Great thinking! I’ll DM you. If others are interested in doing something like this send me a message.
minthin
Karma: 83
Excellent! Appreciate you <3
You rock, thanks!
Great case study! Thanks for offering yourself up as a data point. If you don’t mind me asking, do you find it convincing to do something about factory farming (donate, diet change, political action, etc)?
Yes, I agree. These are all good takes, and I’ll own that I did not word my thoughts carefully enough for a constructive dialogue.
My point is that FK has some media acumen that the entire movement is struggling with. We are not in the news nearly as much as we should be. Yes, there is a line of taking it too far. But FK has seen what doesn’t work. They are experimenting and having nuanced success of getting earned media. I’m not saying it is justified, but I do think it is on the right track.
Kidnapping somebody would be a violent action.
A better analogy of non violent direct action would be breaking in to disable the clinic’s capabilities to provide abortions (without harming anybody).
In this case, the protesters would be subject to the same penalties under the law that the Ridglan protesters are. That being said, there is a case that what is happening to the dogs is illegal (311 counts of animal cruelty documented already). I’m wary of an appeal to authority bias here—just because they are not enforcing the law doesn’t mean what Ridglan is doing is legal. As pointed out, the necessity defense is being tested here, and has reason for consideration.
I’m really appreciating this conversation!
Thank you Dr. Knight for raising awareness about a prospective cause area that is certainly neglected. I appreciate you working through the counterarguments you received and offering rebuttals.
Really appreciate the folks offering guidelines to help craft conversation that gets at the best possible outcome. Comparing efficacy of cause areas can be a heavy research lift for one who wants to get a convo started, but I can see how commenters would want the burden of proof to fall on the person who made the claim.
I like the synergy around teasing out viable interventions. It sounds like there are some initial leads, and more research would add confidence.
It seems to me that people look to their vets for determining a nutritious diet. Dr. Knight has already made tremendous headway to get the veterinary community to relax restrictions or even support plant-based diets for companion animals. Expanding upon this could be a key step toward social validation. It begs the question: if vets supported plant-based diets the way the medical community does, would people see it as superior product for their beloved furry friends?
Overall I’m excited about the potential of this being a backdoor approach to getting animals out of our food system without requiring (human) diet change.
Good point to be cautious about manufactured opposition. On the other hand, isn’t rage baiting a common way to garner attention in today’s environment? Isn’t that exactly what makes your comment so attractive to respond to/rebuff?
Perhaps I’m conflating rage baiting with manufactured opposition, but I do think FK is onto something here.
Thank you for saying this Wendy, it is very big of Veganuary to have the bigger picture in mind for animals.
Good to know about Every, I just signed up for my org.
Hey Nitin! I’m so glad you are investing in this!! Such an important topic and I’m grateful for your work to marry conservation and welfare. There are few people who could do that, so I’m glad you have made strides already.
You may be interested to know we have a campaign in DC to manage rat populations without the use of poisons DCratsolutions.com
I read about the interest in creating a new contraceptive via a convening of experts/funders and a prize. That sounds cool to target it toward island species to make it focused on conservation with a humane approach. Do you have a sense of how it can incorporate established R&D on contraceptives so as to not be duplicative?
Agreed, there are still questions to be addressed about the existing field of contraceptives. I’m glad to see there has been innovation, and I hope the work continues!
Wow, wishing you the best, @Cameron Meyer Shorb 🔸 .
Fascinating approach to rodenticide contraception, that is a cool way to galvanize a search for the solution. Does this mean you have analyzed the current contraceptives and feel that they fall short? Senestech has a new product called Evolve and Wisdom Goodworks has a product called Goodbites. Is it possible that either of these could already fit the criteria needed to manage rodent populations?
Thought provoking take! I hadnt considered this angle. While there is uncertainty, one obvious conclusion is to manage the welfare of animals killed by fishery industries. Supporting the work of organizations like Fish Welfare Initiative.
One note: the jargon was challenging to navigate. I almost ducked out at planktonic mysids and pelagic decapods! : P
Ditto, this is a transformative vision. Here is a blog post summary https://www.directactioneverywhere.com/theliberationist/2016-9-6-the-roadmap-to-animal-liberation-part-i-plant-the-flag-1
This is great to see! Thanks for the write-up
Folks like you inspire me for your generosity, broad-minded take on different causes, and commitment to a better world. Thanks for sharing Kyle!
You pose some great questions, Holly.
I really like the EA culture of “unintended consequences” analysis, as you do with a political campaign on rodent control. That analysis is good to do with all campaigns, and some political campaigns will have greater risks and some will have lesser. It is not inherently a reason not to engage in politics.
Interesting points about undermining democracy. I think it is also worth considering the null-hypothesis: what is the impact of doing nothing? How does it favor existing powers to continue the status quo?
Ultimately, the costs and benefit of political campaigns are extremely difficult to quantify, so I understand why EAs are still developing our attitudes toward this. As a person who works in politics, I agree that there are potential consequences to be wary of (developing a partisan identity, making powerful enemies, etc). Nonetheless, I see these as important precautions and risks to mitigate rather than dealbreakers.
I’m really excited to hear this, Dillon. I was kind of expecting the opposite response. Good on you. I appreciate your open mindedness and support for animal welfare.