I agree that thinking of these donations in terms of offsetting is not right. Your ability to donate to animal welfare is basically unrelated to your ability to stop consuming animal products, and doing one does not affect your ethical obligation to do the other, as you said.
What I would encourage and do think is right is to consider how you can do the most good, and donating to animal welfare is a highly effective way to do that. Therefore, it seems incumbent upon both vegans and non-vegans that they donate. Being vegan does not free you from the obligation to donate anymore than donating frees you from the obligation to be vegan.
I say this as a non-vegan. I am highly interested in veganism, but do not feel like I can really handle the transition in this current phase of life I’m in. But I resolved to donate, not as an offset, but because I care about animals, and I feel obligated to do the most good I can. I also strive to reduce the amount of animal products I consume, and I try to seek out more humane sources for those I do use.
Doubtless, a vegan looking at my life might question whether the complication is really worth it. I certainly have a guilty conscience and feel empathy for the animals whose suffering I am causing. Am I trying to ‘offset’ those feelings by doing what I can? Certainly I am to some degree. Whether that is good or bad seems like a personal question, but I think all EA’s would agree that, regardless of one’s personal moral imbrication in another person’s suffering, the goal should be to do as much good as possible.
I agree that thinking of these donations in terms of offsetting is not right. Your ability to donate to animal welfare is basically unrelated to your ability to stop consuming animal products, and doing one does not affect your ethical obligation to do the other, as you said.
What I would encourage and do think is right is to consider how you can do the most good, and donating to animal welfare is a highly effective way to do that. Therefore, it seems incumbent upon both vegans and non-vegans that they donate. Being vegan does not free you from the obligation to donate anymore than donating frees you from the obligation to be vegan.
I say this as a non-vegan. I am highly interested in veganism, but do not feel like I can really handle the transition in this current phase of life I’m in. But I resolved to donate, not as an offset, but because I care about animals, and I feel obligated to do the most good I can. I also strive to reduce the amount of animal products I consume, and I try to seek out more humane sources for those I do use.
Doubtless, a vegan looking at my life might question whether the complication is really worth it. I certainly have a guilty conscience and feel empathy for the animals whose suffering I am causing. Am I trying to ‘offset’ those feelings by doing what I can? Certainly I am to some degree. Whether that is good or bad seems like a personal question, but I think all EA’s would agree that, regardless of one’s personal moral imbrication in another person’s suffering, the goal should be to do as much good as possible.