General Animal Protection
The Power of Tracking Studies
Submitted by Che on Jul 01, 2008 Advocacy Strategies | General Animal Protection | Research Tools and MethodsA survey of public opinion can be very informative, but it covers only a snapshot in time. Without the ability to compare and contrast results over years, even decades, it’s difficult to know if the results were influenced by external factors (e.g., a major news item). With tracking studies, however, the results are more like a video than a snapshot. Tracking polls provide consistency, comparability, and context for otherwise isolated data – and that means more meaningful results for advocates.
Religion and Other Animals
Submitted on Jun 29, 2008 General Animal Protection
by
An essay by Professor Paul Waldau discusses whether or not non-human animals can have a religious sensibility. Waldau also argues that communities of faith are often quite understanding of and responsive to the complex connections between humans and animals.
Why Population Growth is Animal Enemy #1
Submitted by Che on Jun 23, 2008 Advocacy Strategies | Diet and Nutrition | Farmed Animals | General Animal Protection | Vegetarianism and VeganismThe so-called "developing" world is growing quickly and in most cases adopting Western lifestyles and diets as they do so. Feeding a global population of more than 9.3 billion (by 2050) will therefore mean the consumption of billions more animals. With references to Thomas Malthus and a recent study by David and Marcia Pimentel, we take a closer look at this population problem.
Evaluation for Normal People (audio/podcast)
Submitted on Jun 20, 2008 Advocacy Strategies | General Animal Protection | Research Tools and Methods
by Stanford Social Innovation Review
Alana Conner, senior editor of the Stanford Social Innovation Review, describes the trials and tribulations of evaluating program effectiveness. An experimental social psychologist by training, she illustrates how many evaluation practices in the nonprofit sector may actually mislead funders and organizations. Although most programs would love to implement "Cadillac" evaluations, they can only afford "second-hand Yugos." Following Dr. Conner's talk, Rick Aubry, executive director of Rubicon Programs Inc., describes how his organization secured funding for a state-of-the-art evaluation system. [Abstract excerpted from website]
What the World Eats (in One Week)
Submitted by Che on Jun 17, 2008 Diet and Nutrition | Farmed Animals | General Animal Protection | Vegetarianism and VeganismMy last post on in vitro meat production argued that the new technology will render animal farming obsolete, but I also admitted that the change will take a while. In the meantime, overall meat consumption will rise dramatically in spite of the immense gap between the world's wealthy (and well-fed) and its poor (and malnourished). Here we take a closer look at the diets of nine families in nine very different countries, through the lens of photo-journalist Peter Menzel.
IssueLab
Submitted on Jun 11, 2008 General Animal Protection
by IssueLab
IssueLab is an open-access online publishing forum and searchable database that aggregates nonprofit research on various social issues, including animals.
How to End 98% of Animal Abuse in the Next 25 Years
Submitted by Che on Jun 11, 2008 Advocacy Strategies | Diet and Nutrition | Farmed Animals | General Animal Protection | Vegetarianism and VeganismSo-called "lab meat" is the future of farmed animal advocacy, with the potential to completely replace the hundreds of billions of animals consumed every year throughout the world. While it still faces major science- and business-related hurdles, the promise of in vitro meat is eliminating the vast majority of animal suffering caused by humans. More than just another example of "system-wide change," the successful commercialization of lab meat would be downright revolutionary.
The Road to Helping Animals is Paved with Good Intentions (AV Magazine Article)
Submitted by Che on Jun 07, 2008 Advocacy Strategies | Animal Experimentation | Companion Animals | Farmed Animals | General Animal Protection | Wildlife and Exotics[This article will appear in the summer 2008 edition of AV Magazine] People love animals. And while people mostly love their companion animals and fellow primates, they also indicate strong support for the welfare of farmed animals, wildlife, and research animals. Most also think we should have strict laws enforcing protection for all types of animals. In an abstract sense, a strong majority of people support not just reducing animal suffering, but even eliminating it entirely. This is the good news about the public's attitude toward animals... [Continued]
A Pragmatist's Guide to Animal Advocacy
Submitted by Che on Jun 04, 2008 Advocacy Strategies | Farmed Animals | General Animal ProtectionIn this final part of our 4-part series discussing Martin Balluch's essay, "Abolitionism vs. Reformism," we look at what it will take to achieve meaningful change for animals in the next couple of decades. A pragmatic and/or utilitarian approach to animal protection very clearly indicates that one should focus on incremental behavior change and mainstream advocacy approaches.
So You Think Humans Are Unique?
Submitted on Jun 03, 2008 General Animal Protection
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This article discusses evidence of traits that humans and animal have in common, focusing specifically on communication and gestures. Specific examples and case studies are presented in this broad overview of related research.