Wonderfulness

Today in class we discussed Brian Baxter's Argument from 'Wonderfulness', which is discussed on pages 67-68 of his book Ecologism. It's a relatively simple argument and it makes complete sense to me. It goes something like this:

1) If X is autopoietic*, then it is wonderful (it inspires wonder).
2) X is autopoietic.
3) X is wonderful.
4) We should preserve what is wonderful.
5) Therefore, we ought to preserve X.
*In Ecologism, autopoietic is defined as something that is self-sustaining.

Wonderfulness is something that as a class we struggled to define. It's a beautiful thing to think that all things possess some unique quality, some wonderfulness that should be preserved. Is wonderfulness a feeling? An emotion we get from experiencing another persons or animals wonderfulness? It's interesting to think about... Whatever wonderfulness is exactly doesn't matter; what matters is that we recognize wonderfulness in something and realize our duty to preserve that thing. Here's to Baxter and his idea of wonderfulness :)

Temple Grandin

Although we haven't read anything in class by Temple Grandin, I thought I should post a bit about her because of her work which revolutionized how cattle are handled. Grandin is an autistic woman who became extremely passionate about cattle after spending a summer on her aunt's farm. The rest is history. She went to Franklin Pierce College and got a bachelor's degree in psychology. She eventually went on to get her master's and doctorate degrees, both in animal sciences. She is an absolutely fascinating woman and I would recommend watching the HBO movie based off of her life. There is also a documentary about her life on youtube called the woman who thinks like a cow. Here is the link to that: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46ycu3JFRrA

If you don't know much about her, I would definitely suggest doing a little bit of research and find out more about this amazing woman. Take the time to watch the movies, it's well worth it!

Safest Countries for Animals

Out of curiosity, I wanted to search what are some of the safest countries for animals. We've mostly talked about the US in class and frankly, the US really isn't doing a great job preventing animal cruelty. The US is actually the only developed country to use chimpanzees for invasive experiments. The US has the animal welfare act but it excludes rats, birds, and mice, which make up about 95% of all animals used in laboratories. Here are some countries that the US should take some tips from:

"In 2008, Spain (once thought of as the bullfighting capital of the world) became the first country to grant great apes “human rights,”"

"Austria has one of the strongest anti-cruelty laws in the EU, prohibiting many practices that are commonplace elsewhere. In Austria, it’s illegal for pet stores to sell puppies and kittens, for circuses to use lions and tigers and for people to crop dogs’ ears and tails or to restrain dogs with chains, choke collars or “invisible” electric fences. After the law passed in 2004, Chancellor Wolfgang Schuessel proclaimed, “Austria is taking the role of pioneer. This new law … lifts animal protection to the highest level internationally.”"

"Several other European nations, including Sweden, Estonia, Norway, Finland, Iceland, the Netherlands and Switzerland, prohibit ear cropping and tail docking. The Netherlands also outlaws fox and chinchilla farming and gives vegetarians discount health insurance rates."

"In 2004, Reggio Emilia, Italy, passed unprecedented animal rights bylaws, making it illegal to boil lobsters alive and keep goldfish in glass bowls. Amusement parks cannot legally give their customers goldfish, chicks and rabbits as prizes, and social species of captive birds must be kept in pairs. Birdcages in Reggio Emilia—the unofficial bird breeding capital of Italy—must meet specific size guidelines. Monza, Italy, also prohibits people from keeping goldfish in bowls and forbids fairs from giving away dyed chicks and other small animals as prizes."

And there you have it! Some of the most forward thinking countries concerning animal welfare. These countries are all taking a step in the right direction and I truly believe that the US should follow their lead. Quotes taken from: http://globalpublicsquare.blogs.cnn.com/2011/08/12/which-is-the-safest-country-for-animals/