This essay by Brian Tomasik addresses this question further, looking at the overall impact of human activities on wild-animal suffering, and includes the effect of factory-farming in the analysis too. Whilst human impact on the environment may lead to a net reduction in wild-animal suffering (if you think that the lives of wild-animals are significantly net-negative), the people whose lives are saved by the Against Malaria Foundation also have little impact on the environment, so also have little impact on the reduction of wild-animal suffering.
It’s plausible that those saved from malaria have lower-than-average environmental impact, but their impact is not trivial. This section mentions some ways in which poverty might actually increase a person’s environmental impact.
This section discusses AMF as a potential way to reduce insect suffering. I added a paragraph specifically about Malawi because Buck mentioned that country. I’m interested in finding someone to research the net impact of AMF on insect suffering more thoroughly. :)
This essay by Brian Tomasik addresses this question further, looking at the overall impact of human activities on wild-animal suffering, and includes the effect of factory-farming in the analysis too. Whilst human impact on the environment may lead to a net reduction in wild-animal suffering (if you think that the lives of wild-animals are significantly net-negative), the people whose lives are saved by the Against Malaria Foundation also have little impact on the environment, so also have little impact on the reduction of wild-animal suffering.
Thanks for the link!
It’s plausible that those saved from malaria have lower-than-average environmental impact, but their impact is not trivial. This section mentions some ways in which poverty might actually increase a person’s environmental impact.
This section discusses AMF as a potential way to reduce insect suffering. I added a paragraph specifically about Malawi because Buck mentioned that country. I’m interested in finding someone to research the net impact of AMF on insect suffering more thoroughly. :)