How to save a lobster in 1 Hour*

Buying a lobster from a store and setting it free could do more harm than good. This is because you might increase demand to the extent that the supply goes up by more than 1, and it wastes your time.

On a small scale:

Do buy a lobster & save it	Don’t buy a lobster & not save it
1 Lobster saved per person	1 Lobster not saved per person
∼1 Lobster captured due to increased demand per person	∼1 Lobster not captured due to increased demand per person
Lobster store gets money	Lobster store doesn’t get money
You and other participants lose some time from your days	You and other participants don’t lose some time from your days

Also, doing it on a large scale adds another component. It might encourage people to recognize the rights of non-human animals, but it might also drive demand and increase the popularity of lobster stores, meaning it might do more harm than good.

On a large scale:

Do buy a lobster & save it	Don’t buy a lobster & not save it
1 Lobster saved per person	1 Lobster not saved per person
∼1 Lobster captured due to increased demand per person	∼1 Lobster not captured due to increased demand per person
Lobster store gets money	Lobster store doesn’t get money
You and other participants lose some time from your days	You and other participants don’t lose some time from your days
It might produce a higher view of non-human animals in the public eye	Won’t produce a higher view of non-human animals in the public eye
It might build publicity for lobster stores, increasing demand.	It won’t build publicity for lobster stores, increasing demand.