cultural practices likke this are linked to other important issues such has migration, social injustice, science education, and religious beliefs. Each one of these things needs to be addressed before the practice of ritual slaughter can be effectivel dealt with.
Wednesday, February 06, 2013
Some interesting things I found today
Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics
Dr. Andrew Knight who has done many cool things and published a book on animal experimentation.
Dr. Andrew Knight who has done many cool things and published a book on animal experimentation.
Monday, February 04, 2013
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